A lithium-ion battery being tested at the GM Tech Center in Warren, Michigan.
This is the latest update of TheDetroitBureau.com’s initial report, posted at 5:30 PM EDT.
An explosion at a battery vehicle research lab at the General Motors Technical Center resulted in six injuries, including one hospitalization. The lab was evacuated and it and adjoining offices will remain closed at least for another day. The automaker says the incident was the result of “extreme testing on a prototype battery.”
Though the maker stresses that its Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid was not involved in the incident, the explosion could prove another setback considering the brouhaha that followed reports of several fires involving the Volt last year subsequent to crash testing by federal safety regulators.
“An incident occurred about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday inside a test chamber at the General Motors Alternative Energy Center during extreme testing of an experimental battery,” the maker stated in a news release. “Chemical gases from the battery cells were released and ignited in the enclosed chamber. The battery itself was intact. The battery tested and the incident have no connection with the Chevrolet Volt or any other GM production vehicle.”
The automaker reports five employees were treated at the scene with another worker’s injuries requiring hospitalization.
Though the maker has declined to discuss specifics, sources suggest the battery involved in the accident was almost certainly using some form of lithium-ion technology. Some of the raw materials used in such batteries are flammable and potentially explosive. Lithium itself burns at temperatures hot enough to melt aluminum.
The GM Tech Center is the primary location for research and development work for the world’s largest automaker. It houses a wide range of engineering and design operations, including facilities used for the development of advanced batteries such as those used in the Volt and future products now under development. The maker plans to add a higher-performance plug-in hybrid for the Cadillac brand. It also plans to market several pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, including one based on the small Chevrolet Spark, which will use an even more powerful version of lithium-ion technology.
GM is clearly taking pains to ensure the Wednesday morning accident is not linked to its Chevrolet Volt model. The maker was stung by reports late last year that a Volt used by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had caught fire several weeks after crash testing. A second fire occurred during subsequent tests run in November, while another battery sparked and smoked without actually catching fire.
NHTSA opened an initial investigation into the incidents but quickly gave the Volt a clean bill of health as it appears the primary problem was the testing process the agency used.
Nonetheless, GM quickly announced plans to further harden the casing used to protect Volt’s battery to reduce what it said was the highly unlikely chance of a battery fire.
Following a hearing by the GOP-led House, in January, sales of the Volt tumbled sharply. But demand regained its momentum in March. With fuel prices spiking, the plug-in scored a 50% increase in sales compared to its previous record.
Whether today’s incident will cause new problems for the Volt is uncertain.