Chevy Volts Recalled To Add Automatic Shutoff Feature

General Motors has decided to recall some Chevy Volts in order to add a feature that will automatically shut the car off after it has been idling for a certain amount of time. This change will be made for safety reasons, and comes after a couple people have been injured by carbon monoxide buildup after forgetting to turn the car off. This is said to be a unique recall among the auto industry, and is necessary because of the silent nature of a car that is operating on battery power.

Some electric motorcycles have artificial motor noises added for safety reasons, and this Chevy Volt recall is based on the same idea. When operating on battery power, the car's operation is silent, and though it issues chimes and other indicators that it is still running, the driver might not be paying attention and could leave it running in the garage.

Once the car runs out of battery power, the gasoline engine will engage, and if it is parked somewhere like a closed garage, carbon monoxide could end up building to potentially fatal levels. A software update will be applied to about 64,000 Volts of the 2011 to 2013 model years, causing the car to shut off after it has been idling for a certain length of time.

This is a relatively common issue experienced by hybrid owners who may, in a moment of absentmindedness, leave the car running. It isn't clear at this time when the recall is expected to take place.

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal