Q&A: What happens if the Chevy Volt sleeps with the fishes?

Ever wonder what will happen if an electric vehicle is submerged under water? It seems to be a valid concern, what with all those amps seemingly ready to discharge at a moments notice into the ocean blue. Worry not, electric car fans, automakers like General Motors have got your backs.

Our friends at GM-Volt.com sat down with Lance Turner, who currently acts as lead engineer in the Volt battery lab after previously working on the EV1 project, and he did his best to lay those watery fears to rest. According to Turner, the Volt's battery pack will be sealed up tight with special attention paid to the high voltage lines between the battery pack and the inverter.

Apparently, The General has been down this road before with the EV1. An entire electric car was placed inside a container and seawater was slowly added. When the water reached the battery, a series of protective measures shut the car down and sensors placed on dummy occupants proved that no harm had been done.

Just for fun, click past the break for a video of a Volt IVER prototype being water tested for leaks. You'll also see an image of a Mitsubishi iMiEV being tested in the water for safety, proving GM's not the only automaker testing its EVs in this manner.

[Source: GM-Volt.com]


VIDEO:

The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.