Austin was the first city in Texas and among the first in the country to sell Chevrolet’s plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Volt. And if you were one of the exclusive few early adopters to buy the car, General Motors wants you to know you can send it back free of charge.
Why would they make such an offer? It all stems from concerns about burning batteries.
Federal officials launched an investigation last Friday after lithium-ion batteries in the Volt caught fire during at least three safety tests.
Now racing to contain the public relations disaster, GM has said it will buy back any Volt from an owner.
Austinites have been encouraged to buy plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. Austin Energy has been installing electric vehicle charging stations all over town, providing rebates to homeowners who install chargers in their driveways, and even giving some chargers away for free.
Meanwhile, the United States Embassy in France is buying four Chevy Volts. Two were delivered yesterday, and two more will arrive in early 2012, the New York Times reports.
