GM Upgrading Chevrolet Volt 120-Volt Charge Cords, Will Replace Older Units

GM announced Thursday that it will replace the 120-volt charging cords that come with the Chevy Volt. Customers who already own a Volt will get the revised units, which are said to improve on durability and reliability. Volt spokesman Rob Peterson tells us that GM found owners were plugging the short pigtail into an outlet and letting the charging unit—the black plastic brick that houses the charging indicator lamps and doubles as the cord reel when not in use—hang from the cord unsupported. This placed undue strain on the cord, and could potentially loosen the plug-outlet connection. "This is the type of thing that you learn with real-world use and experience," Peterson says.  (We've found this to be a problem in our experiences with the Volt, sometimes having to create makeshift stands for the device like the one you see above; unfortunately, the wire length from wall to brick is mandated by electric code and cannot be increased.) He emphasized the program was "not a recall, but a customer satisfaction program." Both the wire's exterior casing and the gauge of the wiring within were increased in size in the section of cable running from the plug to the charging unit. Peterson claims the cord replacement has nothing to do with owners' complaints that the 120-volt cords got extremely hot during charging: "What we found was the fixed outlet the Volt's charger was plugged into would get hot, and the heat was transferred to the Volt's charging cord; it wasn't generated by it. If owners suspect their wiring might be substandard they should have it inspected by an electrician." GM reminds owners to plug the charger cord directly into the outlet; multi-adapters and extension cords are not recommended. We recommend you do that and build yourself a nice stand on top of which to rest the charging brick. Volt owners should contact their dealer to get the revised charger. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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