General Motors (GM) on Monday announced several initiatives, including battery safety research and free vehicle loan, to ease ongoing concerns over the battery issue of Chevrolet Volt, a five-star safety car of GM.

The initiatives came after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)'s decision on Friday to open a formal safety investigation into the fire problem sparked by Volt batteries after crash tests.

Mary Barra, GM's senior vice president, said that the company had established a senior engineering team to develop changes to eliminate concern of potential post-crash electrical fires and work with industry to ensure appropriate electric vehicle protocols were in place.

Mary said that GM and NHTSA's focus and research would be on the performance, handling, storage and disposal of batteries after a crash or other significant event.

Meanwhile, GM also announced to offer a customer satisfaction program, by which any Volt owner concerned about safety can get a free GM vehicle loan until resolution of the issue.

"A vehicle loan program of this nature is well beyond the norm for a preliminary investigation, and it underlines our commitment to the vehicle and its owners," said Mark Reuss, president of GM North America.

Launched in late 2010, the Chevrolet Volt achieved a five-star NCAP overall vehicle score for safety by the NHTSA and is a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

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