Firefighters are being instructed to put away the jaws of life and pick up wire cutters when responding to collisions involving Chevrolet Volts—or face electrocution.
The Department of Energy is spending $4.4 million to teach firefighters how to disarm the electric car, according to Townhall:
"There is a yellow First Responder cable "cut" tag wrapped around the low volt positive battery cable behind the fuse panel door, located on the left side of the rear compartment (see diagram on next page). This cable should be cut first to disable the vehicle safely before beginning any extrication. The cable should be cut on both sides of the label to ensure the cut cable ends do not inadvertently touch and re-energize the vehicle."
General Motors also warns that "cutting these cables can result in serious injury or death."
Hence the need for spending $4.4 million in taxpayer money to train firefighters across the country to protect themselves from a car that the government paid people $7,500 per unit to purchase.
The administration’s favorite $40,000 automobile has had some setbacks in recent months after reports of spontaneous fires, which, coupled with lack of demand, led GM to suspend production.