The Chevrolet Volt, which is General Motors’ showcase green hybrid electric car, is under federal probe to find out if its batteries are prone to fires.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started the probe after a Volt caught fire in a crash test and after incidents of the vehicle catching fire were found.

No one has been injured or killed in any of the vehicle fires, but officials are concerned that the plug-in car’s batteries may be overheating or have a design flaw that causes them to burst into flames under certain circumstances.

GM claims that the Volt is safe and that the investigation is going smoothly and the car has been found to be no more fire prone than any gasoline vehicle.  The NHTSA refuses to comment on ongoing investigations.

The problem, if it exists, could be an issue that plagues confidence in all electric and hybrid vehicles, so the industry is watching closely to see how the outcome affects the market.