Two Chevy Volts Catch Fire in One Week!

When his garage burned down last week, Storm Connors defended his beloved hybrid cars charging inside and said they couldn't have caused the fire

But the environmentally-friendly credentials of his Chevy Volt - and the green driver's carbon footprint - took another hit today when its battery caught fire again, even though the car was unplugged.

Now General Motors is sending a team of investigators to examine the electric car at Mr Connors's home in Barkhamsted, Connecticut.

Mr Connors's two hybrid cars, the nearly-new Volt and an older Suzuki which he had converted himself, were recharging overnight on Thursday when a fire ripped through his garage, leaving just the beams standing.

The adjoining house, which the Connors built themselves 40 years ago, only survived because a firewall between the two stopped the blaze spreading.

Firefighters said last week they believed one of the cars - which were both left as burnt- out shells - could have triggered the blaze.