Most hoverboards are equipped with lithium-ion batteries, which are significantly larger than mobile phone batteries. The primary reason that causes a hoverboard fire is the batteries. We will also look at hoverboard brands to stay away from, and the hoverboards that do not catch fire. In this article, we will look at some of the most notable recalls in the past, go through strategies to avoid fire hazards, and explore how hoverboards are much safer now. Due to the common incidents of hoverboard explosions ( 1 ) from 2015 to 2017, the manufacturers had to do a recall on most of their products.ĭid the safety of hoverboards improve these days? Did the manufacturers determine what they did wrong to solve the problem of hoverboard fires in 2020 ? Hoverboard fires were common when they were first released, which is why they started to pull the product off the shelves of retailers and online distributors. Some of the first hoverboards were catching fire, so companies and distributors like Amazon did a recall on hoverboards. The invention of the hoverboard did cause enough hype for people to be eager to get their hands on one, but the first few generations of hoverboards were not entirely safe. It may not be the hoverboard that Marty Mcfly used in “Back to the Future 2,” but the feeling is somewhat close. UL hasn't tested any hoverboards, therefore, "UL hasn't looked at the compatibility of the battery in any hoverboard," he added.When hoverboards and self-balancing smart scooters were introduced in 2013, a lot of people were hyped. Hoverboard fires could be "d ue possibly to overcharging because the battery charger and battery pack don't talk to each other," says Drengenberg. Or they can get overcharged and overheated if left on the charger too long, unless there's some circuitry built into both the charger and the battery to prevent that. However, even if both a battery and charger are certified to be safe, they aren't necessarily compatible and could create a fire if the battery can't handle the output of the charger, explained UL's Drengenberg. "It has been sent over and is currently in process." Asked whether that applied to the charger or the hoverboard itself, "everything in its entirety has been UL-approved," she said.īy Wednesday afternoon, Swagway's "X1 Hands-Free Smart Board" was listed again for sale on Amazon. "Amazon asked that we send certification," said Erica, a customer support representative for Swagway who declined to give her last name or refer questions to a spokesperson. South Bend, Indiana-based Swagway, one of the leading sellers of hoverboards (which apparently are all made from basically the same components in China), has been scrambling to meet Amazon's demand that its chargers carry the UL label. Some models carry the UL mark on the box or the hoverboard itself, according to Consumer Reports. It's a distinction with a big difference, which some in the hoverboard industry would like to gloss over.
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