Exploding Hoverboards
Who would have thought that this year’s most popular holiday gift keeps catching on fire? Hoverboards have been catching fire around the US – burned down a house, caught fire at a mall and even airlines have banned them from coming on-board. Whether they are plugged in or not, the big problem of why these machines are catching fire is due to the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. And not to mention, they are a lot more prone to defects than the ones we use for our smartphones, tablets and laptops.
The quality of the batteries are not up to par with the item – making them cheap. Who wants to spend thousands of dollars on a hoverboard, when you can get something almost identical for less money? These hoverboards aren’t knockoffs, but the batteries inside them are just mass-manufactured to crank out the popular holiday gift to purchase. When a person uses the hoverboard, it isn’t uncommon for them to bump into things, smash into places at high speeds, or make smart decisions – this can also ruin the battery on it as well.
With cheaper batteries, the separator between each battery’s anode and cathode aren’t aligned correctly. Moreover, when the batteries are charged, massive amounts of heat are generate, leading to a rupture of the cell. Hence, a fire. These batteries pack in the energy, but with that, has it risks.
All in all, this hoverboard sensation is just a trend. In no time, there will be something else on the market for techies to play with. For now, be careful if you do receive one as a gift.
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