California-based Sublue Technology Inc. is pulling thousands of units of lithium-ion batteries from the market following reports of thermal incidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The recall is applicable to around 40,370 units of lithium-ion batteries used in Sublue branded underwater scooters, CPSC said in a March 13 recall notice.
Manufactured in China, the batteries “can overheat and ignite, posing a fire hazard to consumers.” Original batteries in the scooters as well as replacement batteries are covered in the recall.
If a lithium-ion battery is submerged in water and short-circuits, it can generate excessive heat leading to a reaction that can end up in the battery swelling, or even potentially exploding. It’s not clear whether the batteries in Sublue scooters were impacted in such a way….