Boosted Boards, makers of the most popular electric skateboards, has urged all owners of second-generation Boosted Boards to stop riding and charging them over potential overheating issues related to their lithium-ion batteries."Please store them away from anything flammable until we complete our investigation," Dastoor wrote. "If you don’t have a convenient place to store your board, you may optionally remove the battery. These are precautions we recommend to ensure rider and home safety. We will also stop shipping boards to new riders."Dastoor also asked owners to "move the board to a safe location outside and contact the company at 650-933-5151" if they notice any signs of overheating. "We also ask that you do not dispose of the battery so our engineering team can inspect it."Unlike the original Boosted Board, the second-generation model has a removable battery for quick swapping. The company also introduced an extended battery pack that gives riders double the range.
It's been quite a year for battery-related issues. Earlier this year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission declared hoverboards unsafe after they started catching on fire left and right. It was later determined faulty batteries with poor insulation were to blame.Then, at the end of August, Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones started inexplicably exploding, prompting a double recall and the eventual discontinuation of the device. It's widely believed the Note7 suffered from faulty batteries that may have been too large and too energy dense to fit into its svelte dimensions.Let us remind everyone again: Anything with a volatile lithium-ion battery can explode. Stay safe out there!