Lauren Talarico, a reporter for KHOU 11 News in Houston, interviewed Yan Yao, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UH Cullen College of Engineering, for her report on exploding hoverboards this week.
The levitating platforms used for transportation, which are among the most popular holiday gifts this year, have burst into flames across the country. In fact, they are dangerous enough that Amazon.com has stopped selling most brands and Overstock.com has stopped selling them entirely, according to the television report. Airlines are even banning them because they are too dangerous to transport.
Yao explained that the hoverboards burst into flames because of flammable electrolytes used in the conventional lithium-ion batteries that power them.
“The lithium-ion batteries are great because they’re small, light and pack a lot of energy,” Yao said. “The problem is their risk of catching fire.”
Watch the KHOU segment for more information on the popular exploding transportation devices.