Portable power stations — the large rechargeable battery packs increasingly popular for camping, emergency preparedness, and off-grid power — contain large-format lithium-ion battery cells that can catch fire or explode if damaged, overcharged, or stored in high heat. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that as portable power stations have grown in popularity, defective and non-compliant units have entered the market through online retailers, some carrying fake safety certifications and battery cells that do not meet the performance requirements that prevent thermal runaway.
Why Portable Power Stations Carry Unique Risk
Unlike small consumer batteries, portable power stations contain battery packs with significantly higher energy density — enough energy to start and sustain a fire for hours. A lithium-ion fire in a large-format battery pack produces intense heat, toxic gases, and flames that cannot be extinguished with conventional fire extinguishers. The Department of Transportation classifies large lithium battery fires as Class D fires — the same category as magnesium and sodium fires. When a power station catches fire in an enclosed space such as a garage, basement, or vehicle, the consequences can be catastrophic.
CPSC’s broader enforcement action against fake safety certification marks on imported electrical products has specifically flagged portable power stations as a category where counterfeit UL and ETL marks are appearing on products that have never been independently tested.
What You Should Do
- Purchase portable power stations only from established, verifiable brands with genuine independent safety certification.
- Never store a portable power station in a vehicle, enclosed car trunk, or area that reaches high temperatures.
- Never charge a portable power station indoors unattended or overnight.
- Stop using any portable power station that becomes unusually hot during charging or use, produces a burning smell, or shows visible swelling.
- Check SaferProducts.gov before purchasing a portable power station from an online marketplace.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, visit SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772.
Source: https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Micromobility-Information-Center
