More than a million power banks have been recalled in China due to safety concerns, leading the civil aviation authority to strengthen regulations.

      Credit: ROMOSS

      In June, several Chinese power bank brands, including leading names like ROMOSS and Anker Innovations, initiated substantial recalls of over one million units due to safety issues with battery cells. This arose from the actions of battery supplier Amprius (Wuxi) Co., Ltd., which reportedly made unauthorized changes to battery cell components, increasing the risk of overheating and potential fires.

      Starting June 28, China’s Civil Aviation Administration prohibited passengers from carrying power banks on flights that do not have a 3C (China Compulsory Certification) mark, are inadequately labeled, or have been recalled. Recently, airports nationwide have observed a rise in power banks being confiscated at security checks.

      A customer service representative from China Railway (12306) confirmed that power banks are permitted on trains across the country, provided the labeling is clear and the energy rating per unit does not exceed 100Wh. Currently, railway authorities do not conduct 3C certification checks.

      According to data from state-owned media outlet CCTV, there have been 15 incidents this year where power banks carried by passengers caught fire or emitted smoke during flights.

      Timeline of significant events:

      June 16: ROMOSS announced the recall of over 490,000 portable power banks (based on production batch numbers), citing “incoming material issues with certain battery cells that may cause overheating or combustion.”

      June 20: Anker Innovations followed with a recall of over 710,000 units, linking the problem to unauthorized material changes in specific batches of battery cells from the supplier that led to insulation failures in the separators.

      June 26: Both companies identified the same supplier, Amprius (Wuxi) Co., Ltd., which had outsourced battery cell production to a factory in Jiangxi province, according to local media outlet Jiemian. The report indicated that this factory had replaced the separator material without authorization.

      June 30: Amprius reportedly has multiple battery and electric cell products whose 3C certificates are currently “suspended,” according to Cailian Press. Amprius supplies electric cells to several power bank brands, including Xiaomi, UGREEN, and Baseus.

      “The regulations are quite inconsistent”

      On Tuesday, TechNode spoke with a Shanghai resident using the pseudonym XiXi to gather her views on the power bank recalls and new aviation regulations.

      “The primary motive for restricting power banks is safety, which is reasonable. However, the implementation of these rules is rather inconsistent,” XiXi remarked. “Some airports retain your power bank for a few days, while others instruct you to discard it. This creates a challenging balance between ensuring the safety of the majority and causing inconvenience for a few.

      “Recent reports about counterfeit or absent certification labels indicate that they have yet to address the fundamental issues,” she continued. “Security checks are taking more time. More effective measures could include providing high subsidies for exchanging old power banks for safer new ones, minimizing people's losses.”

      Jessie Wu is a tech reporter based in Shanghai, focusing on consumer electronics, semiconductors, and the gaming industry for TechNode. You can reach her via email: [email protected]