The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2026
Kobalt's USB-C batteries: 554,780 yard tools recalled after 34 smokes and fires
Charging the battery through the tool's USB-C port could short and catch fire: 34 reports. 554,780 recalled; the fix is a new battery without the port.
Greenworks Tools · Kobalt · 2026-07-09
What happened
Kobalt — Lowe's house brand, built for it by Greenworks North America — shipped 24V and 48V yard tools whose lithium-ion batteries carried a USB-C charging port: trimmers, blowers, mowers, chainsaws, pruning saws, power cleaners, bristle brushes. About 554,780 units sold at Lowe's from January to May 2026, at $20 to $482.
Charging the battery through that USB-C port while it sat inserted in the tool could short-circuit. CPSC logged 34 reports of batteries producing smoke, sparking or catching fire while inserted and charging; no injuries, no property damage. On July 9, 2026, all 554,780 were recalled.
The remedy deletes the feature: a free replacement battery without the USB-C port, plus a charger adapter, a warning label, an updated manual and a pre-paid return label. The convenience that headlined the launch is the hazard the recall removes.
Why it happened
- Charging via the USB-C port while inserted could short-circuit: 34 reports of smoke, sparks or fire, no injuries — recalled July 9, 2026
- 554,780 units sold at Lowe's Jan–May 2026 at $20–482 — the USB-C port was the convenience headline, and the short circuit lived behind it
- The remedy ships a battery without the port, plus adapter, label and manual — the feature recalled, not just the cell; batteries made in China and Vietnam
The lesson
The convenience feature was the hazard: a USB-C port that let owners charge the battery shorted and smoked. The remedy ships a battery without the port — the feature deleted.
Sources
- CPSC — Greenworks Tools Recalls 24V and 48V Kobalt Yard Power Tools with USB-C Batteries (Jul 2026)
- Fox Business — Over 550,000 Kobalt yard tools recalled over battery fire hazard (Jul 2026)
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