Almost every US consumer owns a rechargeable device, but fewer than half understand what a lithium-ion battery is, according to a report from UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE).
The report, The Rechargeable Society: Building Trust in a Battery-Powered World, found 98% of consumers owned at least one rechargeable device, with an average of nine battery-powered products per person.
Despite this prevalence, only 43% of respondents knew what a lithium-ion battery was and 59% were unfamiliar with ways to reduce the risk of thermal runaway. More than a third – 36% – either did not know how to dispose of old batteries or believed they could safely be placed in household rubbish or recycling.
“We are living in a rechargeable society. With an increasing ability to live untethered, rechargeable battery technology is integral to modern life,” said Jeff Marootian, president and CEO of ULSE. “As their presence grows, our understanding of this technology, and how to use it more safely, must too.”
The report said rechargeable batteries were expanding beyond consumer electronics into e-bikes, e-scooters and electric vehicles, while battery energy storage systems were increasingly being installed in homes, data centres and electricity grids.
It also warned that growth in e-commerce was making counterfeit and substandard batteries easier to buy and harder for consumers to distinguish from legitimate products. Some 56% of respondents said they had bought rechargeable products through online marketplaces, where products with differing battery quality, manufacturing controls, testing and certification can appear nearly identical.
ULSE said safety standards, consumer education and greater awareness would be needed to address the risks accompanying wider battery adoption.
UL originally stood for Underwriters Laboratories, a US safety organisation founded in 1894. Its activities are now divided among related organisations. ULSE is the non-profit body responsible for developing UL safety standards and undertaking education and advocacy; UL Solutions is the commercial business that tests and certifies products against standards, including the familiar UL standards used throughout the battery industry.
“Building trust in a rechargeable society requires more than addressing risks after they emerge. It means anticipating where technology is going, understanding the risks that come with innovation, and bringing the right people together to address them. ULSE is proud to help shape a future where safety keeps pace with innovation, so people can confidently adopt and rely on the technologies powering modern life,” concluded Marootian.
The findings are specific to the US. Quantitative results were drawn from four nationally representative online surveys conducted between August 2023 and April 2026, covering a cumulative 73,723 US adults.
The report also incorporated interviews, focus groups and ethnographic research involving 61 consumers, 96 airline passengers and 36 industry representatives. Oxford Economics worked with ULSE to estimate battery fire incidents and their associated costs using data from organisations including the New York City Fire Department, US Consumer Product Safety Commission and UL Solutions’ lithium-ion battery fire incident database.
