Everything happening in the world of batteries and portable power: launches, innovations and market trends.
The portable energy world moves fast: ever more compact power banks, more powerful power stations, more efficient solar panels, brand-new battery chemistries. In this section, our team decodes the news that actually matters to you: product launches from the big brands (Anker, EcoFlow, Bluetti, Ugreen and more), genuine technological breakthroughs, regulatory changes (air travel, the mandatory USB-C port) and the deeper market trends. The goal: keep you informed without the noise, with the perspective of more than ten years of expertise in mobile energy. · 18 articles
On September 17, 2026, KLM flight KL735 turned back over the Atlantic after a power bank caught fire in business class. It belonged to the Dutch airline's own former CEO, who was charging it at his seat, a practice explicitly banned under KLM's own rules: a case worth learning from.
Published on September 25, 2026 by Yoni
Throughout 2026, the US Federal Trade Commission has stepped up enforcement of its Green Guides, the rules governing environmental marketing claims. Terms like 'carbon-neutral', 'recyclable' and 'biodegradable' have shown up in recent settlements when brands couldn't back them up. Here is what the FTC's Green Guides actually require, and what it means when you're shopping for a battery, a power station or a solar panel.
Published on September 23, 2026 by Yoni
From September 4 to 8, 2026, at IFA Berlin, Bluetti unveiled its biggest product announcement of the year: the Elite mini series, the Balco 500 (5,024 Wh of home solar storage), the Pioneer 5000 generator and the BlueBot AI assistant. So far, only the Elite 100 mini is available, and only in the US.
Published on September 7, 2026 by Yoni
On September 4, 2026, at IFA Berlin, EcoFlow unveiled two products with very different audiences: the RIVER Gen4 lineup, two compact 256 Wh and 512 Wh stations with a sub-10 ms UPS switchover, and the PowerRock 4000, an IP65-rated industrial power station. No US pricing has been announced yet.
Published on September 5, 2026 by Julien
From September 2 to 8, 2026, at IFA Berlin, Anker unveiled 22 new products, three of which directly concern portable power and charging: the MagGo Power Bank 2 Pro, a magnetic power bank already on sale, the Laptop Charger Pro, a redesigned 100W GaN charger, and the MagStand Charging Station. Our full review of the MagGo Power Bank 2 Pro is already live.
Published on September 17, 2026 by Guillaume
DJI turned its Power 2000 power station into a plug-in balcony solar kit at IFA 2026 in Berlin, launching first in Germany, France and Spain. Here's how it works, and why American owners of the same station won't get the grid-tied feature anytime soon.
Published on September 15, 2026 by Yoni
At IFA 2026, Ugreen unveiled the MagFlow Pro, a Qi2 25W magnetic power bank with an active liquid cooling loop called CryoPulse, now selling in the US for $100.05. Anker fired back at the same show with a built-in fan on its MagGo 2 Pro: overheating in MagSafe power banks has become a genuine engineering battleground.
Published on September 11, 2026 by Guillaume
On 4 September 2026, at IFA in Berlin, Jackery finally gave the full specifications of its second-generation Explorer Plus range: three power stations from 1,024 to 3,584 Wh, expandable to 21.5 kWh, plus the FridgeGuard, a slim battery built for one appliance only, the refrigerator. Orders open on 14 October, with no European pricing announced.
Published on August 18, 2026 by Julien
On 27 August 2026 a new regulation brought plug-in solar into the law in England, Wales and Scotland. The same 800 W ceiling as Germany, but one clause changes everything: the text excludes devices designed to store energy. Just as the balcony battery becomes the star product of the German market, London has chosen the opposite path.
Published on August 28, 2026 by Julien
The US CPSC and Goal Zero have recalled about 46,200 YETI 3000X power stations after several overheating reports. A free firmware fix is available: here's how to check your unit and install it before using it again.
Published on August 26, 2026 by Yoni
With no press release and no headlines, IATA has confirmed the end of the exemption that let you board with a 100 to 160 Wh power bank if your airline agreed. From 1 January 2027, the passenger ceiling becomes a flat 100 Wh, with nothing left to negotiate at the gate.
Published on August 16, 2026 by Guillaume
This summer’s alarming headlines are aiming at the wrong target: your power bank is not banned from aircraft. What changed is that, since 27 March 2026, an ICAO rule forbids using it or recharging it in flight, and caps you at two per passenger.
Published on August 8, 2026 by Yoni
From 18 August 2026, every battery placed on the EU market must carry a standardized label: chemistry, capacity, weight, place and date of manufacture, critical raw materials. One short line of regulation that will change a great deal when you stand in front of two power banks, or two packs of AA cells.
Published on August 5, 2026 by Yoni
It is billed as the battery of the future: more range, lightning-fast charging and, above all, more safety. The solid-state battery has been a dream for years, but is it finally delivering in 2026? We sort the marketing announcements from the industrial reality, without the jargon.
Published on July 16, 2026 by Yoni
A panel you plug into a socket to shave money off your bill: balcony solar is booming across Europe, led by Germany and now spreading fast. Price, real savings, registration steps and pitfalls to avoid: here is a clear look at this small self-consumption revolution that even renters can join.
Published on July 16, 2026 by Julien
From 18 February 2027, European regulation EU 2023/1542 requires that batteries in portable devices be easily replaceable by the user, an EU-only rule with no US equivalent yet. Here is what it actually requires, and what it signals for anyone buying power banks, smartphones, cordless vacuums, and portable power stations.
Published on July 15, 2026 by Yoni
Cheaper, more resistant to cold, made from a material found in abundance: the sodium-ion battery is generating a lot of buzz. A revolution on the way, or simply a complement to lithium? We take stock of a technology that is only just leaving the labs.
Published on July 13, 2026 by Yoni
Since late 2024, the European Union has required a single charging port on almost every portable electronic device: USB-C. No more drawer full of incompatible cables, at least for shoppers in Europe. The US has no equivalent mandate yet, but the logic behind the rule, and the buying advice it produces, holds up on either side of the Atlantic.
Published on July 11, 2026 by Pierre