Graphene battery scam. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: GadgetBoy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2021, 07:04:20 pm
content: Here's another one for you folks to rip apart.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/uze/bold-by-uze-worlds-most-powerful-260w-graphene-power-bank/

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2021, 10:23:54 pm
content: QuoteQuoteWell that sounds to me like a scam in itself.If the project meets it's funding goal, the backers get charged and the creators don't have to honor the rewards.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2021, 01:46:59 am
content: The good part, of course, is this: "a team of passionate creators using the power of AI to design, conceptualize, and make products."Okay. My grandma does that too.Anyway. As the project's main point seems to be that's it's a "Graphene Power Bank", and they have a 3D view showing "Panasonic Lipo Graphene" batteries, we can assume that would be where this graphene thing comes from.While Panasonic has shown interest in graphene for future batteries, I have seen no sign of any existing product of this kind at the moment. If anyone knows more about it, please give us information. Otherwise, I'll have to call the whole thing vaporware.

author: GadgetBoy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2021, 06:29:16 am
content: I have dug into the depths of Google scholar. There is no indication that the batteries exist, except in the lab. Panasonic *definitely* isn't producing a graphene battery.

author: GadgetBoy
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2021, 06:30:25 am
content: I'm hoping we can get Dave's attention on this, the pledged amount is getting awfully high for a bunch of scammers.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2021, 10:00:00 am
content: Looky-look:https://chargeasap.com/products/graphene-battery-usb-c-power-bank-20000-flash2-0They mention to use Tesla batteries.So the Bold is pretty much the same, poor marketing research by those poor stranded (literally) folks. Bonus points for a really dodgy, nonsense background story.Pictures look like Denmark, which has extremely good 4G coverage. So check with Google maps where your are, call Falk and there you go. Or just walk across the Dunes (like they did on the next day, after sleeping in their cars?!?), there are weekend residences *everywhere*.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2021, 02:13:00 pm
content: QuoteNote the astoundingly low funding goal of £3,644 - I think they realise Indigogo's reputation has made it unreliable as a money pit.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 01, 2021, 05:56:20 am
content: So in the latest update on the Bold by Uze Kickstarter they posted a video showing testing of their power bank supposedly under 250+W load.Update:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/uze/bold-by-uze-worlds-most-powerful-260w-graphene-power-bank/posts/3346232Video:The wiring and test clips used in that video are rather flimsy to be carrying 5A with no voltage drop to the loads - 20V +/-10mV. Seems awfully suspicious to me.They've also announed they are using 21700 cells instead of the original 18650 size. Seems like that would change the overall dimensions, but no mention of that.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2021, 08:02:27 pm
content: Everythingis better with Graphene!

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 01, 2021, 11:56:46 pm
content: Everything is better with some AI too!

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 26, 2022, 01:59:03 pm
content: Well this campaign & product ended up just as expected.A small sample of recent commentsQuoteQuoteQuoteQuote

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 26, 2022, 07:54:08 pm
content: Maybe they could send it to BigClive for a teardown that would be interesting.

author: Kean
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 27, 2022, 06:27:46 pm
content: Quote from: MrMobodies on August 26, 2022, 07:54:08 pmAgreed. I replied to that backer suggesting exactly that.Yes I did back this project for $1 just to watch the near guaranteed train wreck.

author: AlbertL
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2022, 12:34:59 am
content: Quote from: SiliconWizard on November 01, 2021, 11:56:46 pmDon't forget blockchain and nanotechnology!