HP Lithium-Ion Batteries Improperly Tested for Defects, Class Action Claims

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A proposed class action alleges the tests HP uses for its lithium-ion laptop batteries overlook key failure precursors and certain defects introduced during manufacturing. 

The 11-page complaint claims that although HP represents that the component parts of its Pavilion 15 Series laptops are adequate and will function reliably for a reasonable period of time, the company fails to test its lithium-ion batteries, comprised of two electrodes, two current collectors, an electrolyte and a separator, for structural cell defects, electrode overhang, tab burrs, morphological defects, high electrical current drain rates, and other problems that can slash a machine’s lifespan. 

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Ultimately, the value of HP’s Pavilion 15 Series laptops equipped with lithium-ion batteries is materially less than the company represents, the case alleges.

The plaintiff, a Florida consumer, alleges the lithium-ion battery in his HP laptop failed prematurely and degraded after only “several months of normal usage.” 

More specifically, the lawsuit says that HP’s battery testing methods are limited to electrochemical characterization, with a focus on macroscopic battery performance, and not “the occurrence of other defects which could and did cause battery failures.” These tests, the suit argues, overlook failure precursors and defects introduced during the manufacturing process, including “raw electrode material processing, cell grading and battery pack assembling.” 

Per the complaint, structural battery cell defects from manufacturing can cause “acute failure, chronic degradation, inferior electrochemical performance and overheating.” The electrode preparation process, for instance, can produce non-uniform coating of an electrode on a current collector, pinhole defects, and blisters or agglomerates, which can lead to substandard battery capacity, increased impedance, higher degradation rate, and reduced useful life, the lawsuit states. 

Similarly, electrode overhang will lead to dendrite growth and eventual short circuits, and a tab burr could occur if the welding on a battery is not exact, the filing says. 

“Though material impurities and contaminants introduced during manufacturing may not cause failure, they can provoke catastrophic cell damage during cycling and can affect the battery’s resistance, reducing its usable lifespan,” the case reads.

According to the suit, high electrical current drain rates can increase battery temperature, which in turn causes the electrolyte to decompose, leading to more rapid consumption of active lithium and a reduction in cathode performance. 

“By failing to utilize available testing procedures to focus on the above issues, users have a greater chance of buying laptops with battery performance issues, unconnected to their usage patterns,” the complaint argues. 

The lawsuit looks to cover consumers in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, New Mexico, Alaska, Iowa, Tennessee and Virginia who bought an HP Pavilion 15 Series laptop equipped with a lithium-ion battery during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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