Amprius (Wuxi): Power Bank Fires and CCC Suspensions

Amprius (Wuxi), also known as Apex (Wuxi), became a focus of investigations into recalled power banks. By July 2025, all 74 of its CCC product certificates had reportedly been suspended or revoked, and authorities had sealed its lithium battery inventory. The findings raised questions about material changes, production controls and how closely finished products matched their approved specifications. ^[1][2]

How the power bank recalls unfolded

In June 2025, Romoss and Anker announced substantial recalls in China. Romoss cited problems with incoming cell raw materials, while Anker's recall statement described unapproved material changes. The two China recall announcements covered more than 1.2 million power banks. ^[3][12]

The supplier connection was supported by physical evidence. On June 25, National Business Daily dismantled an Anker A1681 whose serial number qualified for recall. Inside were two Amprius (Wuxi) 10,000mAh pouch cells, model 126280. That teardown identified the supplier in a recalled unit; it did not establish the supplier in every recalled power bank. ^[5]

The core quality failure: loss of product consistency

The inspection findings point to a fundamental quality failure: production cells no longer consistently matched the approved materials and process controls. A CQC inspector reported electrolyte materials that differed from the approved specification and critical process parameters outside the factory's documented requirements. Anker said its supplier had changed core cell materials without informing the company. ^[4]

An official Taiwan BSMI recall record for the Anker A1257 adds detail. It describes inadequate control of critical materials, including cathode materials and separators, excessive iron impurities in a cathode raw material, and unstable welding power that produced poor negative-tab welds. It also records corrective measures requested from Apex and a requirement to lock the material list. ^[11]

Contamination control was another concern. A SAMR official attributed the recalls to metal introduced during cell production. Experts explained that metal particles can pierce the separator, cause an internal short circuit and trigger thermal runaway. Repeated charge-discharge cycles can expose these failures over time. They identified raw material contamination, equipment wear and inadequate workshop cleanliness as possible contamination sources. ^[4][12]

The documented electrolyte mismatch, separator control problems and process defects explain why consistency matters. A change to a critical material requires proper approval and validation. Wuxi's later enforcement record specifically described a raw material producer change followed by sales without the required certification-body retesting. ^[7][8]

Were there actual power bank fires?

Yes. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's September 18, 2025 recall notice covered about 481,000 Anker power banks: models A1647, A1652, A1257, A1681 and A1689. It recorded 33 reports of fire or explosion, four minor burn injuries and one report of substantial property damage. ^[6]

The U.S. and China recall figures cover different markets and model groups. They should not be added together as though they describe one identical recall population.

What happened to Amprius (Wuxi)'s CCC certificates?

CCC, also called 3C, stands for China Compulsory Certification. In this case, the actions concerned product certificates covering batteries and cells. Describing the company as losing its CCC “accreditation” is less precise than saying its product certificates were suspended or revoked. ^[1][7]

Early reporting identified 11 certificates in CQC searches, all showing suspension dates of June 10, 2025. The recorded reason covered factory inspection failures, serious nonconformities or corrective actions not completed satisfactorily. By July, CCTV reported that all 74 Wuxi CCC certificates had been suspended or revoked. The smaller early count and later total came from different reporting snapshots and searches. ^[5][1]

Suspension and revocation have different meanings. A suspended certificate may be restored after the required corrections and review; revocation withdraws the certificate. Neither status should be presented as a current, valid approval. CQC's published rules set out the conditions for these actions and restoration. ^[7]

Enforcement followed. Reporting based on an August 29, 2025 administrative decision put Wuxi's combined confiscation and fines at approximately RMB 3.746 million. The reported violations included selling uncertified outsourced cells, selling noncompliant products during certificate suspension or revocation, and changing a raw material producer without the required retesting. ^[8]

Which Amprius company is involved?

The Wuxi manufacturer and U.S.-listed Amprius Technologies should not be treated as interchangeable. Amprius Technologies' SEC filings say ownership of Apex and other former businesses was transferred to their former parent's stockholders in early 2022, and Apex is not considered its affiliate. The filings also disclose purchases from Apex and Berzelius together, so their history includes commercial connections. The certification actions discussed here concern the Wuxi manufacturer. ^[2][9]

What battery buyers can learn from the recalls

For battery buyers, our takeaway is that traceability and control over production changes deserve as much attention as capacity and price. A supplier qualification file should identify the actual manufacturer, model, production site and batch, alongside the applicable certificates. Buyers should establish how material substitutions and manufacturing changes will be approved, tested and communicated.

For a purchase today, ask for current, model-specific certification records and verify their status. A historical certificate or a brand printed on a wrapper cannot, by itself, establish the approval and origin of a particular shipment.

China's regulator moved in that direction after the recalls. In September 2025, SAMR described tighter certification oversight, including initial factory inspections, more unannounced inspections and production-site sampling instead of relying on samples submitted by manufacturers. ^[10]

For owners of a potentially recalled power bank, the practical next step is to check its model and serial number through the manufacturer's recall process. CPSC advises owners to stop using affected units and follow the recall instructions. Recalled lithium batteries should not go into household trash or ordinary recycling. ^[6]

Reporting note: The certificate findings above describe the reported 2025 actions. Current certificate status, production arrangements and a production restart have not been independently verified for this article. Recall coverage should be checked against the manufacturer's current model and serial-number guidance.