How Did Chinese Manufacturers Scale the Product?

In 2015, self-balancing scooters (which quickly became known as hoverboards) exploded in popularity, and then began literally exploding. Andrew Hawkins and Sean O’Kane join David Pierce to explore the multiple conflicting origin stories behind the hugely popular rideable, the many knockoffs, and why a device that doesn't actually hover ended up being called "hoverboard."

If you like the show, subscribe to the Version History feed to make sure you get every new episode.

Let us know what you think: 866-VERGE-11 or vergecast@theverge.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices