The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that at least 10 companies have recalled about 501,000 hoverboards amid the rising reports on battery packs that exploded or caught fire.
“This recall involves self-balancing scooters, commonly referred to as hoverboards. They have two wheels at either end of a platform and are powered by lithium-ion battery packs,” the commission said in a statement.
The agency received reports of at least 99 incidents involving battery packs in hoverboards overheating, sparking, catching fire or exploding.
“The lithium-ion battery packs in the self-balancing scooters/hoverboards can overheat, posing a risk of the products smoking, catching fire and/or exploding,” it said.
The year is 2016. My newscasts this morning include a report on a hoverboard recall. (No Marty McFly quotes though) July 7, 2016
The recall covers hoverboards from 10 manufacturers, retailers and importers with more than half come from the Swagway LLC of South Bend, Indiana. It also included 84,000 hoverboards from Keenford Ltd., based in Hong Kong.
These hoverboards, which run from about $200 to over $900, were sold online and in major retail stores across the United States from June 2015 and May 2016.
“Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled products and contact the recalling company to return their hoverboard for a full refund, a free repair or a free replacement depending on the model,” the commission said.
Following its request, the commission said the Alibaba Group has started requiring certifications from testing agencies for hoverboards listed on the AliExpress.com and the Alibaba.com online marketplaces.
It urged consumers to immediately stop using and dispose of hoverboards that do not comply with the safety standards.
Hoverboards or the self-balancing scooters were a hot Christmas gift and their increasing popularity in the U.S. has been largely attributed to celebrities seen using them like Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Jamie Foxx, Kendall Jenner and Soulja Boy, among others.
But concerns were raised following reports of the two-wheeled motorized scooters catching fire or spewing smoke, prompting the CPSC to warn makers and retailers to follow safety requirements or face recalls.
Since last year, many college campuses and airlines in the U.S. have already banned hoverboards, citing safety risks.
