Electric skateboards are a popular way to get around outdoors, but one company is facing a massive recall. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 300,000 Onewheel electric skateboards need an update.
The items under the recall are the Future Motion Onewheel Self-Balancing Electric Skateboard and include all of the company’s boards. If you use the Onewheel GT, Onewheel Pint X Onewheel Pint, or the Onewheel+ XR, you should put the board away until the issue is remedied.
Onewheel has gained popularity in the last few years, both as a recreational way to get around town and as a mode of transportation. The one large wheel also allows users to get off-road on specific trails.
The CPSC says the board can stop balancing if the board’s limits are exceeded, which causes the rider to crash. There are multiple reported injuries and four deaths related to the product.
According to the report, at least three of the four deaths involved head traumas and riders not wearing a helmet. Injuries involve brain injuries, concussions, paralysis, and fractures. Future Motion and the CPSC want to remind users that they encourage helmets when using the product.
Users should stop using the board until they can update the firmware with an app that adds a function called “Haptic Buzz.” This update is an audible warning system letting the rider know when the board is nearing its limits of use or when the battery is low.
Find more details about the recall and firmware update here.
