NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of all models of Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards last week, following reports of at least four deaths and numerous injuries linked to the product. The California-based manufacturer, Future Motion, is recalling 300,000 skateboards due to concerns that they can stop balancing a rider if their limits are exceeded, leading to potentially serious crashes.
According to the CPSC, numerous incident reports have been received, including four deaths between 2019 and 2021, as well as serious injuries such as paralysis, traumatic brain injury, fractures, and ligament damage. The deaths resulted from head trauma, with at least three of the riders reportedly not wearing helmets.
The recall impacts all Onewheel electric skateboards sold online and through independent retailers from January 2014 through September of this year. For affected boards, a new safety alert feature called “haptic buzz” will be available through a firmware update in the coming weeks, Future Motion’s Onewheel team said. However, the original Onewheel and Onewheel+ boards are not eligible for the firmware update.
Riders who own these affected skateboards are advised to stop using them immediately. They can check their board’s eligibility and learn more about installing the update on Future Motion’s website. Meanwhile, eligible riders can arrange to receive a prorated refund in the form of $100 in store credit after disposing of the product. The Onewheel team emphasized the importance of rider safety and urged all riders to wear helmets and other protective gear.
This recall comes after the CPSC previously warned consumers to stop using Onewheel electric skateboards in November, citing similar reports of death and serious injuries. At that time, Future Motion reportedly refused to agree to an acceptable recall of the product. In response to the recall update, Future Motion’s Onewheel team stated that it was the culmination of months of work with the CPSC. The company did not provide further comment when reached out to by the Associated Press.