Regulators Are Investigating Exploding Hoverboards The Consumer Product Safety Commission designated the issue as a 'priority investigation.'
This story originally appeared on Engadget
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that it's launching a large-scale enquiry into the safety of self-balancing skateboards. The devices' propensity to spontaneously combust, notorious enough for even Saturday Night Live to have produced a sketch parodying it, is something of a safety risk. The bureau has designated the problem a "priority investigation" and has allocated plenty of time and resources to find the "root cause of the fires." Although we're not sure they need to, since we all know the problem is their shitty, knock-off lithium ion batteries made by dodgy factories in China.
The CPSC has also posted a list of companies that are currently under scrutiny, including Swagway, UWheels and Hover-way. In an accompanying statement from agency chairman Elliot F. Kate, users are warned not to trust a UL-mark that could be on the packaging -- saying that they could have been faked. In addition, Kaye feels that the devices may not be capable of adequately supporting most people's weight, so the next time your grandpa falls off of one, it might not be because he's got no swag. In addition, the official urges anyone who can to take advantage of Amazon's refund program to do so and get these things out of their homes.
If, however, you're one of those awful Vine kids who believes that terrible things happen to other people, the CPSC also offers guidance if you wanna keep yours. For instance, users are advised to charge them in an "open area" away from combustible materials and keep a fire extinguisher nearby at all times. Riders should also keep away from the highway and wear skateboard-appropriate safety gear (helmet, knee pads, wrist guards) at all times.
Here's the list of companies being investigated (and considered potentially unsafe) by the CPSC:
- Smart Balance Wheel/One Stop Electronic Inc.
- Smart Balance Wheel Scooter/Glide Boards
- Hover-way Hands-Free Electric/Digital Gadgets LLC
- Swagway Hands-Free Smart Board/Swagway LLC
- Smart Balance Board/I Lean Hoverboards
- E-Rover-Mini Smart Balance Scooter/LeCam Technology
- Smart Balance Wheels/Kateeskitty
- Hoverboard360.com
- iMOTO/Keenford Limited
- YOOLIKED
- Smart Balance Wheel/Luxiyan and
- Uwheels
- E-Rover Smart Balance Wheel
