300,000 electric skateboards are being recalled multiple reports of death and injury

All models of Onewheel electric skateboards have been recalled after reports of at least four deaths and multiple injuries from users. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that 300,000 skateboards, manufactured by California company Future Motion, stop balancing riders if certain limits are exceeded, creating a risk of crashing.

The CPSC says Future Motion received dozens of reports of incidents involving the electric skateboards between 2019 and 2021. The reported deaths resulted from head trauma, and in at least three of those cases, the rider was not wearing a helmet. Onewheel skateboard users also reported injuries such as traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, upper-body fractures, lower-body fractures and ligament damage.

Per CPSC recommendations, consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Onewheel electric skateboards. Those who have the Onewheel GT, Onewheel Pint X, Onewheel Pint, or Onewheel+ XR electric skateboards should download or update the Onewheel app, and use the app to update the firmware on their board to include Haptic Buzz alert functionality. Haptic Buzz is the tactile and audible warning system for when the device is reaching the limits of the board by providing the rider with a buzzing sensation and sound.

The update for the Onewheel GT will be available within one week, with the update for the Pint X, Pint, and XR launching within six weeks. Consumers can get more information here regarding the firmware update timeline.

Original Onewheel and Onewheel+ boards are not eligible for the firmware update, according to Future Motion. Eligible riders can arrange to receive a refund in the form of $100 of in-store credit after disposing of the product.

Consumers with the Original Onewheel or Onewheel+ model should visit https://recall.onewheel.com to arrange for a pro-rated refund in the form of a store credit upon confirmation of disposal of the product.

“Rider safety is our top priority and is critical to the long-term success of the sport,” Future Motion says in a statement. “This is why we also strongly encourage all riders to always wear a helmet and other protective gear while riding.