The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) sent a letter to thousands of e-mobility manufacturers, distributors and retailers on Monday, December 19, calling on them to ensure their products comply with established safety standards or face possible enforcement action.
The CPSC is an independent federal regulatory agency responsible for “protecting consumers from unreasonable risks of injury and death” from consumer products.
The agency says that it received hundreds of reports from 39 out of the 50 U.S. States regarding fire and overheating incidents caused by electric micro-mobility products including e-bikes, e-scooters, e-unicycles and hoverboards.
The CPSC reports at least 19 fatalities, including 5 deaths associated with e-scooters, 11 with hoverboards, and 3 with e-bikes as well as at least 22 injuries that resulted in emergency department visits…
Products that do not meet the safety standards could be considered a hazard and the CPSC warns that should they encounter such products, it will “seek corrective action as appropriate.”