SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — OneWheel riders in California are being urged to immediately stop using their electric skateboards due to a series of reported injuries and even four deaths. The U.S. Consumer Product Commission has issued a recall of 300,000 electric skateboards manufactured by Santa Cruz-based company Future Motion.
According to the commission’s report, the skateboards may stop balancing the rider if the boards’ limits are exceeded, posing a crash hazard that can result in serious injury or death. Reported injuries include traumatic brain injury, concussion, paralysis, and fractures, with at least three of the reported deaths attributed to head trauma.
Local residents and vendors have expressed mixed reactions to the recall, with some acknowledging the unfortunate injuries and deaths that have occurred, while others point out that the issue may be attributable to rider error. One local vendor, Olivier Guincetre, who has been a fan of the product since its launch, expressed concern about the financial impact of the recall, but also remains hopeful that community support will continue to drive sales.
Santa Cruz residents who have experienced riding the OneWheel skateboards have expressed mixed opinions about their ease of use, with some finding them challenging to control due to their motorized nature. The models under recall include the OneWheel GT, OneWheel Pint X, OneWheel Pint, and the OneWheel+ XR.
The commission has advised users to download updates to the OneWheel app to include a buzz alert function that warns riders when the board is close to its limits. This is not the first time the company has faced safety concerns, as a warning about a possible ejection hazard was issued last year.
Overall, the recall of the OneWheel electric skateboards has prompted a mixture of reactions from the community, with concerns about safety being weighed against the enjoyment and way of living that the products have brought to users in Santa Cruz.