The Snowboard Shop in the UK has removed Onewheel electric skateboards from sale due to safety concerns following a recall in the US. The shop stated that Onewheels posed a crash hazard that could lead to serious injury or even death. While the products are still listed on their website, customers can only inquire about them and are provided with information about the recall. The Snowboard Shop intends to contact its UK customers regarding the issue and has reached out to the manufacturer for further clarification.
The recall affects all models of Onewheel electric skateboards, including the original Onewheel, Onewheel+, Onewheel+ XR, Onewheel Pint, Onewheel Pint X, and Onewheel GT. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stated that Future Motion, the manufacturer of Onewheel, received numerous reports regarding the devices, including four deaths between 2019 and 2021. The reports also indicated various injuries such as traumatic brain injury, fractures, and ligament damage. Future Motion, along with the CPSC, encourages riders to wear protective equipment while using the electric skateboards.
Future Motion has announced an upcoming safety update called “haptic buzz” that can be installed via a firmware update to enhance the safety of some Onewheel models. This feature will provide riders with an alert both audibly and physically in situations that may lead to a crash, guiding them to slow down to avoid accidents. However, the haptic buzz feature is only available for specific Onewheel models. Customers who own the original Onewheel and Onewheel+ models, which are no longer produced, are eligible for a $100 credit towards the purchase of a new device. Requests for recalls must be submitted through a link on Future Motion’s website.