Alex Arger
E-bikes are surging in popularity while fire risk grows
E-bikes are transforming cities and encouraging outdoor activity, but their batteries present a growing fire risk.
LEARN MOREPosted: 5:06 p.m. EDT Oct 24, 2023
Electric scooter riders are being strongly advised against using a certain brand after two people died in a fire caused by the product, even as the brand hasn't issued a recall.
The urgent warning involves Toos Elite 60-volt electric scooters, specifically those sold under the brand names "Zooz" and "Toos" online and in Toos Urban Ride stores in New York.
A Toos Elite scooter had been inside a New York City apartment on April 10 when a fire erupted, killing two people — one of whom was 7 years old, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
Local officials later determined that the lithium-ion battery inside the Toos Elite 60-volt scooter had caused the fire, and that the scooter was being charged by a 48-volt charger also sold by Toos.
The scooter also hadn't been certified by an accredited laboratory to the UL safety standard, and the chargers have been subject to a public notice from UL Solutions due to their bearing of unauthorized UL certification marks, the federal agency reported.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Despite the issues, CPSC said Toos Urban Ride has "refused to conduct an acceptable recall," while the brand's rebuttal said the agency didn't accept its "corrective action plan," consisting of a free safety inspection of the scooters and batteries.
The company also said it disagrees with the CPSC's warning because the brand attributes the fire to the use of the wrong voltage charger.
Although CPSC hasn't determined the exact cause for the battery's malfunction in the apartment fire, it still recommends users stop using the Toos Elite 60-volt scooters regardless of the charger due to the product's lack of testing or certification by an accredited laboratory.
"Consumers should always be present when charging such products and only charge them with their supplied charger," CPSC said. "Never charge batteries for micromobility products while sleeping. Never throw lithium batteries into the trash or general recycling. Instead, take them to your local battery recycler or hazardous waste collection center."
The warnings and advice come less than a week after CPSC reported a surge in injuries related to micromobility devices, like scooters and e-bikes.
