U.S. consumers are being strongly warned against using a brand of electric scooters after reports found that a malfunctioning battery caused a fire earlier this year that killed two people, including a child.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the warning on Monday, stating that Toos Elite brand 60-volt electric scooters had been found to pose a risk of fire. The specific products affected by the defect were sold under both the "Zooz" and "Toos" names. The products were sold at Toos Urban Ride stores in New York and online at www.toos-e.com. Any consumers in possession of these products are urged by the CPSC to cease using them immediately.
The official release from the commission cited two deaths first reported in April that were eventually linked to a fire caused by the lithium-ion battery contained in one of the scooters. One of the victims, tragically, was only 7-years-old.
"The urgent warning comes after two people, including a seven-year-old, died in an apartment fire that local fire officials determined was caused by the lithium-ion battery in a Toos Elite 60-volt scooter," the statement explained. "The fatal incident occurred on April 10, 2023, in New York City. The Toos Elite 60-volt scooter has not been certified by an accredited laboratory to the applicable UL safety standard."
The statement further explained that the precise cause of the battery malfunction in the apartment fire case has yet to be determined, but also noted that a specific, improperly authorized charger had been in use prior to the incident.
"The Toos Elite 60-volt scooter in the fatal fire incident was being charged by a 48-volt charger also sold by Toos," the statement continued. "UL Solutions has issued a public notice concerning these 48-volt chargers because they bear unauthorized UL certification marks. While the exact cause of the battery's ignition in the fatal fire has yet to be determined, and due to the lack of safety testing or certification by an accredited laboratory, CPSC recommends that consumers stop using the Toos Elite 60-volt scooters regardless of the charger."
The statement from CPSC stressed that its warning did not represent a proper recall of the potentially hazardous scooters. A recall would need to be issued by the company itself, but Toos Urban Ride "has refused to conduct an acceptable recall with CPSC."
When reached by Newsweek about why Toos declined a recall, CPSC declined to comment further.
Attempts were also made to reach out to Toos Urban Ride, but were ultimately unsuccessful.
Updated 10/23/23, 6:15 p.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect a response from the CPSC.
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