House Dem demands probe of hoverboard batteries

Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) is calling on the Department of Energy to conduct research on the safety of lithium batteries used in hoverboards following multiple reports of the hot holiday toys catching fire.

{mosads}In a letter Tuesday, Israel asked the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science Director Cherry Murray to request that existing agency funding be used for immediate research.

“Hoverboards may be the hot holiday gift, but they are literally catching on fire and igniting questions about their safety and the safety of lithium-ion batteries,” he said in a news release. “New Yorkers should remain hesitant before purchasing these hoverboards and stay vigilant while using and charging them.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said it’s received 10 reports of the self-balancing, two-wheel, motorized board catching fire from consumers in nine states, while there are 29 reports of people being treated at an emergency room after falling off of one. The CPSC has launched an investigation into hoverboard safety and whether their batteries are to blame for the fires.

Some of the nation’s largest airlines and retailers have responded by taking action of their own. Delta, United and American Airlines banned hoverboards from all flights this week and Amazon announced that it’s removing some hoverboard brands from its website. Overstock.com, meanwhile, has pulled the products altogether.

“With the continued emergence of news reports highlighting safety concerns with ‘hover board’ self-balancing electric scooters, we have made the decision to remove all similar products from our website as a precautionary measure,” Overstock.com’s general counsel and senior vice president, Mitch Edwards, said in a news release.

Overstock.com said it has contacted customers who have already purchased hoverboards and given them the option to return them for full refunds.

“We will continue to take every measure as this situation unfolds,” Edwards said. “Overstock.com has always, and will always put the safety of our customers first.”