MoneyWatch

Evercross EV5 hoverboards are a fire risk — stop using them, feds say

Edited By Alain Sherter

March 7, 2024 / 3:44 PM EST / CBS News

Product safety regulators are urging Evercross EV5 hoverboard users to find another ride, pronto.

The product is a fire hazard and led to a blaze that caused substantial property damage to a residential building in New York City in May of 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Thursday.

Made in China by Jinhua Smart Electric Technology Co., the hoverboards come in black, blue or pink, with Evercross printed on the front. They sell online for between $180 and $300 on Amazon.com, eBay.com, Likesporting.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, Ridefaboard.com and Walmart.com, according to the CPSC.

U.S. regulators said on March 7, 2024, that the Evercross EV5 hoverboard, from China's Jinhua Smart Electric Technology Co., is a fire hazard and that consumers should immediately stop using the product. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Owners of the hoverboards should immediately remove the battery pack and take it to a battery recycler or hazardous waste collection center. "Never throw lithium batteries into the trash or general recycling," the agency warned.

Jinhua has not agreed to a recall or to offer a remedy for customers, according to the CPSC.

Fires are a significant hazard across all battery-powered hoverboards, bikes and scooters, with the agency aware of 19 deaths associated with fires caused by so-called micromobility products from January 1, 2021, through November 28, 2022, the agency said last fall.

Kate Gibson

Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York, where she covers business and consumer finance.