CPSC Warns Consumers to Stop Using Toos Elite Electric Scooters Due to Fire Hazard; Two Deaths Reported

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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Oct 23, 2023, 13:09 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers about the risk of fire from Toos Elite 60-volt electric scooters. The scooters were sold under the brand-name "Zooz" and "Toos" exclusively in Toos Urban Ride stores in New York and online at toos-e.com. CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop using their Toos Elite 60-volt scooters.

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 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 Toos Elite 60-volt scooter in the fatal fire incident was being charged by a 48-volt charger also sold by Toos. 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.

Toos Urban Ride has refused to conduct an acceptable recall with CPSC.

CPSC urges consumers to only use micromobility products that have been designed, manufactured, and certified for compliance with the applicable consensus safety standards. Consumers should always be present when charging such products and only charge them with their supplied charger. 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.

Report incidents involving the Toos scooters or chargers, or any product-related injury, to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov.

Individual Commissioners may have statements related to this topic. Please visit www.cpsc.gov/commissioners to search for statements related to this or other topics.

Under section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, the CPSC is required to include with this press release any comments from the private labeler or a summary thereof. As summarized, the private labeler of Zooz/Toos scooters states that it disagrees with the Commission's Warning. It states that in the fire incident, the wrong voltage charger, 48-volts rather than 60-volts, was used to charge a 60-volt scooter. It asserts that the CPSC technical staff evaluated a Toos 60-volt scooter and "did not identify any apparent defects with the exemplar sample." The firm states that it proposed to CPSC a corrective action plan consisting of a free safety inspection through which it would check the scooter battery voltage and examine the scooter's wiring and check for physical and water damage and make any necessary repairs. The firm states that CPSC rejected this offer.

About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

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