Dive Brief:

• The motorized scooters known as “hoverboards” are coming under greater scrutiny from government regulators, fire safety officials, and retailers over concerns that their batteries easily catch fire.

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission has received reports of 29 overboard-related emergency room visits and of 11 fires in 10 states.

• Overstock has ended sales of hoverboards, and Amazon has pulled many from its site. But some are still available at Amazon as well as at other e-commerce and big box retailers.

Dive Insight:

One of this season’s most popular holiday gifts, a two-wheeled, handle-bar-less motorized scooter known as a hoverboard, is turning out to be a major safety hazard, something retailers hardly needed in a year of iffy sales and huge discounts.

There’s some dispute about who or what company invented and manufactured the first product, but the scooters are now available from several companies ranging in price from about $500 to $1,800.

But all versions appear to be unsafe, and experts believe that the hazard comes from the way the vehicle’s lithium ion batteries are lodged near its motor. Fires have occurred during a charge and while the hoverboard is being used.

A dearth of regulation around the items and the various designs are making it difficult for officials to discern which ones are hazardous or to make any recommendations about their use to ensure safety.

The hoverboards are all made in China, so officials say they hope to work with the Chinese government to solve the problems.