Rīga Facilitates Sustainable Mobility Solutions with GreenDash Project: Electric Cargo Scooters Tested for Communal Services

The EIT Urban Mobility project “GreenDash” has officially kicked off in Rīga, aiming to introduce eco-friendly solutions for city services. Municipal company Rīgas Meži (Rīga Forests) and Spatial Planning and Mobility Department’s Maintenance Board in cooperation with the City Development department have begun testing a custom-designed Bruntor electric scooters specifically intended to support communal services across the city.

The GreenDash project is focused on enhancing the efficiency of communal services, while reducing the environmental impact of city operations. A key component of this project includes testing the scooters’ efficiency and adaptability in various terrains common to Rīga’s landscape, including city streets, cobblestone paths, and grassy areas within parks and green spaces.

Before receiving the electric scooters for testing, the workers who will use them in their daily operations participated in a training session. This session was designed to familiarize employees with the features of the scooters, including safety measures and how to maximize their performance in different conditions.

The project represents a step toward greener, more efficient urban management in Rīga, as electric scooters provide a flexible and sustainable transportation option for communal tasks such as park maintenance, landscaping, and other territorial improvement activities.GreenDash is a project funded by EIT Urban Mobility.

Project partners are innovation movement VEFRESH (lead partner), Rhino R (Bruntor EV cargo scooter developer) and three demonstration partners: Rīga City Council, Latvian Post and PostNord (Denmark).

Greening the last mile: GREEN DASH

GREEN DASH aims to take a practical approach to last mile deliveries by testing, improving and demonstrating the benefits of EV cargo scooter deliveries working closely with two national postal delivery companies – Latvijas Pasts (Latvia) and PostNord (Denmark), addressing the urban logistics challenges fueled by the growing volume of e-commerce. In addition, the project aims to create a convenient utility service provision solution for cities with the help of Rīga City Council. Rīga will test the solution in the territory of Old Rīga, where the utility workers will give their feedback and recommendations for improving scooter to be fit to address their utility service needs and work in different geographical and weather conditions.

The project foresees to improve overall logistics efficiency and traffic, reduce air and noise pollution, improve accessibility. Taking into account the lessons-learned during the project, policy recommendations will be developed for improving sustainable urban logistics in cities.

Duration, funding, partners:

Funding: EIT Urban mobility
Budget: Total € 632 222.00, EU contribution € 476 094.00, Riga Municipality budget € 39 785.00, EU contribution € 26 658.00
Duration: 01.01.2024. – 31.12.2024.
Partners: Innovation movement VEFRESH (lead partner), Rhino R (Bruntor EV cargo scooter developer) and three demonstration partners: Rīga City Council, Latvijas Pasts and PostNord.

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GREEN DASH: Practical approach to last mile deliveries and city services

On January 22, Green Dash project kick-off event took place gathering the project partners – Latvijas Pasts, PostNord, innovation movement VEFRESH, Rīga City Council, and Bruntor, as well as the representatives of the EIT Urban mobility.

GREEN DASH project is set to improve last mile deliveries and utility service provision in collaboration with national postal delivery companies Latvijas Pasts (Latvia) and PostNord (Denmark), and Rīga City Council. Focused on addressing the escalating challenges posed by the surge in e-commerce, GREEN DASH aims to deploy and refine electric cargo scooters as a practical solution.

In a partnership with Rīga City Council, GREEN DASH is actively working towards creating a seamless utility service provision solution for cities. The pilot program will unfold in the historic Old Riga, where utility workers will test and provide valuable feedback on the EV cargo scooters’ functionality in diverse geographical and weather conditions.

Key project objectives:

  • Testing and improvement of Bruntor EV cargo scooter: the goal is to create a robust and efficient electric cargo scooter tailored to meet the demands of modern urban logistics.
  • Utility service provision solution: collaborating with Rīga City Council, Bruntor extends its focus to create a convenient utility service provision solution for cities.
  • Environmental Impact and Efficiency: the overarching mission is to improve overall logistics efficiency and alleviate urban traffic congestion. By embracing electric cargo scooters, GREEN DASH project aims to significantly reduce air and noise pollution, contributing to a more sustainable urban environment.

As the project unfolds, building on the insights, policy recommendations will be developed to contribute to the advancement of sustainable urban logistics practices in cities.

Green Dash project is co-financed by the EIT Urban mobility.

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