Raimonds Jurgelis, one of the co-founders of Bruntor, has pioneered the development of an electric scooter featuring a cargo compartment. His inspiration for this innovation arose from personal experiences where he found electric skateboards insufficient for transporting his shopping items, often resorting to using a car. The concept of an electric scooter with a dedicated cargo compartment took shape.
Teaming up with fellow co-founder Elvijs Vanags, they quickly realized the potential applicability of such a product in the last-mile delivery sector. Henceforth, their focus shifted exclusively towards creating last-mile delivery vehicles.
In March of this year, Bruntor successfully delivered its inaugural scooter to Latvijas Pasts, the national postal service, as well as another foreign company. Following initial trials, Raimonds observed that the scooter performed admirably in challenging conditions, including snow, ice, and rough roads.
“We have garnered significant praise from both company personnel and management, who have hailed it as the best solution for urban post and parcel deliveries they’ve ever tested. Team members appreciate the relief from back and leg strain after work, and they’re delighted with the increased efficiency. Of course, there’s room for further development and enhancements, so this summer, we’re embarking on trial runs with postal and parcel delivery companies in Latvia and abroad to better understand how they utilize the scooter and how we can enhance it,” he revealed.
While the Bruntor scooter is currently undergoing testing abroad, Raimonds couldn’t disclose the identity of the potential client at this time. Interest in the vehicle has extended to various industries, including an intriguing application for transporting piglets.
The Journey from Skateboarding to Cargo Transport Bruntor Cargo represents an evolution of Raimonds’ initial idea for an off-road electric skateboard. He conceived this idea during the COVID-19 pandemic after returning to Latvia. Previously, he had resided near the Alps in Germany, where he enjoyed snowboarding on weekends. However, the lack of snow and pandemic-related restrictions in Latvia prevented him from pursuing this hobby. Consequently, he decided to create an electric skateboard.
Initially, Raimonds didn’t envision turning it into a business venture, but his friends encouraged him to participate in the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia’s Idea Cup competition, which he won with his concept. Subsequently, he joined the Buildit accelerator program and received support from various assistance mechanisms.
With the Bruntor Cargo scooter solution, the company achieved victory in the finals of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology competition, Jumpstarter 2022, in the Urban Mobility category. This accomplishment required competing against 600 other ideas from across Europe.
