Micromobility Innovations at LBTU: Electric Vehicles for Research and Studies
As sustainable urban mobility gains importance, the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies (IITF) at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) is advancing research in micromobility. This effort includes the acquisition of a comprehensive micromobility kit to study CO₂ emissions reduction in urban settings. The new electric vehicles allow detailed analysis of critical operational parameters, including speed, acceleration, range per charge, charging costs, energy efficiency, and other technical performance indicators.
The first purchased electric quadricycle, the Citroën AMI, was used in studies by a master’s student who conducted an in-depth vehicle investigation and successfully defended his thesis. During the research, the electric vehicle was equipped with advanced data acquisition and storage systems, enabling precise measurement of voltage, current, power consumption, and speed, thereby providing a comprehensive understanding of its real-world performance and effectively bridging theoretical knowledge with practical investigation
Experimental results showed that the electric quadricycle accelerates to 45 km/h in 6.3 seconds, enabling smooth integration into city traffic. In eco mod, energy consumption is under 5.9 kWh/100 km, with indirect CO₂ emissions of 1.3–1.7 kg/100 km, compared to 8–11 kg/100 km for similar ICE quadricycles. These results highlight LBTU’s contribution to micromobility research and its ability to combine science, technology, and education in sustainable urban mobility solutions.
The university’s micromobility research kit includes a wide range of electric vehicles: the Citroen AMI quadricycle, Vsett 10 electric scooters, SEGWAY KickScooter MAX G2, Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Lite, HECHT EQUIS electric scooter, and several electric bicycles.
To ensure precise research results, the faculty acquired a professional measurement system, including recorders, transducers, multimeters, current clamps, insulation testers, scientific radar, and diagnostic tools, enabling accurate data collection, simulation, and analysis of vehicle performance.
The acquired vehicles and equipment will support both scientific research—such as CO₂ emissions reduction and energy efficiency evaluation in urban environments—and the educational process, giving students hands-on experience with modern micromobility technologies, sustainable mobility solutions, and practical data analysis methods in their courses.
Activities are implemented within the framework of the project “Strengthening LBTU Institutional Capacity for Excellence in Studies and Research” (Project No. 5.2.1.1.i.0/2/24/I/CFLA/002).
