When COVID-19 shuttered much of the entertainment industry in 2020, Latvian engineer Klāvs Ašmanis was forced to rethink his business. He had been developing electric go-karts for rental venues, but lockdowns froze that market.
Faced with idle engineers and existing prototype experience, Ašmanis said he pivoted toward military mobility.
“At the beginning, we started to design an electric scooter for border control and mobility in military bases,” he said. “Soon we had a prototype, and later a production-ready model.”
According to Ašmanis, the first customers came from civilian sectors such as agriculture and vineyards, but the product’s profile changed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Global Wolf Motors, the company he founded, donated its first units to Ukrainian forces, which he said provided valuable feedback from the battlefield.
Are you building game-changing tech for defense? 💪
We’re always looking to feature innovators pushing the boundaries in autonomy, AI, energy, and beyond. If your company belongs in the Defense Disruptors spotlight, get in touch with us here.
From Vineyards to Frontlines
Ašmanis said Ukrainian soldiers quickly found ways to adapt the scooters for combat use — including reconnaissance missions deep into Russian-occupied territory.
“The snipers are using the scooters. They can go in fast, do their job, and leave quickly,” he claimed.
He also described their role in last-mile deliveries, medical evacuation of lightly wounded troops, and transporting equipment. “If you push the throttle slowly, you can get out from the mud with an injured soldier on board,” he said.
Ukrainian demand grew, according to Ašmanis, from an initial 300 scooters requested by border control units to around 1,000 units after special forces expressed interest.
But he noted that procurement has been slowed by bureaucracy, saying the vehicles must be added to approved acquisition lists before government purchases can proceed.
Technical Features and Military Adaptability
Ašmanis characterized the vehicle as a “stand-position motorcycle” rather than a conventional scooter, with a 74-kilogram (163-pound) weight, a top speed of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour, and a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) per charge.
He argued that its quiet operation made it more difficult for enemy drones to detect compared to motorcycles or ATVs.
The scooters, he said, can be fitted with modular systems for specialized missions.
“You can add infrared lights, a power station for drones or radios, anti-drone radars, or even a trailer that can carry more than a ton,” Ašmanis explained. He added that certain units have requested medical evacuation trailers or compact firefighting setups.
He said Global Wolf Motors plans to showcase such configurations at an upcoming defense industry event in Riga, which will be attended by delegations from NATO countries.
Beyond the Battlefield
Ašmanis maintained that the same scooter design is used for civilian and military purposes, with speed governors or access keys for safety when needed.
Civilian applications, he said, range from agriculture and forestry to solar farm maintenance, port operations, and tourism.
He offered examples from the wine industry, where the scooters can traverse fields without damaging the soil, and from forestry companies needing lightweight, all-terrain transport for technical crews.
Market Position and Competition
In his view, the scooters are priced toward the lower end of high-performance electric two-wheelers, while offering longer range than some electric motorcycles. He compared them to certain KTM models, which he said have shorter battery life and higher prices.
Ašmanis acknowledged the risk of adversaries copying the design, particularly Russia.
“Of course they could produce something similar. That’s why our goal is to be first and establish the market,” he said. He noted that the scooter’s frame design is patented, though he conceded patents may have little deterrent effect in some countries.
Aiming to Create a New Category
Ašmanis described his broader vision as building a new category in military micromobility.
“Right now, it’s the hardest point: to create a new market,” he said. “My goal is to create this category and scale the product.”
He said current production capacity is about 1,000 units per year, but could be increased to 10,000 if demand materializes.
“It’s not a mass-market product,” he added, “but for the missions it can do, there’s nothing quite like it.”
