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Elmo’s Teledriving Technology Revolutionizes the Dutch Mobility Landscape

The public launch of Elmo’s world-first road-legal teledriving technology in the Netherlands will take place at the ‘Vakbeurs Openbare Ruimte’ Expo in Utrecht on September 27 and 28. This event is a collaboration between the Estonian teledriving technology company Elmo, Dutch Automated Mobility (DAM), and Aon Netherlands. It marks the beginning of a revolution in the shared car sector in the Netherlands.

Elmo´s teledriving technology, which can be licensed by other shared car operators, will be demonstrated during the event as Elmo’s teledriven car drives outside the expo area while being controlled from inside the hall. This demonstration is for illustrative purposes, as the car can be operated from anywhere in the world by certified teledrivers. The advantage of teledriven shared cars is that they are delivered to people’s homes by a ‘teledriver,’ thus reducing the need for city parking space. Once inside, the customer takes control of the vehicle and drives to their intended destination.

Elmo is the world’s first and only company with both a road-legal teledriving technology platform and a fleet of shared cars in operation. In Estonia and Finland, teledriven shared cars are already on public roads, with 19,000 users and 140 cars in operation. Elmo’s CEO, Enn Laansoo Jr., is delighted that the first step has also been taken in the Netherlands: „This partnership represents a remarkable leap forward in the evolution of mobility and shared car delivery services in the Netherlands. Our goal is to bring Elmo’s cutting-edge technology to the forefront of convenience, and we believe teledriven shared cars will revolutionize the current rental car landscape.“

In the Netherlands, Dutch Automated Mobility now has more than five years of experience in operating autonomous and remote-controlled systems. This made it the designated implementation and realization partner for Elmo. Co-founder of Dutch Automated Mobility, Alwin Bakker, emphasizes the significance of this partnership. „This is another exciting addition to our mission of advancing autonomous and teleoperated systems in the Netherlands. Following self-driving shuttles and delivery robots, we are now collaborating with Elmo to bring teledriven shared cars to the streets of Netherlands and to the doors of Dutch customers. Our partner, Aon, will support us from the risk assessment and insurance side.”

Robert Boshouwers, co-founder of Dutch Automated Mobility adds, “This partnership means not only a leap into the future of mobility, but also a proof of the innovative spirit of our organizations. With this we will make shared cars more accessible to more people, fewer shared cars will be needed in the city and more space will be available in the urban environment.”

About Dutch Automated Mobility
Dutch Automated Mobility is a pioneer in autonomous and remote-controlled systems, specializing in shuttle buses and delivery robots. They have a strong track record of successful implementations in the Netherlands.

About Aon
Aon’s Automotive, has been providing expert risk management consulting and insurance brokerage solutions to the automotive industry for more than 100 years. The Automotive business is a priority for Aon’s management. Our dedicated team of automotive professionals includes account executives, brokers, data scientists, claims and risk control consultants.

Elmo’ s teledriven cars started operating in the streets of Helsinki

Estonian company Elmo, the first to put teledriving technology into service in 2022, has expanded to Helsinki. As a result, Finland became the second country in Europe to have teledriving on its streets and roads.

Using teledriving technology on the streets of Helsinki has been approved by Finnish Transport and Communication Agency Traficom based on the permit provided by the Estonian Transport Administration.

“I have always liked Helsinki and its positive attitude towards start-ups. Their openness to innovative technologies is verified by the fact that the largest start-up companies are established in Scandinavia. Their activity is supported on government level, which without a doubt contributes to the success of the companies,” says Elmo’s founder and CEO Enn Laansoo Jr.

Last year, Elmo introduced its teledriving technology on the major international start-up event Slush and simultaneously carried out several successful tests on local roads, which gave the confidence to take teledriving to the streets of Helsinki.

“Elmo brings an interesting addition to the testing of new vehicle-related technology in Finland. This is the first trial of teledriving vehicle in our country. At Traficom, our task is to enable experiments and innovations related to traffic and communication,” says Reijo Jälkö, the leading expert at the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom.

Elmo’s goal is to find a car sharing company in Helsinki who could be provided with a licence for the teledriving technology and offered the teledriving service. Until then, residents of Helsinki can place one-click orders for the delivery of Elmo’s rental cars to their door through Elmo’s app that can be downloaded from the web page elmorent.ee. To deliver a car to the door, Elmo’s certified teledriver will take control of the nearest car through a 4G network and will drive the car to the customer’s door by the time requested.

Elmo currently operates more than 100 electric cars in Estonia, providing delivery of rental cars via teledriving to addresses requested by customers in Tallinn as well as Tartu. Helsinki is now the third city and Finland the second country within the EU to allow teledriving on public roads and in service provision. In parallel, Elmo is in negotiations with several big cities with the goal of launching the teledriving provision in at least three different countries within 2023.

In August and September, Elmo’s focus is on servicing the first pioneer customers and introducing the technology to local car sharing companies, adapting it to Helsinki’s 4G and 5G networks. The gained knowledge helps to improve the next generation of Elmo’s teledriving technology and to help secure the necessary permits for Elmo’s future partners. The more extensive launch of home delivery service is planned in autumn once a local partner has been selected and the summer holiday season has ended.

Last year, Elmo became the world’s first deep-tech company to put road-legal teledriving and teledrivers licenced by the Estonian Transportation Administration into a real-life car sharing service. Elmo’s teledriving technology has been introduced and tested for licencing purposes to customers on the streets of Paris, Munich, Hannover, Zurich, Vienna, Los Angeles and many other big cities.

Elmo is an Estonian company whose main field of activity is the development of innovative deep-tech teledriving technologies (see elmorent.ee) and the provision of an eco-friendly car sharing service. Elmo is the first car rental company in Estonia to be awarded a CSR quality label.

Additional information:
Enn Laansoo, Jr.
CEO
Elmo
enn@elmorent.ee

Elonroad and Elmo to collaborate on innovative stationary charing track development for teledriven electric vehicles

The Swedish cleantech company Elonroad and Estonian teledriving technology company Elmo are pleased to formally announce their entry into a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate in developing an innovative stationary charging track in Tallinn, Estonia for Elmo´s electric cars fleet. This partnership will combine their expertise to enhance technology for smarter charging of electric vehicles. The two companies decided on starting collabaroation after meeting in Tallinn in early may as a part of King and queen of Sweden official visit to Tallinn.

The Estonian company Elmo has been providing the electric car sharing service since 2013, and in the last three years has focused on the development of remote control technology (teledriving), with the aim of bringing the cars to the customer, thus making the service smarter, more environmentally friendly and more convenient for the customer. Elmo is currently the only one in the world that uses remote control technology in daily service on public roads. The new autonomous charging lane for electric cars makes the service even more efficient: “In order to ensure service quality, we need to charge electric cars between scheduled trips, and the innovative autonomous charging lane to be built promises to significantly improve the process for our customers, minimize downtime and increase user satisfaction. The content of the cooperation is to build a pilot charging station, which will be installed near Elmo’s head office in Tallinn, in the Ülemiste business district.” commented Enn Laansoo Jr., the CEO and Founder of the Elmo company.

This collaboration aims to provide teledriven cars with automatic charging capabilities to ensure readiness for further deployment. Similar installations will be evaluated and developed for public spaces during this project, eventually supplying Elmo’s entire operational network with automatic charging infrastructure.

Elonroad’s CEO, Karin Ebbinghaus, highlights the mutual benefits of this alliance in enhancing electric vehicle charging infrastructure and promoting the widespread adoption of sustainable transportation solutions. It’s a perfect combination of two megatrends – electrification and shared economy. The partnership is committed to driving industry-wide growth and fostering environmental consciousness.

The development plan follows a two-step approach: executing a pilot project and, upon successful completion, transitioning to a full-scale commercialization phase. Elonroad will develop and install the charging station, utilizing their proprietary 22kW automatic charging technology and retrofitting an electricity collector on a Nissan Leaf vehicle.

Elmo’s CEO, Enn Laansoo, Jr., emphasizes autonomous charging solutions’ crucial role in remote activities. Integrating Elonroad’s technology into Elmo’s operations will contribute to emission-free urban transportation, unlock new operational possibilities, and significantly enhance overall operating efficiency.

Elmo is revolutionizing car sharing by delivering its electric rental cars remotely to customers with its innovative teledriving technology since 2022, being the first in European service. The charging station pilot with Elonroad will be the next big step in the company´s service development.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Elmo CEO
Enn Laansoo Jr.
Email: enn@elmoremote.com
Phone: +372 5216858

Elonroad CEO
Karin Ebbinghaus
Email: karin.ebbinghaus@elonroad.com
Phone number: 46 070 339 55 42

Latitude59 is the first startup conference in the world to provide its visitors teledriven electric cars transport in public streets

Tallinn, Estonia – Latitude59, the leading tech conference in the Baltic region, has announced that it will be the first event in the world to offer road legal teledriven transport to its visitors around the city’s public streets. The conference has partnered with Elmo, the Estonian fast scaling company behind the world’s first road legal teledriven technology development and car sharing service.
The Elmo electric cars, which are equipped with cutting-edge teledriven technology, will be available to transport visitors daily during the event at Kultuurikatel and also providing ride from conference venue to the afterparty on the 25th of May. This will not only provide a hassle-free and comfortable transportation experience but will also contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the event.

“We are thrilled to partner with Elmo to offer our visitors a sustainable and innovative transportation solution,” said Liisi Org, the CEO of Latitude59. “At Latitude59, we are committed to creating a more sustainable future, and this partnership with Elmo is one great example to that commitment.”

The teledriven technology used in the Elmo electric cars allows the vehicles to be operated remotely, enabling a safe and convenient transportation experience for passengers. The cars are also equipped with advanced safety features including collision avoidance and emergency braking systems.

“We are excited to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative with Latitude59,” said Enn Laansoo Jr., the CEO and Founder of Elmo. “Our electric cars are designed to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, and we are proud to partner with an event that shares our commitment to sustainability and better mobility options for the future.”

Elmo attended Latitude59 also last year as a promising start-up, offering teledriving experience from the on-site station and got lot of attention from the quests. It has been a turbulent year for the Estonian company with 9 months long technology road-show in EU and US and becoming the first company in the world delivering road legal teledriving e-cars to car sharing service and already servicing customers in two cities – Tallinn and Tartu.

Latitude59 is known for bringing together the brightest minds in the tech industry to explore emerging trends and share insights. With this partnership with Elmo, the conference is taking a step towards a more sustainable future while providing a unique and innovative experience for its attendees.

The 2023 edition of Latitude59 will take place on May 24-26 in Tallinn, Estonia.

Elmo is revolutionizing car sharing by delivering remotely its rental cars to customers with its own innovative teledriving technology since 2022 being the first in service in Europe.

Press contacts: 

Latitude59
Mirjam Mäesalu
mirjam@latitude59.ee

Elmo Remote
Enn Laansoo Jr.
CEO& Founder
+372 52 16 858
enn@elmoremote.com

Elmo has raised up to 2.6 million euros from international growth capital fund and other investors

Elmo, the world’s first company to introduce remotely controlled electric cars in a car sharing service, has raised up to 2.6 million euros from international growth capital fund and other investors to speed up the licencing of remote control technology in foreign markets, grow the team necessary for the development of next-generation technologies and to prepare new eco-sustainable remotely controlled cars and take them to public roads.

Teledriving and driverless transportation are potentially the biggest and most positive changes in the mobility sector in our generation. Global urban mobility market is in flux due to shifting consumer preferences and technological advances. City governments reduce private car ownership in urban areas, consumers seek sustainability, convenience and affordability. Car ownership is declining in favor of public transport, bicycles, car sharing clubs, and ride hailing. 

“We are happy to contribute to an Estonian technology company such as Elmo which is one of the first in the world to put remote control technology based services into daily practical use. We see remote control technologies and the related services as a necessary step in bringing fully autonomous driving technologies into our daily life in the future,” said Ragnar Meitern, head of the lead investor’s representative Highgoal Capital Management. 

Highgoal Capital Management OÜ is a technology focused small alternative funds manager with a track record of identifying and backing some of the most successful founders and companies in the mobility business, their investment portfolio including Bolt and Planet42 among others. The company has experience in in European, Middle Eastern and African markets and has offices in London and Tallinn. FlyCap is a Latvian growth capital fund that offers growth capital to medium-sized companies in Latvia and elsewhere in Europe.  Barolo Invest and SAGGIS are Estonian capital based investors. The financing transactions were counselled by KPMG Baltics and Keystone Advisers.

“It is a great recognition to the current work of our team when experienced investors are willing to contribute to our success in today’s financial climate, and a sign that Elmo’s position is strong in the fast-growing sector of remotely controlled vehicles,” said Enn Laansoo Jr., the founder and CEO of Elmo.

“Although Elmo’s greatest competitive edge has so far been the development of the technology as well as the provision of a short-term rental service in one company, we will now be able to conclude the separation of the technology and the short-term rental business into subsidiaries in order to bring aboard new investors with a more specific focus,” added Laansoo.

Last year, Elmo became the world’s first deep-tech company to bring its road legal remotely controlled cars and drivers licenced by the Transport Administration’s into a real-life car sharing service. Remotely controlled cars have become a daily service on the streets of Tallinn as well as Tartu. For the purpose of licencing the technology, Elmo’s remotely controlled cars have been driven and introduced to customers in the streets of Paris, Munich, Hannover, Zurich, Vienna, Helsinki, Los Angeles and many other big cities. By today, there are ongoing negotiations with more than 50 customers interested in the licensed technology and preliminary work is in process to start driving on the public roads of at least two foreign cities this summer.

Elmo is an Estonian company whose main field of activity is the development of an innovative deep-tech technology for remotely controlled cars (see elmoremote.com) and the provision of eco-friendly car-sharing services (see elmorent.ee). Elmo is the first car rental company in Estonia to receive the quality label for sustainable business.

Additional information:
Enn Laansoo, Jr.
CEO
ELMO Rent AS
enn@elmorent.ee

Employees of the EIC will be driving Elmo’s eco-friendly cars

The electric car-sharing company Elmo has won the public procurement for short-term rental services organised by the Environmental Investment Centre (EIC), so the Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Rakvere and Valga city employees of the centre will be using ELMO’s eco-friendly vehicles for their work-related drives.

The contract was concluded for a period of 24 months which can be extended by 12 months at the supplier’s request.

“The EIC serves as an example for other state institutions with their use of car-sharing services and preference of electric cars and I hope that practical experience will have an impact on adding the use of car-sharing services among the state’s priorities,” said Enn Laansoo Jr., the Executive Manager of ELMO.

The EIC’s procurement included a phone app-based as well as a normal pre-order rental service. ELMO has offered an app-based rental service for eco-friendly cars for already a decade with an additional short-term rental service with the delivery of the vehicle to the customer’s door available for over a year and a half. For the past three years, the company has been developing a remote control service for the delivery of the cars to the customers. Elmo is the world’s first company to put remotely controlled vehicles to real-life service and plans to use the technology to serve EIC’s employees as well.

According to Andrus Treier, head of the EIC, their organisation has branches across Estonia and the employees of the EIC need to supervise project locations in very different places. “As a responsible establishment, we measure the organisation’s footprint and prioritise the lowering of our work travel related environmental impact. It is therefore important to find a partner who would offer an electric car-rental service that would extend outside the limits of Tallinn.”

ELMO’s car park includes more than a hundred electric cars and additional hybrid cars for more convenient longer drives, having more than 22 000 registered users. The company plans to extend their car park by 15 electric cars this spring with more to follow in the summer and to equip another 20 cars with their remote control technology.

Elmo is an Estonian company whose main field of activity is the development of an innovative deeptech technology for remotely controlled cars (see Elmoremote.com) and the offering of eco-friendly car-sharing services (see Elmorent.ee). Elmo is the first car rental company in Estonia to receive the quality label for sustainable business.

Additional information:
Enn Laansoo, Jr.
Executive Manager
ELMO Rent AS
enn@Elmorent.ee

Elmo’s remotely controlled car received great international interest at the Autonomy Mobility World Expo in Paris

Elmo, the world’s first remote-control service provider, participated in the annual Autonomy Mobility World Expo, the world’s largest trade fair focused on sustainable and smart transportation services, in Paris, which brought together thousands of interested parties and key industry players. 

Elmo was represented among 200 exhibitors from a total of 80 countries who represented various transport solutions aimed at sustainable development. Mobility TV, a French television channel focused on mobility solutions, highlighted Elmo as one of the six most potential changemakers in the sustainability of urban traffic.

‘We have been introducing our remote-control service and technology in Central Europe for the last 9 months, and negotiations are underway with several car sharing companies and districts to make their service more sustainable and profitable by implementing a remote-control service. As part of the fair, we made several new contacts with lawmakers to discuss which legislative framework would need to be adjusted for the introduction of remote-controlled technology on public roads,’ said Enn Laansoo Jr, the CEO of Elmo. ‘I can safely say that, at the current stage of development, the remote-control technology developed by Elmo can be considered innovative worldwide and has great potential for large international markets.’

In addition to Elmo, other companies from Estonia focused on future mobility were also represented, such as Bolt, Äike, Liigu, Comodule, Oolter Bike.

Elmo is an Estonian company whose main field of activity is the development of innovative deep tech technology (see elmoremote.com) and the provision of environmentally friendly vehicle sharing services (see elmorent.ee). Elmo is the first company of rental vehicles with a responsible business quality label in Estonia.

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