Bolt is expanding with a fully electric vehicle category.
Ride-hailing giant Bolt, in partnership with YugoRide, has launched an electric vehicle (EV) category in South Africa following the successful rollout in Kenya and Nigeria.
The category is currently only available in Cape Town, but the ride-hailing company said it will enter the Johannesburg market soon.
“The category launched in Cape Town through a strategic fleet partnership with YugoRide, with Bolt planning to scale the category to 500 electric vehicles by December 2026,” said Caroline Wanjihia, regional director of Bolt.
“Following the Cape Town launch, Bolt also plans to expand the EV category to Johannesburg as part of its broader South African rollout strategy.”
South Africa ‘important’ for Bolt
Wanjihia said South Africa is one of the most important markets for Bolt.
“South Africa is one of Bolt’s most important markets globally and the launch of our EV category reflects our long-term confidence in the country’s mobility future,” she said. “We believe electric mobility presents an important opportunity not only from a sustainability perspective, but also from an economic one.”
Although the company did not touch on whether rides will be cheaper for customers, it said the category will lower “operational costs” and improve efficiency.
Bolt driver might earn more
Wanjihia added that the category has the potential to create more sustainable earning opportunities for drivers while contributing to cleaner urban transport systems.
“We are not simply talking about electric mobility in Africa, we are actively building it,” she said.
“Following our EV initiatives in Kenya and Nigeria, South Africa represents an important next chapter in Bolt’s broader African EV strategy. We believe Africa has the opportunity to become a leader in innovative and sustainable urban mobility solutions.”
Uber Electric
Uber South Africa launched its electric category late last year to offer cheaper rides to customers.
After it launched, Uber charged drivers R4 000 per week to rent the car – R2 200 for rental and R1800 for charging the cars.
It is understood that the money goes to Valternative, which owns the vehicles. It is unclear at the moment whether Bolt will also implement a similar plan for drivers.
Partnership needed
Cllr Roberto Quintas, MMC for urban mobility at the City of Cape Town, said: “Bolt’s electric vehicle launch is exactly the kind of private-sector leadership Cape Town welcomes and needs. What impressed me most is that this is not simply about changing fuel sources.”
“Every electric Bolt vehicle on Cape Town’s roads contributes directly to our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 and demonstrates that the transition to cleaner mobility is already underway.”
William Huang, co-Founder of YugoRide, said: “We recognised that if South Africa’s transition to electric mobility was going to succeed, it required more than just vehicles, it required infrastructure, operational support and the right strategic partners. Together with Bolt we are helping build that ecosystem from the ground up.”
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