Ride-hailing service Taxify is going green, will now be called Bolt

Taxify, the Estonia-based ‘call-a-taxi with an app’ platform, has decided to rebrand and disassociate itself from the traditional combustion engine. The company has decided on Bolt, and has introduced a new logo to go with its brand new green persona.

The newly established Bolt brand wants to relate to more than just the basic ‘taxi’ that runs on petroleum or diesel, and has started expanding to motorbikes and scooter sharing. The company also plans to start investing in electric vehicle solutions in the near future, too.

“Taxify launched five years ago with a mission to make urban transportation more convenient and affordable,” says Markus Villig, CEO and co-founder of Bolt. “Our first product was a taxi dispatch solution that gave the company its original name.

“Our new name ‘Bolt’ stands for fast, effortless movement – exactly what the experience of getting around in a city should be, be it by car, scooter or public transport. It also underscores the company’s belief that the future of transportation will be electric,” says Gareth Taylor, country manager for Bolt in South Africa.

Although we haven’t seen Bolt’s scooter solution in SA yet, we hope to see it and perhaps some EV options soon. That is, if load shedding allows for it… and assuming it’s possible to profitably buy EVs and run them as taxis.

You can bet on seeing Bolt branding roll out shortly, and the app will update with the new look automatically in coming weeks.