Bolt takes over ride-hailing provider Viggo

The shared mobility provider Bolt has taken over the Danish ride-hailing company Viggo, which specialises in electric cars. For Bolt, the takeover is its entry into the Danish ride-hailing market. Until now, the Estonian company has only been active in Copenhagen with an e-bike sharing service.

With the acquisition of Viggo’s 300 electric vehicles, Bolt’s offering in Denmark is now being expanded to include ride-hailing in Copenhagen and Aarhus. Viggo has primarily relied on premium electric cars for its ride service. The press photo accompanying the acquisition announcement shows a Mercedes-Benz EQE wrapped in the typical Bolt green with the logos of both companies on the side doors.

With the vehicles, Bolt is also taking on 500 professional drivers and a customer base of 450,000 users in the two cities. “We are not entering Denmark as a small player—we are acquiring the best-performing taxi company in the market. Viggo has set the standard for premium service, customer satisfaction, and a fully electric fleet, and we are excited to build on that success,” says Lars Speekenbrink, Regional General Manager Northern Europe at Bolt. “By combining Viggo’s local expertise with Bolt’s technology and scale, we will offer riders a seamless, high-quality experience while creating better earning opportunities for drivers. We are committed to investing in Denmark for the long term—bringing more competition, innovation, and sustainable mobility solutions to cities across the country.”

“Viggo was founded to provide a high-quality, sustainable taxi experience, and we are proud of what we have achieved,” says Kenneth Herschel, CEO, Viggo. “Joining Bolt allows us to scale our impact, benefiting both drivers and passengers with new technology, increased demand, and continued commitment to quality.”

Viggo was founded in 2019 as a ride-hailing provider, and since 2021 the company has had its own subsidiary called ViggoEnergy for building charging infrastructure. ViggoEnergy is building publicly accessible fast chargers in urban areas to enable the use of its own e-ride-hailing cars in these cities. For example, a charging hub with ten charging points is located near the main train station in Copenhagen.

Bolt says it is creating a “multi-modal transport ecosystem” in Denmark by combining its own e-bike rental service with the former Viggo ride-hailing service, “where customers can seamlessly transition between e-bikes and electric rides” – which it says should immediately lead to higher demand for Viggo cars.

ritzau.dk