Sky Energy launches 100 electric taxis to ease Malawi fuel shortage
A Malawian energy company has unveiled a fleet of 100 electric vehicles, 40 public charging stations and a ride-hailing app on Friday evening, as the landlocked country struggles with fuel shortages.
The launch took place at Umodzi Park, at the Presidential Hotel in Lilongwe.
Sky Energy, which marked its 10th anniversary at the event, said its Sky E-Ride app will let Malawians book electric rides on their phones, similar to services such as Uber and Yango in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka.
Bookings open on December 1, 2026.
“We know the queues. We know the disruption to business,” said managing director Schizzo Thomson.
“Replacing a petrol car with an electric car without building the infrastructure around it is not transformation.”
Thomson said the project was a complete system rather than a fleet of cars.
“The vehicles need somewhere to charge. The infrastructure needs technology. The technology needs a platform. And all of that must work together,” he said.
Malawi produces no petroleum, meaning all petrol and diesel must be purchased with foreign currency.
Thomson argued that electricity could increasingly be generated domestically from hydropower, solar and other renewable sources.
“When we begin to move from importing petroleum towards locally generated electricity, we are not simply changing the engine inside the vehicle,” he said. “We are changing the economics of movement.”
Sky Energy was founded in 2015 in response to blackouts that in some areas lasted up to 12 hours. Since then, the company has built solar generation and battery storage for businesses, institutions and households.
Business Development Director Hastings Golosi said the app was “not just an app” but a new way of moving people, connecting businesses and creating opportunities.
He invited passengers, drivers, businesses, investors and technology partners to join the platform.
The app’s features include ride-sharing. Passengers travelling in the same direction, such as from Lumbazi into town, can share a car with friends to reduce their fares.
Riders can load money from a bank or mobile money account into an in-app wallet and pay without cash.
Businesses can register employees on a corporate dashboard, allow them to book rides under the company account, and approve requests before trips are confirmed.
Passengers can also share their trip location with family, which Golosi said would help parents and guardians arranging transport for children or students.
On safety, the company said users verify their phone numbers and drivers go through registration.
Before a trip starts, passengers confirm the driver and car using a code. They can follow the ride in real time or book in advance.
Golosi said daily commuters who spend 5,000 kwacha a day on one-way travel could pay less than half that using the shared option.
He said a one-way airport trip costing about 80,000 kwacha could be at least 50 per cent cheaper.
For electric vehicle owners, the company said it is building commercial charging points that users can access by scanning a code.
Thomson’s speech did not say how much the programme costs or how much of the charging electricity would come from renewable sources rather than the national grid.
Analysts say the scheme’s success will depend on vehicle financing, driver earnings, grid reliability and servicing outside the main cities.
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