The Ethiopia foreign ministry has prohibited diplomatic and consular missions in the country from purchasing and importing cars that use petrol or diesel.
- •In February this year, Ethiopia banned imports of fossil-fuel cars to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles as part of its commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
- •The statement from the foreign ministry to diplomats has sensitized them to adopt electric vehicles, highlighting that their importation is duty free.
- •Ethiopia has an ambitious projection of 150,000 electric vehicles on its roads by 2030 but challenges like sparse charging infrastructure persist.
“The ministry wishes to inform all Diplomatic and Consular Missions, regional and international organizations in Addis Ababa that in light of the pressing challenges posed by climate change and Ethiopia’s commitment to contribute to emission reduction and transition to renewable energy , the importation of vehicles using fuels (petrol and diesel) for internal combustion engines is prohibited,” the foreign ministry’s statement said.
The Ethiopian government reports that there are 100,000 EVs in the country and believes the ban on fossil-fuel cars is a viable policy. The move is also prompted by the government’s intention to reduce fuel imports by 50% and optimize usage of its cheap renewable electricity – 90% of it from Hydro Electric generation.
As part of its economic liberalization process, Ethiopia lifted import bans on about 37 items in late July but retained the ban on fossil-fuel cars. To stimulate the transition, the country also slashed import taxes on both fully-assembled and partially-assembled EVs, as well as their spare parts. This action seeks to enable importers and investors to align their operations with EVs or hybrid vehicles.
Some car importers in the country are waiting for directions from the federal government concerning imported fossil-fuel cars still in ports like Djibouti and Dire Dawa. These are cars that were on their way to Ethiopia before the country banned the imports. A company like Tamrin International Trading claims that 500 cars are stranded and the verification process by the government is slow.
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