Ethiopia becomes first country in the world to ban imports of petrol and diesel vehicles

Since switching to electric, Dagim Girma no longer waits long hours in the endless lines of cars on the streets of Addis Ababa, which usually indicate the entrance to gas stations that frequently suffer from diesel shortages. “I save time and I no longer pay for fuel”summarizes the thirty-year-old, who followed the Ethiopian government’s guidelines by acquiring an electric car at the start of 2024.

In January, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics took a radical decision by banning all imports of petrol and diesel vehicles. In doing so, it is forcing Ethiopian drivers to convert to electric vehicles. A world first that is somewhat surprising, given that one in two inhabitants do not have access to electricity in Ethiopia. Behind this drastic regulation, “It is above all an economic strategy”precisely Yizengaw Yitayih, breast expert of the Ministry. “The decree should first help us to rationalize our foreign currency expenditures”explains the senior official.

Faced with a severe shortage of foreign currency, the country of 120 million people is seeking to reduce its dependence on gasoline imports, which in 2023 amounted to more than 6 billion euros, according to administration figures. “Forcing Ethiopians to switch to electric cars allows the government to kill two birds with one stone: reduce its fuel imports and introduce a progressive environmental policy”explains Samson Berhane, an independent analyst based in Addis Ababa.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, has long sought to build an image as an environmentalist. He has been carrying out massive reforestation campaigns at breakneck speed, promising to plant 5 billion trees by 2024. In 2022, he also inaugurated the Grand Nile Renaissance Dam, the largest hydroelectric dam in Africa, which currently generates 1,550 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity and will eventually generate 5,000 MWh. Mr. Ahmed is therefore keen to take advantage of this electricity, which is both green and cheap, estimated to be ten times cheaper than in France. But while he hastened to ban the import of gasoline and diesel vehicles, the head of government does not seem to have prepared his country for the massive influx of electric cars.

A country “not prepared for this transition”

“This is a premature decision, estimates Samson Berhane. The country is not prepared for this transition. There is only one public charging station and only two specialized garages in the entire country. A very meager inventory. Spare parts are almost impossible to find. Drivers, left to their own devices, have to make do. Some manage to transport batteries from the Gulf countries by their own means. Others consult video tutorials on the Internet to tinker with their vehicles. “Due to the lack of regulation, we see a lot of cars from Chinese brands, sometimes unknown, for which it is even more difficult to find spare parts.”assures the analyst.

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