Ethiopia now bans the import of cars with internal combustion engines. By doing so the country is taking a big step towards making itself less dependent on oil imports, which costs the country close to 5 billion USD every year.
Since Ethiopia doesn’t have any domestic production of passenger cars, this decision leads to Ethiopia becoming the first country in the world to ban new fossil-fuel cars.
The country has previously offered subsidies and tax incentives to anyone who buys an electric car. In parallel with the new decision, the country will now also invest more in a faster expansion of the charging infrastructure in the country.
– As you may notice, Ethiopian roads have seen an increase in electric cars. The government’s push has a lot to do with that growth, both the prices and the tax incentives are good for the buyers. Electric cars are good for users as fuel prices continue to soar. I think more people will go electric in the future, comments Michael Behailu, automotive consultant in Ethiopia to the media.
