Shashe Asemare dey handle the big steering wheel with ease, navigating the mint-green city bus through the notoriously congested streets of Addis Ababa. Ever since the Ethiopian capital introduce 100 new electric buses to im fleet for 2025, she don notice the benefits. “These electric buses are very different from the gasoline ones,” she talk, taking a glance at the cars overtaking to her left. “They no dey emit exhaust fumes or make that annoying noise.”
The clean, quiet buses don also be hit with many of the 90,000 passengers wey depend on the new rapid transit line for their daily commute, like Zeraye Tekelu. “They very comfortable to travel in. They also better because they no dey pollute the air,” he talk, calling am “a step forward for our country.” Addis Ababa, one of Africa fastest-growing cities, introduce the climate-friendly buses last year in keeping with Ethiopia ban on import of gasoline and diesel cars. Announcing the world first such ban for early 2024, Transport Minister Alemu Sime tout Ethiopia support for “green development.” This include tax breaks for electric vehicles (EVs), 17 plants to build electric vehicles using parts from China and focus on climate-friendly public transport, including fully electric light rail.
While the government don talk up Ethiopia green ambitions, there be another major reason for the move to go electric: the high cost of imported fossil fuels. Conventional fuel prices don more than triple since 2022. For March, the Ministry of Transport & Logistics say global oil market instability triggered by the Iran war show say Ethiopia need to speed up im shift and continue to foster use of electric vehicles, alongside other behavioral changes like carpooling and switching to walking or cycling. The country dey aim for 500,000 EV share by 2030. Electric passenger cars represent more than 5% of the country total fleet, putting am on par with the European Union. This for a nation where around half of the population of more than 110 million still dey live without electricity.
While EVs dey eliminate tailpipe emissions, the electricity wey dey run the cars no always come from non-polluting source. Many countries still dey rely on natural gas, coal or nuclear. That no be the case for Ethiopia. Known as “Africa water tower” for im significant rainfall and plenty rivers, including the source of the Nile, Ethiopia generate more than 96% of im electricity from renewable hydropower. And the newly opened Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, with capacity of more than 5,000 megawatts of renewable energy, dey expected to more than double the country electricity supply.
For many for Ethiopia, where salaries often dey less than €1,000 ($1,165; 187,000 Ethiopian birr) a year, the starting price of new electric car — €17,000 — dey steep. But taxi driver Abdurahman Ali dey happy he make the switch. “To start with, the EV just dey more comfortable,” he talk, behind the wheel of im mint-colored Changan hatchback, a Chinese brand. “Before switching, I used to drive Toyota Vitz — every month I would spend 40,000-50,000 birr on fuel. Since switching to electric and charging at home, my monthly costs don drop to about 5,000 birr, at most. That a huge difference.”
But with more electric vehicles on the roads, Ethiopia dey now face different problem: charging. “The government should work hard on this sector,” Abdurahman talk, adding say the charging service only dey available for Addis Ababa where “the number of charging stations no dey sufficient.” There be around 500 for the country, most for the capital. Private operators like Ezekiyas Dufera don spot the gap for the market. Earlier this year, he open 24-hour charging station wey include app wey he say provide customers with full transparency on pricing. Despite the demand, he don face some roadblocks. “There be challenges for terms of electricity outage sometimes,” he talk, adding say the situation don improve. “But overall e don be really great opportunity.” Ezekiyas go get no shortage of customers as Addis Ababa dey now plan to electrify the shared minibus taxi service. The backbone of the city public transport, e comprise 8,000 and 10,000 vehicles wey carry over two-thirds of the city passengers every day.
