Combustion cars already banned in Ethiopia. The African country is therefore the first in the world to ban polluting vehicles in the nation.
The Ethiopian Parliament announced the ban through the Minister of Transport rather cryptically: “It has been decided that cars cannot enter Ethiopia unless they are electric,” as reported by some foreign media. Further details on the provision have not yet been clarified.
Last February, the European Union passed a law that would ban the sale of combustion engine cars in its member states starting in 2035, joining – among others – the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, India, New Zealand and a number of other nations with similar bans.
With this decision on the total ban on combustion cars in the country, Ethiopia wants to boost the ecological transition and lighten state coffers burdened by fuel imports.
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Combustion cars are no longer allowed to enter Ethiopia
Ethiopia is moving fast towards electrification, immediately banning the sale of internal combustion vehicles.
Details on this policy change remain scarce, however Alemu Sime, the Ethiopian Minister of Transport and Logistics explained that:
“The government has decided not to import petrol cars into Ethiopia unless they are electric. Any imported private utility vehicle must therefore be electric and gas-powered cars cannot be imported.”
If on the one hand it is not clear what exactly the ban entails and how it will be structured, the reason that led to this historic and drastic decision is more understandable.
In Ethiopia there is a shortage of fossil fuels. Last year, the African country spent more than 5.5 billion euros on imports, more than half of which went to cars.
Growing efforts to renewable energy
The African nation is also experiencing a severe shortage of foreign currency, which limits the country’s ability to import products and purchase oil and raw materials from abroad.
There have also been many investments in energy infrastructure over the last twenty years. Currently, approximately 97% of the African country’s energy comes from renewable energy sources. The vast majority of this is electricity generated by hydroelectricity.
Transport in Ethiopia therefore lends itself to being predominantly electric, even if the country still has a long way to go in terms of charging station infrastructure.
The surprise announcement means the African state will beat powers such as the United Kingdom and the European Union in implementing a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. Long before 2035.
Read also: The 4 leading countries for renewable energy in Africa
