Ethiopia bans imports of gas-powered private vehicles, but switch to electric is a bumpy ride

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(3 Nov 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - 3 October 2024
1. Various of Dereje Hailu, an electric vehicle owner, getting into his electric vehicle (EV) and starting it
2. Hailu driving off
3. Various of cars on streets
4. Various of Hailu driving
5. Hailu's EV parked on roadside
6. SOUNDBITE (Amharic) Dereje Hailu, electric vehicle owner:
"There are some challenges owning an electric car. People's major concern is about the lack of charging stations everywhere which limits the ability to be able to drive out of town because of this issue. That is the fear most people have.”
7. Various of car interior
8. Various of electric charging points
9. SOUNDBITE (Amharic) Dereje Hailu, electric vehicle owner:
"If charging stations become available, everyone will want to switch to electric cars. The electric car is new, comfortable, and has no significant problems. It would be better if these charging point issues were resolved and if there were complete infrastructure at every fuelling station. The condition of the roads is another challenge that needs to be addressed in terms of drainage, because when flooding occurs our cars are prone to damage that can be expensive to fix. Finally, spare parts are not easy to obtain yet and garages, which are very few, overcharge for servicing.”
10. Wide of EVs parked at garage
11. Various of damaged part on EV
12. Various of EV mechanic, Yonas Tadelle, inspecting damaged part at his garage
13. Various of EV engine
14. Various of Tadelle connecting diagnostic machine in an EV
15. SOUNDBITE (Amharic) Yonas Tadelle, electric vehicle garage owner and mechanic:
"If you look around now, there may be only two or three garages in Ethiopia that can fix new energy vehicles, which is very inconvenient. There are always problems with the cars due to charging issues because there are no stations available. Many consumers lack awareness of how to care for such vehicles. All we can say is that these cars require special tools for repairs, since the repairs are done mostly online, good diagnostics machines are needed for programming. The issue of tax on diagnostic tools is also a concern. A garage with enough space is necessary for fixing electric cars, as safety is important.”
16. Various of EV salesman Abdu Tamam, interacting with customers at car yard
17. Various of EVs at car yard
18. SOUNDBITE (Amharic) Abdu Tamam, EV salesman:
"The fact that you can’t drive out of town with these cars unless charging stations are available in recreation areas, restaurants, and other locations, should be a wake up call for entrepreneurs to step up and fill this gap. This creates business and job opportunities if only people can organize and engage themselves in such activities."
19. Various of EVs parked under shade at charging station
20. EV being driven out
21. Various of man connecting EV to charging point
22. EV dashboard showing charging
STORYLINE:
As the price of fuel soared in Ethiopia earlier this year, Dereje Hailu decided to buy an electric car.

That aligned with the government's new efforts to phase out gas-powered vehicles.

Taxi driver Hailu, who had high hopes for his Chinese-made E-Star electric vehicle when he purchased it earlier this year, said his expectations had been dashed.

He faces a range of issues, from the erratic supply of electricity in Addis Ababa, the capital, to the scarcity of spare parts.


Hailu's troubles point to wider challenges for Ethiopia.

In January, the East African country became the first in the world to ban the importation of non-electric private vehicles.







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