Ethiopia, the first country in the world to ban the import of gasoline and diesel vehicles

By: LEMONDE

Dagim Girma followed the Ethiopian government’s lead and acquired an electric car in early 2024. He no longer has to wait for hours in the endless queues of cars in the streets of Addis Ababa, which usually indicate the entrance to gas stations that have frequent diesel shortages. “I save time, and I don’t pay for fuel anymore,” said the thirty-something.

In January, the transport and logistics ministry took the radical step of banning all imports of petrol and diesel vehicles, which has forced Ethiopian drivers to convert to electric vehicles. It’s a world-first and surprising decision, given that less than half the population has access to electricity. The reasons for such a radical regulation were “first and foremost an economic strategy,” said Yizengaw Yitayih, a senior climate expert at the ministry. “The decree is primarily intended to help us rationalize our foreign currency expenditure.”

With a population of 120 million, Ethiopia is up against a severe shortage of foreign currency and is seeking to reduce its dependence on gasoline and diesel imports, which by 2023 will amount to over €6 billion, according to government figures. “Forcing Ethiopians to switch to electric cars enables the government to kill two birds with one stone: Reduce its fuel imports and introduce a progressive environmental policy,” said Samson Berhane, an independent analyst based in Addis Ababa.

The country’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, has long sought to build his image as an environmental champion. He has spearheaded vast and rapid reforestation campaigns and committed to planting 5 billion trees by 2024. In 2022, he inaugurated Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the River Nile, which today generates 1,550 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity, with an expected 5,000 MWh in the future. Ahmed is determined to take full advantage of inexpensive green electricity, estimated to be 10 times cheaper than in France. But although he has been quick to ban the import of gasoline and diesel vehicles, the prime minister does not seem to have prepared the ground in his country for the massive influx of electric cars.

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