Fasika Tadesse

Ethiopia’s Fuel Crisis Drove a Rapid Shift to Electric Cars

Ethiopia’s 2024 ban on importing new gasoline and diesel cars was driven less by climate policy than by a fuel bill of up to $5 billion a year that the country struggled to afford. Bloomberg’s report argues that cheap hydropower and Chinese-made electric vehicles have helped the shift take hold, but high purchase prices, unreliable electricity and limited charging infrastructure threaten to constrain its reach.