Ethiopia’s Transition to Green Mobility

Ethiopia inaugurated its biggest electric vehicle factory in Debre Berhan in the Amhara region on Tuesday, as part of an ambitious strategy to turn the country into a leading player in green mobility on the continent.

This latest development comes as the Ethiopian government faces economic challenges and limited financial capacity that has delayed the completion of government priority projects scattered around the country.

This includes the $5 billion Grand Renaissance Dam, which would help upgrade the electricity network needed to power a rising influx of EVs.

With the Horn of Africa nation facing a large economic deficit but the government believes the revenue generated will aid the Economy and increase employment opportunities

Addis Ababa is displacing citizens and gutting neighborhoods to pave the way for skyscrapers and EV charging stations, part of an effort to make the capital “The East African Hub of Technological Innovation and Tourism”

The new factory was built by a local entrepreneur, Belayneh Kinde, at a cost of more than $52 million. It is expected to produce around 1,000 cars a year.

It is not the first of its kind in Ethiopia. In 2020, Ethiopian businessman and Olympian Haile Gebreselassie started an assembly plant to produce electric cars locally for the first time in partnership with South Korea’s Hyundai motor company. However, the partner fizzled within a year after it faced constant shortages of foreign currency to import needed raw materials.

So this is a breathe of fresh air for lovers of electric cars in Kenya and a big step in making Africa a center of manufacturing