• Ethiopia rolling out nationwide EV charging network, EEU says
• First phase includes 40 stations, mainly in Addis Ababa
• Plan supports rapid EV growth, aims cut fuel imports and emissions

Ethiopia’s state-owned Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) is rolling out a national network of electric vehicle charging stations as part of a government strategy to accelerate the shift to low-emission transport.

According to EEU communications director Anwar Abrar, the program will be implemented in two phases.

The first phase involves installing 40 stations, most of them in the capital, Addis Ababa. Three are already operational. Another 32 are expected to become operational in the city, with eight more planned in surrounding areas in the coming months.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the country’s electric vehicle fleet has grown from zero to more than 140,000 units in three to four years. To support that growth, 2,300 charging points are planned nationwide, including about 1,176 in Addis Ababa.

The investments are part of the Vision 2030 strategic plan. One component aims to promote e-mobility and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. The Ministry of Transport estimates the country spends more than $1.4 billion annually on vehicle fuel. To reduce that spending, Ethiopia banned imports of personal combustion-engine vehicles in 2024. The policy is backed by a program to import more than 439,000 electric vehicles, supported by tax incentives.

Despite significant hydroelectric capacity — including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, inaugurated last September — as well as wind, solar and geothermal resources, electricity access remains limited, reaching only about half the population.

In this context, the EEU initiative also aims to develop an energy system that can support electric transport, while encouraging investment from both the public and private sectors.

Henoc Dossa