Ethiopia became the first country in the world to ban the import of gas and diesel cars. But the country has only around 50 charging stations.

In February, the Ethiopian government banned imports of all non-electric vehicles. The decision was taken to reduce Ethiopia’s expense on fuel imports, which stood at $7.6 billion in 2023. While the country has become the first in the world to stop the entry of fossil fuel-powered vehicles, the decision was made without preparing for its outcome, EV owners, dealers, and experts told Rest of World. Most Popular The AI job interviewer will see you now Conservative evangelicals use social media to sway Brazil election Instagram account hacked? “Ethical hackers” will get it back The “good is that it forces the whole country to move to e-mobility … [but] customers and sectors both suffer from lack of infrastructure and regulations for e-mobility while we have to deal with it,” said Yasaki Yuma, founder and CEO of Ethiopian e-mobility company Dodai.

Benin-based Spiro exchanges old bikes for electric models across four African countries, but the experience has been a mix of pain and success.