Ethiopia becomes first country to ban internal combustion engines: Only EVs allowed

[AJ]

Go Ethiopia ... go!

Rid your country of the international oil cartels that loot and pillage state resource and pollute the environment.

Invest in fast internet access for everybody in order to train
workers to install solar electricity and to manufacture electric vehicles.

Oil is a drug ... time for rehab!

[Wise cracker]

The best way to keep third world countries subjugated is by not letting them have an industrial revolution. The best way to do that is by controlling them. How could they possibly escape if they can't get anywhere? Fossil fuels are rhe cheapest most abundant means of mobility. They will not escape this.

[anan]

Looks like they are just trying to find a market for their electricity from the soon to be launched hydro plant. Like, the theory is sound: energy carriers are expensive and are usually imported. That means you have to pay for them with foreign currency. If you can substitute them with something locally sourced then you would not bleed that currency.
These rules will likely only apply to new vehicles just to nudge the rich people to push this trend for electrification. How well this will work? You'd have to know statistics on how many new vehicles are imported and such.

[NikoB]

Very funny joke. When a country is poor, and a minimum number of people own cars (and most of them have no influence on the corrupt regime), it is very easy to push an agenda for the elite. Is not it? =)

[GunnarM]

Wow, I can't wait for my passion and hobby to be snuffed out in the coming years. As if it isn't difficult enough being a lower class vehicle enthusiast.

[Rjoh]

They are opening up a market for China to dump its cheap EVs. Otherwise China is in deep economic trouble.

[Mo Bangs]

If Ethiopia can succeed in doing this, it will prevent the country from becoming a dump yard that will take generations to clean. I hope all of Africa will follow Ethiopia's footsteps.

[Neenyah]

If Ethiopia can succeed in doing this, it will prevent the country from becoming a dump yard that will take generations to clean.

Or one radical and unimaginable solution - simply don't import 20 y.o. trash cars from the Europe?

[Deblob]

I have a couple of issues with this article.  I don't care if you want to switch to electric vehicles.  I want to know how your going to do it.  First your link to OEC website only allows one to view up till 2021. But you say that Ethipoia spent 6 billion of fossil fuel imports.  In 2021 they spent 3.7 million according to OEC website in 2021 which does not make sense for you to write they spent 6 billion last year.  The second part is you did not clarify 6 billion what euros, francs, Deutchmark, dollars.  Or even better the Ethiopian Birr.  I have a sense that it's 6 billion E birr.  Which is about 110 million us dollars.  The other interesting thing is the USA is the #1 supplier of oil to Ethiopia.  That makes me go hmmmm.  Third, you talk about supply from hydro electric dams. But is the supply going to be enough for current expenditure plus the added needs of evs?  It would also be nice to know the current vehicle usage x thousands of cars vs public transportation and pedal transportation.  Any ways Ethipoa has some balls to try this.

[Common Sense]

I find it ironic that this person says "people don't know what they are talking about" then goes on to say "dumb American comments". Wow! What a hypocrit! How do they know where the comments come from? Seems like a very stereotypical view, making lots of assumptions of those commenting here.

A lot of people don't know ow what they are talking about in the comments.

You can buy a $1000 ev car from China. So people who are saying $25k ev's are simply ignorant on what's out there.

As for it ruining their economy, how? They spend $6B a year importing fuel. That $6B a year can be better spent on infrastructure projects that will increase the economy.

And tyranny? How is it tyrannical to bot allow products that harm people to be sold?

Lots of dumb Americans in the comments

[Not Yours]

A lot of people don't know ow what they are talking about in the comments.

You can buy a $1000 ev car from China. So people who are saying $25k ev's are simply ignorant on what's out there.

As for it ruining their economy, how? They spend $6B a year importing fuel. That $6B a year can be better spent on infrastructure projects that will increase the economy.

And tyranny? How is it tyrannical to bot allow products that harm people to be sold?

Lots of dumb Americans in the comments

And where exactly are you from? Care to explain how strip mining rare minerals is sustainable? Want a real eye opener, Google lithium fields and research the damage mining this crucial battery mineral is to the environment.

[Jack Meoff]

Ethiopia cant even afford food. They beg for us to send them spare change to feed them. Fix that problem first.

[Arnold]

I think this move Is a move in the right direction  Ethiopia is not an advanced nation has no fossil fuels of its own no refineries so it makes sense to go electric . Why because Ethiopia has so much potential free energy from solar

There is a great opportunity for a technological jump if they can save just 20 million in the first year and invest that 20 milluin with another 20 million into solar energy remove all tax and duties on all solar product to encourage investment in Roof top solar
Provide taxfree incentives or loans for  private players to erect solar plants to feed into the grid  remove all duties on solar batteries and give a rebate in tax to any individuals who install solar this seemingly crazy idea might just work but it will not work with just  the ban alone there needs to be a whole host of measures to support the new direction.

They have nothing really to loose. By effecting the ban  and everything  to gain but the direction needs to be more on solar energy because the irony maybe that the rich owners of electric  cars will  end up using diesel generators to charge electric  vehicles

[NMK]

Of all the things Ethiopia has to worry about, this is the dumb stuff they make #1 priority. Goes to show why its a 3rd world country with decisions like that.

[JohnnyDee]

You can buy a $1000 ev car from China

Don't know what you're talking about, do you?

...Until you remember that every Ethiopian Birr is  equivalent to .018 on the US dollar. Meaning that $1000 is actually 56667.16 Birrs. The average monthly salary is 8900 Birrs, a living wage considered 29000 Birrs. Because of this, many websites are quoting Ethiopia as having around 20% unemployment, 1/5 of every 5 people you see not having a job. All this information attainable by a simple google search.

Don't know what you're talking about, do you?