Ethiopia is doubling down on its fuel vehicle ban

June 23, 2025

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The Ethiopian government has banned importation of semi-knocked-down (SKD) and completely-knocked-down (CKD) components for fuel vehicles. This comes more than a year after the country put a total ban on importing fully-built fuel vehicles. The local assembly and manufacturing of fuel vehicles has now effectively been stopped, transitioning the country fully to EVs.    

  • When Ethiopia banned imports of fuel vehicles last year, local assembly increased significantly to plug the deficit. Banning SKD and CKD components will now cripple the industry, boosting the EV sector. 

  • To facilitate a seamless transition from fuel vehicles to EVs, the next step for Ethiopia is to lower taxes on EVs and related components to reduce prices and grow the local EV industry. 

  • Our take: Ethiopia risks crippling its transport and logistics sector if the ban on ICEs isn’t complemented by drastic measures to support affordability of EVs… Read more (2 min)

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has launched the Song Plus, a plug-in hybrid SUV, in Ivory Coast through its local dealer Loxea, a subsidiary of CFAO Mobility. It is BYD’s fourth model in the West African country where it launched in March 2024, introducing the Atto 3, Dolphin and Dolphin Mini models. The BYD Song Plus has a fully-electric driving range of 100 km.

  • The price of the Song PHEV ranges between $19,000 - $25,000 in China while that of the fully-electric Song ranges between $21,000 - $32,500. The lower price of the PHEV is likely to make it more attractive to buyers in West Africa. 

  • BYD, which is now in 17 African countries, has been primarily selling select electric models on the continent but is now expanding its portfolio with PHEVs to offer buyers more options to choose from. 

  • Our take: PHEVs could serve as a practical bridge to full electrification—especially in regions with unreliable charging infrastructure…. Read more (2 min)

The continent is projected to produce over 720,000 tonnes of EV battery materials annually by 2030, according to data collected by Mobility Rising. This capacity could support large-scale EV battery production across Africa. However, with a significant portion intended for export, the development of a fully localised EV manufacturing supply chain may be delayed.

  • Tinci Materials Technology is the latest Chinese company to show up, bringing the total to six major firms, mostly operating in Morocco. Others include BTR New Material Group, Zhejiang Hailiang, Shinzoom, CNGR Advanced Material, and Gotion High Tech. 

  • Spiro operates Africa’s largest electric motorcycle battery assembly plant, with its Kenyan facility capable of producing up to 100,000 batteries annually. Gogo Electric follows closely, with a yearly capacity of 60,000 units.

  • Our take: Once current projects are completed, Morocco will dominate the EV battery supply chain in Africa… Read more (2 min)

Akagera National Park rangers go electric with Ampersand motorcycles in Rwanda 

Events

🗓️ Prepare for EV Expo India (Sept 11)

🗓️ Attend Morooco Electric Mobility and After-Market Show (Sept 16)

🗓️ Register for Auto Expo Tanzania (Nov 5)

Jobs

💻 Become a multi-media designer at BasiGo (Kenya)

💎 Apply for Quality Assurance Supersor’s role at Dodai (Ethiopia)

👨🏻‍💻 Lead data engineering at MAX (Nigeria)

Various 

🔌 Naamsa to erect public EV chargers in South Africa

🚫 DR Congo extends ban on supplying key materials to EV battery makers

📦 Boda Guy enters Uganda’s market to enhance last-mile delivery

Seen on LinkedIn 

Chrispine Ooko, Founder of EV safari, says, “Standardization would slash redundant investments in incompatible hardware, cutting costs for governments and operators alike.”