ADDIS ABABA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU), the state-owned electric energy service provider, on Wednesday commissioned a fast electric vehicle (EV) charging hub capable of charging 24 EVs simultaneously in the country's capital, Addis Ababa, as part of a state-driven push to foster e-mobility.
The new charging facility, put into operation on Wednesday inside the premises of Kilinto Industrial Park on the outskirts of the capital, is expected to mark a major step in expanding the country's EV ecosystem to support the rapidly growing EV fleet.
EEU Chief Executive Officer Getu Geremew said the facility is part of the company's ongoing two-phase plan to expand EV charging services across the country. The first phase involves the construction of 40 charging centers, currently underway in the country's capital and beyond.
The company, as part of its second-phase plan, is set to construct an EV charging network across the country, including along the Ethiopia-Djibouti trade corridor, making it a vital investment as the corridor handles an estimated 95 percent of landlocked Ethiopia's import and export trade.
Highlighting that more than 140,000 EVs are currently on the roads in the East African country, the company said that the available charging facilities are insufficient to meet the demands of the rapidly expanding EV fleet.
State Minister of Transport and Logistics Bareo Hassen, for his part, said the country's ongoing transition is positioning Ethiopia among global leaders in adapting to the challenges of the evolving global energy supply.
The EEU's investment is part of a coordinated state-driven push for electric mobility through large-scale investments in EV charging infrastructure, especially amid a fuel crisis caused by conflicts in the Middle East.
As part of the coordinated government-led initiative, the country plans to commission 2,300 charging stations within the coming decade, according to official data.
The Ethiopian government banned imports of fuel-powered vehicles in 2024 while reducing taxes on EVs, a policy that has accelerated adoption across the East African country.
The government's plan to introduce more than 500,000 EVs by 2032 is expected to meaningfully restructure the country's vehicle fleet. According to incomplete statistics, there are roughly 1.2 million vehicles in Ethiopia, with a large proportion more than 20 years old. ■