This is a photo of an electric minibus (second from the left) taken on the streets of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Xinhua News Agency/Photo by Michael Tewelde.

The picture shows workers charging an electric minibus at a factory in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

According to data from Ethiopia's Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the country spent approximately $6 billion on fuel imports in 2023, with more than half of this amount used for fueling gasoline vehicles. Early in February of this year, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics announced plans to ban the importation of gasoline and diesel vehicles in response to rising global fuel prices. Prior to this, as part of its development vision from 2021 to 2030, the Ethiopian government had already announced plans to import 4,800 electric buses and 148,000 other types of electric vehicles from abroad over the next decade to reduce the country's dependence on fuel vehicles.

Reporters have learned that in addition to assembling electric minibuses, Belayne Kindie Metal Engineering Company is also assembling a 12-meter-long electric bus imported from China to meet the country's growing demand for electric vehicles. The company's general manager, Shewaye, believes that electric vehicles have broad application prospects in Ethiopia, and the entry of more Chinese electric vehicles into the local market will help Ethiopia achieve energy conservation and emission reduction.

Shewaye explained that starting from mid-2023, the company began importing electric vehicles from China in a completely disassembled state. This import method can significantly reduce transportation costs. In addition, the tariff for importing complete electric vehicles is approximately 15%, while the tariff for importing electric vehicles in a completely disassembled state is almost zero. This is one of the measures taken by the Ethiopian government to encourage the development of electric vehicles and promote the transfer of related technologies.

"Assembling these electric minibuses can also promote local employment. Our company has about 75 people involved in assembling the 216 imported electric minibuses," said Shewaye. Currently, half of these electric minibuses have been sold, with buyers including urban public transportation service providers and government agencies.

According to the company's production manager, Abela, the first batch of 50 electric minibuses was assembled with the help of Chinese colleagues. Abela expressed admiration for China's development in the field of electric vehicle technology. "Chinese engineers came to Ethiopia and shared their knowledge of electric vehicle technology with us, including theoretical knowledge and practical skills. In the future, if we encounter any problems, we can also consult our Chinese colleagues through video calls," said Abela.