Which country do you think will be the first to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars?
A good bet might be Norway, which leads the world on electric car adoption. 90% of new cars sold are electric, so they’re closer than anyone else. But it’s not Norway.
Or you might guess China, which has invested more in the transition to electric vehicles than anyone else. 58% of all the world’s electric cars are made in China. But it’s not them either.
Neither is it Sweden, who declared in 2009 that they would be the world’s first oil-free country. Then they forgot about it, and the web page for their Commission on Oil Independence gets a 404.
So who is it?
It’s Ethiopia.
As of January 2024, you can’t import a petrol or diesel car into Ethiopia. It’s electric or nothing, ten years ahead of similar bans planned in the EU, Japan and Canada.
Ethiopia has been a climate leader for a while, but there’s more at stake for the country that reducing carbon emissions and air pollution. Another reason for the phase out that is that it’s good for the economy. As a nation without its own oil supplies, oil dependence is a constant drain on finances. Ethiopia spends billions on oil every year when it is capable of generating electricity for itself. Switching to electric cars saves on foreign currency and reduces the trade deficit.
With low levels of car ownership, relative to the global north, Ethiopia is choosing to get ahead of an influx of old and dirty cars. A lot of drivers will have an EV as their first car, skipping the internal combustion engine.
It’s possible that they have moved a bit too fast, with charging infrastructure and the spare parts network under-developed. But Ethiopia’s EV imports have soared. At a time when others are wavering, it shows a real confidence in their green economy strategy – a strategy that also includes light rail, renewable energy and large scale land restoration.
The Earthbound Report 