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July 6, 2024 source: China Economic Net - Economic Daily
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This is an electric minibus (second from left) captured on the streets of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Michael Twelde)
The picture shows workers charging an electric minibus at a factory in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Michael Twelde)
The picture shows workers assembling an electric minibus at a factory in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Michael Twelde)
The East African Plateau is sunny. On the streets of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, driver Adamu is shouting for passengers in the recently replaced brand new electric minibus, hoping to depart at full capacity as soon as possible.
The electric minibus driven by Adamu comes from Xiamen Jinlong Touring Vehicle Co., Ltd. in China, and is exported to Ethiopia in a completely disassembled (CKD) manner. It is assembled and pushed to the market by the local Balene Jindi Metal Engineering Company. At present, in Addis Ababa, about 20 operating vehicle drivers, like him, are replacing old fuel vehicles with electric minibuses from China.
In Adamu's opinion, compared with traditional fuel powered minibuses of the same level, electric vehicles have lower noise, higher cost-effectiveness, and are more convenient to use. We took advantage of our lunch break to charge our electric car for 40 minutes. Unlike in the past, we no longer have to spend money on gas or wait in long lines at gas stations, and our daily income has increased compared to before, "he said in a recent interview with reporters.
I have driven different types of cars before, and I feel that this (electric) car is very unique because it is more comfortable and can reduce air pollution. "After Adam finished speaking, he departed with 15 passengers, most of whom were experiencing riding an electric car for the first time.
Ethiopia has an average altitude of nearly 3000 meters and is known as the "Roof of Africa". The capital Addis Ababa has an altitude of about 2400 meters, making it the highest city in Africa. In the local language, 'Addis Ababa' means' fresh flowers'. However, the severe automobile exhaust pollution in the area makes it difficult to associate this city with the "City of Flowers". According to incomplete statistics, there are approximately 1.2 million cars in Ethiopia, most of which are second-hand cars imported from Gulf countries and over 20 years old. The aging of vehicles exacerbates automobile exhaust pollution.
According to data from the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport and Logistics, the country will spend approximately $6 billion on fuel imports in 2023, with over half of it going towards fuel vehicles. In early February this year, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics announced plans to ban the import of gasoline and diesel cars in response to the continuously rising global fuel prices. Previously, as part of the 2021-2030 development vision, the Ethiopian government announced plans to import 4800 electric buses and 148000 other types of electric vehicles from abroad within 10 years to reduce the country's dependence on fuel vehicles.
The reporter learned that in addition to assembling electric minibuses, Bellene Kindi 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 general manager of the company, Shevaye, believes that electric vehicles have broad prospects for application in Ethiopia. With more and more Chinese electric vehicles entering the local market, this will help Ethiopia achieve energy conservation and emission reduction.
Xie Wuye introduced that starting from mid-2023, the company will import electric vehicles from China in a completely disassembled manner. This import method can significantly reduce transportation costs. In addition, the import tariff for complete vehicles is about 15%, and the tariff for fully disassembled imported electric vehicles is almost zero. This is also one of the measures taken by the Ethiopian government to encourage the development of electric vehicles and promote related technology transfer.
Assembling these electric minibuses can also promote local employment. Our company has about 75 people involved in assembling 216 imported electric minibuses. Currently, half of these electric minibuses have been sold, with buyers including urban public transportation service providers and government agencies.
According to Abela, the production manager of the company, the first batch of 50 electric minibuses were assembled with the help of Chinese colleagues. Abela appreciates 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 conferencing, "said Abela.
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