The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU), the state electric power distribution agency, today inaugurated a modern electric vehicle (EV) charging station built at a cost of 170 million Birr in the Kotebe area of the capital, Addis Ababa.
The new EV charging station is capable of hosting 24 vehicles at once. Following Ethiopia’s policy shift towards promotion of clean energy vehicles use, including tax cut for import and assembly, the use of EV in the country has been growing over he past few years. Currently, over 140,000 electric vehicles have entered Ethiopia, and the construction of charging stations suitable for these vehicles is continuing at a reinforced pace.
During the inauguration ceremony, Engineer Shiferaw Telila, CEO of the Ethiopian Electric Utility, stated that the institution is placing a special focus on the large-scale construction of electric vehicle charging stations.
The CEO noted that the newly inaugurated station will provide 24-hour service. He further explained that a reasonable pricing tariff has been implemented to improve the culture of electricity usage and to encourage customers to use power during off-peak hours when there is no high load.
The Minister of State for Transport and Logistics, Mr. Bareo Hassan, emphasized that Ethiopia is working with commitment to ensure a green economy. He suggested that the high foreign currency expenditures the country spends on fuel purchases should instead be diverted to other massive development projects.
The Minister of State mentioned that Ethiopia has achieved tangible results regarding the use of electric vehicles in a short period. He assured that, given the high demand, support for private investors entering the sector to build additional charging stations will continue to be strengthened.
The Ethiopian Electric Utility announced that in the first phase, it is working diligently to build and launch services at a total of 40 charging stations 32 in Addis Ababa and 8 in other regional cities.
Additionally, the Utility has commenced operations today at another charging station built within the premises of the Piazza Electric Building.