I missed this when it happened at the end of January, when the government of Ethopia committed its impoverished population to engage in the most futile gesture in climate alarm history.
On January 29, the government there passed a law banning the import of non-electric vehicles into their country. Mind you, this is a country so impoverished and lacking in just the basic infrastructure needs of modern society - like electricity or running water, for example - that women spend about 200 million hours each day walking miles to fill containers with water from polluted lakes and streams. Once back home, they must boil the water over fires, often fueled with dung, before they can safely drink it or bathe with it.
Given that automobiles are not manufactured in Ethiopia, mainly because so few people there can afford to buy a car, this means that within a decade or so, the few who do have the money needed to purchase one of those luxuries that we in the West take for granted will have no choice but to buy an EV.
Just one problem: Only 54% of Ethiopian citizens even have access to electricity needed to charge the EV batteries.
It would be really interesting to have access to the bank accounts of leading Ethiopian government officials. That way, enterprising auditors could find out which western or Chinese interests bribed them to make such a glaringly corrupt, idiotic decision that will only serve to help ensure the country’s common people continue to live in abject squalor for decades to come.
This is not merely stupid - it really is quite evil.
That is all.
Most Ethiopians don’t have electricity nor the money to buy fuel (petrol), and most don’t abide by the government mandates, so the declaration is futile. But the leaders are known for corruption and the illicit cash is well hidden - these are accomplished crooks.
likely protectionism to boost sales of cars made in Ethiopia which are not limited to EV, they may think they can expand into the auto demand across the Horn, they arent as stupid as Germany