Ethiopia unveils locally-assembled electric car

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (driving) and athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie test drive the first locally-assembled electric car in Addis Ababa on July 27, 2020. PHOTO | ETHIOPIAN EMBASSY

Summary

• Once fully charged, the electric car can go for 300 kilometers.
• The plant, which opened in March, has a capacity to produce 10,000 cars a year.

By TESFA-ALEM TEKLE

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Ethiopia has unveiled a locally-assembled electric car from Marathon Motor, a joint venture between Korean auto giant Hyundai and Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie.

Mr Haile on Monday delivered the vehicle to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

“As we transform Ethiopia’s greening and climate-resilient aspirations into concrete actions through the Green Legacy initiative and Sheger and Entoto Parks, this morning I received the first electric car fully assembled in Ethiopia. No emission cars can help reduce pollution,” the PM said in a tweet.

The plant, which opened in March, has a capacity to produce 10,000 cars a year.

Ethiopia's athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie (left) explains features of the locally-assembled electric car to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed after he presented it to him in Addis Ababa on July 27, 2020. PHOTO | ETHIOPIAN EMBASSY

Once fully charged, the electric car can go for 300 kilometres.

Last year, Ethiopians planted three billion trees as part of the greening and climate resilience initiative championed by the Prime Minister, with an additional four billion trees planted this year.