Ethiopia Launches
First Electric Car
Ethiopia
has launched an electric car, becoming the second African
country to do so after South Africa.
The car, Solaris Elettra, which will be manufactured in Addis
Ababa, will cost between twelve thousand and fifteen thousand
dollars.
It will be sold in Ethiopia and exported to Africa and Europe.
Power concerns
Doubts have however been raised about Africa’s readiness for
electric cars, because of erratic power supplies, low levels of
personal wealth and poor infrastructure.
The General Manager of Freestyle PLC., Carlo Pironti, the
company producing the Solaris, said Ethiopia's electricity
shortages were not a major obstacle to operating an electric
car, as the country will in future have lots of power supply.
Remedy
Pironti said the car could be recharged by generator and by
solar power.
He said six Solaris Elettras will be produced every week for the
next three months, rising to thirty per week when Freestyle's
factory in Addis Ababa is fully operational.
Ethiopia's electric car comes after Rwanda launched its first
bio-diesel bus last week.
It is currently building a huge hydro-electric dam on the Omo
River and hopes to become a major exporter of energy when the
project is completed.
BBC/Williams/Yinka
