Has Ethiopia Banned Petrol And Diesel Cars? 

On April 23, 2026, an X user, @Joe__Bassey claimed that Ethiopia has banned petrol and diesel cars. The post, which has images of Ethiopia’s president, Taye Atske Selassie, and images of different automobiles, has the inscription, “ETHIOPIA BANS PETROL AND DIESEL CARS”.

When this report was published, the post had about 7,400 views and over 470 replies, reposts, quotes, likes and bookmarks. 

VERIFICATION

NV-A checks found that in January 2024, Ethiopia banned the importation of new internal combustion engine vehicles- a term for vehicles powered by petrol or diesel. This policy applied primarily to imported cars and later expanded to other fuel-powered trucks.

According to news outlets, the ban policy was aimed at fast-tracking Ethiopia’s ambitious green transition. Another reason is that the Ethiopian government spends billions annually importing refined petroleum, placing pressure on its scarce foreign currency reserves. By shifting to electric vehicles, EVs, the government could reduce fuel import costs and take advantage of the country’s abundant hydropower resources.

Government figures cited in recent reporting indicate that electric vehicles in Ethiopia grew from a small share of the market to nearly 6% of vehicles on the road within two years. The country’s target is to have about 500,000 EVs by 2030–2032. 

As part of the government’s push for a transition to electric mobility, more than 100,000 EVs are on the road across Ethiopia to meet the set target. The country is also working to expand EV production and the installation of public charging stations.

CONCLUSION

The claim that Ethiopia bans petrol and diesel cars, is MISLEADING. Ethiopia banned the import of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2024, but it did not ban the existing vehicles from being used.