ADDIS ABABA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government said it plans to manufacture electric vehicles (EV) locally in a bid to promote green mobility, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation reported Thursday.

Ethiopia is working to manufacture electric vehicles domestically to meet local demand and for export, Dugasa Dunfa, an advisor at the Ethiopian Ministry of Industry, was quoted as saying.

Dunfa made the remark while holding talks with China's Shanghai Launch Automotive Technology Company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital. They discussed ways to establish EV manufacturing plants in the East African country.

Noting that Ethiopia possesses mineral resources to produce batteries for EVs, the advisor called on Chinese companies including BYD, an EV manufacturing company, to commence operation in Ethiopia.

Representatives from Shanghai Launch Automotive Technology Company said that the company intends to strengthen its collaboration with Ethiopia by establishing a research and development center, including design services for vehicles in the renewable energy sector.

According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport and Logistics, more than 100,000 electric vehicles are currently on the road across the country. The government aims to increase this number to 500,000 within the next decade, replacing 95 percent of fuel-powered vehicles.

The Addis Ababa City Administration recently introduced 100 electric buses across the city as part of an effort to promote electric mobility in the country. The new fleet of electric buses is assembled by the local company Belayneh Kindie Metal Engineering Complex, with components imported from China. Enditem

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