Ethiopia has an abundant supply of lithium, a key component in the production of electric vehicle batteries. The country intends to leverage this resource to develop local assembly of these vehicles.
Although raw lithium is currently exported at low prices to foreign battery manufacturers, Ethio-Engineering Group is actively seeking collaborations with technology providers to process the mineral locally for the production of domestic batteries.
According to Suleiman, Ethio-Engineering Group has 550 highly qualified engineers that it could deploy to produce electric vehicles.
The group plans to enter the assembly of public transportation and electric vehicles, he added, as cited by the official Ethiopian press agency.
In line with Ethiopia's broader environmental initiatives, such as green legacy projects, the introduction of electric cars will be a crucial step in reducing pollution and the country's reliance on oil-powered vehicles.
Ethio-Engineering Group (EEG) is a government enterprise reinstated in September 2020 under the FDRE Cabinet Regulation No. 475/2020.
The main objective of reinstating the group is to enable it to play a leading role in the development of the country's heavy industries as part of the national vision of transforming towards an industry-focused economy.
