A pioneering fast electric car charging public station was inaugurated at TotalEnergies Airport Road (Bole Road) outlet last week. Sharla Abdulahi, director-general of the Ethiopian Petroleum & Energy Authority, Ambassador Rémi Marechaux, French Ambassador to Ethiopia, and Christophe Ferrand, managing director of TotalEnergies Marketing Ethiopia, attended the inauguration ceremony. The federal government has championed transitions to electric vehicles, reducing tariffs to nearly zero and promoting alternatives to internal combustion engines. A few months ago, Minister of Transport & Logistics Alemu Sime (PhD) announced before parliament a forthcoming ban on the import of gas-powered vehicles for personal use. Meanwhile, the import of electric vehicles has nearly doubled compared to three years ago, with 72 million dollars worth entering the country last year. Although there were close to 60 charging stations nationwide, the Ministry recently proposed a draft directive outlining conditions for constructing charging stations, including provisions that allow them to be built on the premises of fuel stations.