Drivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, are increasingly lining up not at fuel stations, but at electric charging points, as rising transport costs and shifting consumer habits reshape how the city moves. What was once an occasional sight has become more common, with queues forming at charging stations as the number of electric vehicles grows.
The change reflects a broader transition underway in Ethiopia, where persistent fuel price pressures — intensified by global supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East — are pushing drivers toward electric mobility as a more stable and affordable alternative.
"It's very common, when 10 cars come, only six can charge in this station, so they line up," said Goliyad Yishak, an operator at an EV charging station in Addis Ababa, describing how demand is beginning to outpace available infrastructure.
For him, the queues forming around charging points are no longer unusual. Instead, they reflect a quiet but steady shift in how Ethiopia's capital is moving.
"After fuel costs went higher, there are many EVs," Yishak said, noting a visible increase in electric vehicles at charging stations.
