Two new versions of the all-electric Solaris Elettra are about to be released to the public in Ethiopia, selling for between $12,000 and $15,000 USD.

Initially starting with just six vehicles per week for the next three months, production will increase to 30 per week when the Solaris factory in Addis Ababa is fully operational. Once manufacturing is at full speed the cars are also expected to be sold throughout the whole of Africa and possibly even Europe.

The cars are being built by solar technology manufacturer Solaris, who are remaining tight-lipped about specifications. Though initial reports suggest the vehicles will have a useful range of 100 kilometers per charge and will be running on lithium iron phosphate batteries.

Solaris are confident the car will be a success, even with Ethiopia’s unpredictable power supply. Solaris are claiming the car can be recharged by generator and by solar power, and that the unreliable power sources will not be an issue. The building of a new hydroelectric plant on the Omo river also offers hope for a much more stable – and eco friendly – electricity supply.

The car comes with it’s crtitics of course, with some claiming Africa’s erratic power supplies and low levels of personal wealth will be a major stumbling block for the sale and uptake of these vehicles.
The largest of the hurdles to overcome is the purchase price of the vehicle compared to the average Ethiopian motorist’s income. Not only that, but taxes on cars in Ethiopia are crippling as they are seen as luxury items.
This means many Ethiopians with low incomes will struggle to afford either of the two Solaris electric cars. Solaris has a plan to combat this, by offering a credit system for less affluent customers, as is used widely in western countries.

While in Europe and the USA electric cars are often chosen for their environmental qualities (compared to gasoline powered cars), the decision to buy an electric car in Ethiopia however will be more of an economical move. This is due to the lower socio-economic status of most Ethiopian citizens.

The price of a tank of gas versus the average wage mean these moderately priced electric cars could be the answer to many Ethiopian motorists.

This project could also demonstrate Africa’s ability to produce and export quality, usable electric automobiles to Europe and perhaps the USA, along with previously ignored countries such as China and India.