Ep. 16: Focus on Ethiopia, the world’s first country to ban non-EVs since 2024! Johannes Huber ex GIZ shares his expert view on local sustainable energy and EVs.

In this episode, Energy Policy Advisor and Development Economist
Johannes Huber joins us to explore his journey from development
economics to practical energy projects in South Africa, and his
deep insights into Ethiopia’s unique geography and
electrification efforts. We cover:




Johannes’s background and the international perspective he
brings to energy policy and smart charging.




Ethiopia’s extreme altitude range (–150 m to 5 000 m) and its
impact on transport and aviation.




The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) – a 74 billion m³
reservoir with over 5 000 MW potential, more than double
Ethiopia’s current output:


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/3/ethiopias-pm-abiy-ahmed-says-mega-dam-gerd-on-the-nile-now-complete




The challenge of deploying reliable charging infrastructure
in a country with only two major EV charging parks in Addis
Ababa.




A closer look at one of those charging parks in action:


https://www.tiktok.com/@micki_aweke2/video/749099208535341803




The abundance of renewables in Ethiopia and why smart
charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) will be crucial to making
clean energy accessible and affordable.




Tune in to learn how bold policy moves and technological
innovation are paving the way for a more sustainable transport
future in one of Africa’s fastest-growing markets.