Nordic Africa EV Summit

Addis Ababa Summit

September 2026

The Addis Ababa edition of the Nordic Africa EV Summit will convene African and Nordic leaders across policy, industry, energy systems, finance, and transport to advance the next phase of electric mobility deployment across the continent.

Hosted in one of Africa’s fastest emerging mobility and energy markets, the two-day summit in Addis Ababa will bring together governments, utilities, manufacturers, investors, and innovators to explore how electric mobility can scale across cities, transport corridors, and regional trade networks.

The programme combines policy dialogue, industry engagement, and hands-on learning, with high-level meetings, workshops, and industry visits designed to connect strategic decision-makers with practical implementation opportunities.

Across both the Oslo and Addis Ababa convenings, the Nordic Africa EV Summit serves as a working platform for collaboration, supporting the development of a Nordic–Africa EV investment and deployment playbook and contributing to the rollout of an African EV Framework for coordinated market development.

Purpose

The Nordic Africa EV Summit is a flagship convening designed to accelerate Africa’s transition from electric mobility pilots to scalable, bankable transport and energy systems.

The initiative positions Nordic actors as early, long-term partners in Africa’s transport and energy transformation, connecting Nordic expertise in electrification, charging infrastructure, energy storage, and power system integration with Africa’s rapidly expanding mobility markets.

By aligning policy, power systems, charging infrastructure, fleet electrification, and investment, the summit supports the development of deployable market models for sustainable transport across Africa.

Why Now

Africa’s EV transition has entered a decisive phase.

Electric buses, commercial fleets, and corridor-based logistics are moving beyond pilots toward system-level deployment. Across the continent, governments, utilities, and private sector actors are beginning to align policies, infrastructure investment, and market incentives to enable electrified transport.

The primary constraints are no longer vehicle technology.

The real challenges lie in:

• Grid readiness and power system capacity
• Charging infrastructure deployment
• Integration of battery storage and energy management
• Regulatory frameworks and standards
• Coordinated investment across the value chain

Markets that align these systems today will shape standards, partnerships, and supply chains for the next decade of Africa’s electric mobility ecosystem.

What Makes the Summit Different

The Nordic Africa EV Summit is built as a platform for execution and partnership, not just dialogue. Africa is positioned at the centre of the agenda as a scaling market today, with discussions grounded in real deployment challenges and opportunities.

The programme focuses on:

• Fleet electrification and commercial transport
• Heavy-duty and public transport electrification
• Charging infrastructure and grid integration
• Energy storage and power systems
• Industrial value chains and market development

Through structured dialogue, matchmaking, and collaborative workshops, the summit supports market entry, investment partnerships, and coordinated policy development between Nordic and African stakeholders.

Participation

The Addis Ababa summit will convene approximately 100 Nordic stakeholders together with African partners across key sectors of the EV ecosystem.

Participants include:

• Policymakers and government representatives
• Energy utilities and system operators
• Electric vehicle manufacturers and suppliers
• Charging infrastructure and battery storage companies
• Fleet operators and transport authorities
• Development finance institutions and investors
• Research institutions and civil society organisations

The programme includes high-level meetings, industry workshops, and site visits to provide direct insight into Ethiopia’s rapidly evolving electric mobility landscape.

Programme Overview

Day 0 – Industry Tour (Addis Ababa)

Participants will visit key infrastructure and industry sites to gain first-hand insight into Ethiopia’s emerging electric mobility ecosystem, including charging infrastructure, fleet operations, and local industry initiatives.

Day 1 – Policy and Governance

The first summit day focuses on regulatory frameworks, institutional coordination, and market governance required to scale electric mobility.

Topics include:
• National EV strategies and policy frameworks
• Regulatory standards and charging interoperability
• Power system planning and grid readiness
• Public sector leadership in electrified transport
• Cross-border coordination and regional market integration

Day 2 – Industry and Deployment

The second day focuses on market implementation and infrastructure development.

Topics include:

• Charging infrastructure deployment models
• Fleet electrification and logistics solutions
• Battery energy storage and grid integration
• Industrial partnerships and manufacturing opportunities
• Investment pathways for scaling EV markets

Beyond the Summit

The Addis Ababa summit forms part of a broader programme connecting Nordic and African EV ecosystems.

Following the summit, participants may join an optional fully electric expedition from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, showcasing electric mobility across East Africa and culminating in a Nairobi EV event and exhibition.

This journey will demonstrate real-world electric transport across regional corridors while fostering continued dialogue between policymakers, industry leaders, and investors.

Building the Nordic–Africa EV Bridge

Together, the Oslo and Addis Ababa convenings establish a long-term bridge between Nordic experience in electrification and Africa’s emerging mobility markets.

The Nordic Africa EV Summit aims to support:

• Practical market entry for Nordic companies
• Stronger policy and industry alignment across African markets
• Investment-ready frameworks for electric mobility deployment
• Long-term collaboration between African and Nordic energy and transport systems

By bringing together the actors shaping the future of transport, the summit helps build the systems, partnerships, and investment pathways needed to electrify mobility across Africa.