Zambia’s Removal Of Customs Duties On EV Imports Spurs Growth In EV Adoption - CleanTechnica

About a year and a half ago, the Zambian government implemented policies to promote electric vehicle (EV) adoption by removing customs duties on electric motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks, and related accessories like charging systems. Additionally, excise duty on hybrid vehicles was reduced from 30% to 25%. This policy shift has led to significant growth in EV registrations: from just 62 EVs registered as of July 2023 to 269 by July 2025, marking over 330% growth in two years, albeit from a small base. Despite this progress, EVs still represent a small fraction of Zambia’s overall vehicle market, which saw 86,846 vehicle registrations in 2023 and a total vehicle population of over 823,000. Most vehicles imported into Zambia are used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, primarily from Japan, which are more affordable for the average consumer compared to new vehicles. The removal of customs duties on EVs, including used EVs,