Algeria no longer allows the import or production of diesel vehicles, and the country’s automakers are now compelled by law to begin producing at least one line of electric vehicles if they have been in business for five years or more.
The restriction is in place for legal and environmental reasons.
Two years ago, the Algerian government outlawed the importation of assembly line kits, leading to the successful prosecution and incarceration of several car industry executives for fraud and money laundering.
These stringent importation restrictions resulted in a national car shortage and an unprecedentably high price increase.
According to the most recent numbers from the office for national statistics, there are more than 6.5 million registered automobiles in Algeria.
Algeria has 3.98 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per person as of the most recent estimate in 2019.
That is over half of South Africa’s 7.51 metric tonnes per person, but the US, with its estimated 14.67 metric tonnes per person in carbon dioxide emissions, outpaces both of those nations.
