At the close of 2024, Georgia’s roads pulsed with a quiet but undeniable transformation. The number of registered electric vehicles (EVs) had surged to 7,777, marking a record 2,725-unit increase in just one year. Yet, beneath the sleek exteriors of Teslas and newly arrived BYD models, a far more complex economic and geopolitical reality was unfolding.
Georgia is not just buying EVs—it’s flipping them. The country’s import-reexport cycle reached record heights: 4,711 EVs were imported from January to November 2024 at a staggering cost of $91.5 million, an 82.7% increase from the previous year. But a quarter of these cars never stayed in Georgia, instead finding new owners across Central Asia and beyond. This raises a compelling question: is Georgia becoming the Amsterdam of electric vehicles, a crucial stop on a new global trade route where cars don’t settle, but move?
From Horse Carts to Lithium Batteries: Georgia’s Role as an EV Conduit
To understand why Georgia, a nation with a population smaller than Berlin’s, is suddenly at the center of a billion-dollar electric vehicle trade, one must step back and look at the mechanics of global commerce. The price of EVs in Georgia has been dropping fast: from an average of $26,894 in 2023 to $19,442 in 2024. This decline isn’t just about affordability—it’s about opportunity. Georgia sits between high-cost Western markets and emerging economies hungry for clean technology. Here, EVs are not just vehicles; they are a high-margin commodity.
Historically, Georgia’s geographical position made it a crucial corridor for trade—first for silk, later for oil, and now for lithium-powered vehicles. Its ports and highways are the connective tissue linking European, Chinese, and American EV manufacturers with post-Soviet and Middle Eastern buyers. Georgia’s low import tariffs, simplified customs procedures, and trade agreements make it a perfect launchpad for reexport. The result? A thriving second-hand and near-new EV market, where vehicles enter the country only to be resold weeks or months later to Central Asian buyers eager to electrify their streets.
Who’s Selling and Who’s Buying? The Global Chessboard of Georgia’s EV Trade
The statistics reveal an electric economy shaped by shifting geopolitical alliances. Top Sources of Georgia’s EV Imports are: United States – 2,800 EVs ($47.4 million), China – 764 EVs ($19.5 million), Germany – 154 EVs ($10.2 million), Japan – 785 EVs ($5.3 million).
The dominance of the United States and China tells a clear story: Georgia is capitalizing on the global EV price war. American EVs, often second-hand, flood in from auctions, while China’s aggressively priced models carve out a growing share of the market. Germany’s presence at the high end—where the average imported EV costs $66,000—indicates a rising demand for luxury models. But where do all these cars go?
Top Export Destinations from Georgia are: Kyrgyzstan – 343 EVs ($9.3 million), Kazakhstan – 200 EVs ($5.6 million), Armenia – 144 EVs ($5 million), Azerbaijan – 51 EVs ($1.6 million), Czech Republic – 6 EVs ($1.1 million). Central Asia, long reliant on Russian oil and gas, is in the midst of an energy transition. Countries like Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, with their aging fleets of diesel-powered vehicles, see EVs as a chance to modernize. Georgia, strategically positioned and flexible in trade, has become their preferred supplier.
The New Silk Road, Electrified
Georgia’s record-breaking EV reexport growth of 158.5% in 2024 is not just a financial trend—it’s a sign of shifting global power dynamics. The old model of automotive trade, where production hubs dictated supply, is giving way to a decentralized network of trade players. And Georgia is one of them.
Yet, for all its success, the country stands at a crossroads. Georgia’s domestic EV adoption is rising, but its charging infrastructure is woefully behind. Without major investment, the country risks becoming a mere pass-through point rather than a serious player in the clean energy transition. Reexport is lucrative but limited. Georgia has an opportunity to shift from middleman to manufacturer, assembling or refurbishing EVs for regional markets. Can it take the leap? Much of Georgia’s EV trade depends on import duty exemptions and friendly trade agreements. If these policies change, or if Central Asian nations develop direct supply chains with China, Georgia’s golden era of EV trade could disappear overnight.
This isn’t just about cars. Georgia’s EV boom is a microcosm of a larger global shift—one where fossil fuel economies are being challenged, where trade corridors are being redrawn, and where small nations can punch far above their weight in the world economy. The big question is: will Georgia evolve into a leader of the green transition, or will it remain a temporary middleman in the shifting sands of electric commerce? The answer will determine whether this surge in EV imports is a lasting transformation—or just a flash of lithium-fueled speculation.
By Ivan Nechaev
