Vietnam is Getting Electrified...Eventually

­Vietnamese EV maker VinFast recently launched a small, 30-person electric bus in its home market, expanding the company’s zero-emission portfolio and bringing the nation that much closer to its promised all-electric future.

All things considered, it’s actually a tad surprising that Vietnam doesn’t lead Asia in green public transportation. A mere 9% of people – by far the lowest in Asia – own cars, while the rest take bikes, motorbikes, or some form of public transit.

So you’d think they’d have electrified their private and public fleet more extensively. But of the 8,800 buses in Vietnam, only 3% are electric (with the majority, or 202 buses, concentrated in Hanoi).

Electric isn’t even the pricier option, at least as far as public transit. A full 89% of Vietnam’s buses are diesel-powered, and according to one estimate, electric buses cost 7,000 – 9,000 VND/trip, while diesel or CNG buses cost 8,000 – 20,000 VND/trip.

And though the actual vehicle costs may vary wildly, for major urban routes, the operational costs are effectively equal (with the obvious environmental advantages for electric).

On July 22, 2022, the Prime Minister issued Decision 876/QD-TTg, which among other things, ordered that 100% of new or replacement buses will use electric or green energy (by this year), while the requirements apply to taxis in 2030, and by 2050, 100% of buses and taxis should run on electric or green energy.

Of course, government promises are made to be broken – even in an autocratic nation like Vietnam – but these promises are at least encouraging.

VinFast’s EB 6 electric bus contains a 179.5 kWh LFP battery pack with a peak charging input of 120 kW, with the ability to go from 20% to 80% via a DC charger within 70 minutes, and its rear-mounted electric motor generates 140 kW and 420 Nm of torque.

Meanwhile, it can hit a top speed of 55 mph, with a range of more than 155 miles.