Are electric motorcycles now competitive enough to rival gasoline-powered motorcycles?

Besides policies restricting gasoline-powered vehicles, the electric vehicle market itself is gradually becoming more attractive to Vietnamese customers thanks to competitive prices and convenient battery swapping features.

In a supplementary submission to the City People's Council requesting the issuance of a Resolution approving the Low-Emission Zone Project within Ring Road 1, the Hanoi People's Committee proposed not to ban gasoline-powered ride-hailing motorbikes from entering the core area of ​​Hoan Kiem ward from July 1st.

Instead, the city shifted to a model of encouraging restricted activity, while also adding more regulations to control cars, trucks, and transport vehicles in the pilot low-emission zone in the central core area of ​​Hoan Kiem ward.

Following this news, many are wondering whether, as regulations restricting gasoline-powered motorcycles show signs of easing, electric motorcycles will still be attractive enough to Vietnamese consumers.

Electric motorcycles are still encouraged.

First, it should be noted that in its latest proposal, the Hanoi People's Committee has suggested abolishing the ban on motorcycles using fossil fuels, while still encouraging limiting their use and gradually transitioning to clean energy vehicles.

Therefore, electric motorcycles are essentially still encouraged as an alternative to traditional gasoline-powered motorcycles.

Besides policies encouraging electrification, which are considered a significant driver of growth, many electric motorcycle models in Vietnam are also being offered incentives to increase their competitiveness against gasoline-powered motorcycles, which are already familiar to domestic customers.

Many manufacturers are increasing incentives for electric motorcycles in Vietnam. Photo: Dan Thanh.

For example, the Honda ICON e: when officially launched in the Vietnamese market in April 2025, had a starting price of 26.9 million VND excluding the battery. However, currently, the discounted price of this electric motorbike starts at only 15.52 million VND. At this price, customers still need to pay extra for the battery rental package.

VinFast is offering various incentives for its electric motorcycle models, including direct price reductions, 100% registration fee support, and incentives through its gasoline-for-electricity trade-in program. VinFast's plug-in electric motorcycles are currently being charged for free at the V-GREEN system, and models with interchangeable batteries also receive free battery swapping, subject to a limited number of times.

The Yamaha Neo's electric scooter is currently being offered with an average discount of 10-15 million VND at dealerships, potentially bringing the actual selling price down to 34 million VND. This is Yamaha's first electric scooter model and, to date, remains the company's only electric scooter in Vietnam.

Are electric motorcycles now competitive enough?

Regardless of the objectives, the promotional programs launched by manufacturers are making the cost of owning, and even the cost of using, electric motorcycles in Vietnam much more competitive compared to gasoline-powered motorcycles.

As cost barriers gradually decrease, electric motorcycles are becoming more attractive to Vietnamese consumers. This is evidenced by the fact that Vietnam's electric two-wheeler market currently ranks third in the world , and the streets are becoming more familiar with the presence of electric motorcycles, alongside gasoline-powered motorcycles.

VinFast Vero X and Dat Bike ERA E1 are electric motorbike options in the 30-40 million VND price range. Photos: Dan Thanh, Phuc Hau.

In the price range of 30-40 million VND, besides familiar scooter options like the Honda Vision or Yamaha Janus, Vietnamese customers can now access many electric motorbike models from reputable brands, such as the VinFast Vero X (34.9 million VND), VinFast Viper (from 39.9 million VND), Dat Bike ERA E1 (32.9 million VND), Yadea Velax H Plus (38.99 million VND)...

The range of electric motorbikes and electric bicycles for students in the 10-15 million VND price range now also includes reputable brands such as Honda ICON e: (promotional price from 15.5 million VND), Yadea iCute (15.49 million VND) or VinFast Amio (13.9 million VND).

If you prefer a sporty style similar to the Honda Vario or Yamaha Freego, Vietnamese customers can also choose electric motorbike models such as the VinFast Viper, Yadea Velax U, and Dat Bike Quantum S. Overall, the designs and styles of electric motorbikes in Vietnam have developed strongly recently, bringing considerable diversity to this group of electric two-wheeled vehicles.

The Vietnamese market has no shortage of choices for sporty-looking electric motorcycles. Photo: Phuc Hau.

Electric motorcycles in Vietnam are not only diverse in price and design, but they are also significantly reducing the convenience of using gasoline-powered motorcycles. Previously, the hours-long charging time was considered a major bottleneck, preventing users from switching from gasoline to electric.

However, in the past year or so, electric motorcycles with removable batteries and the ability to swap batteries at stations have become increasingly popular. VinFast offers the Viper, Feliz II, and Neo 2026, while Honda has the e: CUV, and Yamaha's Neo's are some of the electric motorcycle options with interchangeable batteries that Vietnamese customers can choose from.

Yadea recently announced a partnership with VGX to jointly research, develop, and deploy a smart battery swapping solution for Yadea electric motorcycles. The system will be connected to a shared battery swapping station network developed by VGX nationwide, opening up opportunities for access to Yadea branded swapping electric motorcycles in Vietnam.

The battery swapping feature helps electric motorcycles improve their competitiveness. Photo: Dan Thanh.

Previously, Selex Motors announced that it had completed 118 battery swapping stations nationwide and was continuing to expand in many provinces and cities. VinFast had set a target of completing 45,000 battery swapping stations for electric motorcycles nationwide by the first quarter of 2026 - part of a planned network of 150,000 stations in Vietnam in the future.

Once the battery swapping station network is fully operational, electric motorcycle users in Vietnam could swap batteries at a station in less than 5 minutes. Compared to refueling with gasoline, this is a comparable amount of time, making electric motorcycles more competitive over gasoline-powered motorcycles in terms of convenience.

Overall, policies restricting gasoline-powered vehicles and encouraging electric vehicles may be partly responsible for Vietnam currently being the world's third-largest market for electric motorcycles. However, with recent strong growth, electric motorcycles themselves are becoming more affordable, easier to use, and more diverse in the eyes of Vietnamese consumers, thereby increasing their ability to compete fairly with gasoline-powered vehicles in the market.

Source: https://znews.vn/xe-may-dien-da-du-suc-canh-tranh-song-phang-xe-xang-post1656051.html