Transforming Ho Chi Minh City’s Gasoline Bike Fleet: A Proposal to Convert 1 Million Vehicles into Electric Vehicles within the Next Five Years

At a meeting with the innovative startup community in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr. Nguyen Huu Phuoc Nguyen, CEO of Selex Motor, proposed a bold plan to convert 1 million gasoline motorbikes into electric vehicles within the next five years. He emphasized the importance of prioritizing the transportation sector in this initiative and highlighted his startup’s impressive 80% localization rate over five years in business.

Dr. Nguyen’s proposal targets motorbike transport businesses and technology motorbike taxi drivers due to their high emission levels and activity frequency. He believes that this group is most likely to convert to electric vehicles if supportive policies are in place. To facilitate the transition, he suggested building 1,000 charging stations and offering support mechanisms for manufacturers and users alike.

Mr. Pham Duc Nam Trung, Director of Finance and Operations at Dat Bike, shared insights on the performance of electric cars and the need for a robust charging station infrastructure. He proposed implementing tax and fee policies to incentivize individuals and businesses to switch to electric vehicles, highlighting the potential cost savings for users. The Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Phan Van Mai, expressed his city’s green growth orientation and willingness to explore policies supporting sustainable initiatives like electric vehicles.

In line with this vision, Mr. Mai encouraged the innovative startup community to continue contributing to policy development and foster an environment conducive to innovative startups based on science and technology. The city is working on green growth strategies until 2030 and hopes to engage entrepreneurs for further input