HCMC aims to have 3,600 electric buses by 2030

By Giang Anh October 28, 2025 | 08:07 pm PT

An electric bus in HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Anh

HCMC plans to have its entire fleet of 3,600 public transport buses powered by electricity by 2030, gradually phasing out diesel and natural gas vehicles.

Vietnam’s biggest city now has 2,400 buses, 74% of them running on diesel or compressed natural gas with the rest being EVs.

The People’s Committee’s plan seeks to replace all fossil fuel buses with electric ones, and add another 1,474 EVs to the fleet.

There are five electric bus charging stations with 56 chargers, sufficient for current demand, but to meet the rising need as the electric fleet expands, the city will mobilize investments from both public and private sources and install 393 chargers by 2027, sufficient for 5,500 buses.

It will also subsidize interest on loans obtained by transport companies expanding their electric bus fleets. Through the HCMC Finance and Investment State-Owned Company, it will provide a maximum loan of VND300 billion (US$11.4 million) to each at an interest rate of 3% for a maximum of seven years.

The plan to fully transition to electric is 20 years ahead of the government’s deadline.

Starting in 2026 the city plans to gradually limit fossil fuel vehicles from entering low emission zones (which include the downtown area) starting with meter taxis and ride-hailing vehicles.