HCMC wants only electric motorbikes for ride-hailing by 2030

By Vien Thong May 18, 2025 | 08:08 pm PT

Motorbikes of locals and ride-hailing drivers are seen at a red light in HCMC, January 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Ho Chi Minh City aims to finalize a master plan by June to have ride-hailing apps use only electric motorbikes by 2030 before seeking public and expert feedback on this.

The city administration unveiled the proposal to convert the 400,000 motorbikes used by ride-hailing service providers at a meeting last Saturday.

Relevant departments have done on-site surveys to assess the implementation needs, including having rest stops integrated with charging facilities for the vehicles.

After expert feedback, a detailed roadmap is expected to be rolled out in July.

The city is a major market for ride-hailing, food and parcel delivery services using two-wheel vehicles, with Grab, Xanh SM and Be being the dominant players.

ShopeeFood, which specializes in food delivery, and logistics companies like Ahamove, J&T, Viettel Post, and VNPost also use motorbikes for deliveries.

Only Xanh SM, a subsidiary of private conglomerate Vingroup, now exclusively uses electric vehicles with the rest leaving it to their driver-partners to choose between gasoline and electric vehicles.

As part of its transport greening strategy, HCMC is also developing a vehicle emissions control program, which is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year.

The plan will focus on incentives and conversion roadmaps for taxis, ride-hailing services, passenger buses, and vehicles owned by public agencies and businesses.

The scheme will also include policies for buying back and exchanging old vehicles for electric ones, and restricting fossil fuel vehicles for achieving emissions control by 2030.

The Department of Construction is currently assessing impacts and feasibility, especially after the expansion of HCMC area to include Binh Duong and Ba Ria – Vung Tau provinces as part of a major administrative overhaul to reduce the number of administrative units nationwide from 63 to 34, comprising 28 provinces and six centrally-run cities.

Addressing the meeting, Le Thi Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman of Vingroup, called on the city to restrict gasoline vehicles, prioritize electric vehicles, support vehicle conversion, and expand the charging station network.

City chairman Nguyen Van Duoc said green transition is a global trend and a pressing need, creating great value and a new driving force for sustainable development.

He said the city would establish a steering committee for green transition, starting with a consultative group.