Free from refueling: Hanoians switch to public electric bicycles for daily commute

He says he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders when he learned about the bicycles within Ring Road 1, which goes around the city’s downtown area. The motorbike ban will take effect in July 2026. He cannot afford to buy an electric motorcycle, but even if he can, his apartment parking area has no power outlets.

"The introduction of public electric bicycles came just when I hit a brick wall," he says.

The bicycles, launched by Tri Nam Transport Joint Stock Company (TNGo) recently, is available across the city’s inner wards. The bikes are stationed near bus stops and metro lines for easy transfers.

Kiet, who used to spend 15 minutes commuting daily and VND500,000 (US$19) a month for fuel and parking, now saves nearly 40% of that. With a fare of VND10,000 for 15 minutes and discounts for monthly passes, the electric bicycles have become an affordable alternative.

"My home and office are both close to the [bike] station, so I no longer worry about commuting during floods or refueling," he says.

The newly introduced public electric bikes at a station in Hanoi city center on Dec. 2, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/ Nga Thanh

People living on the city outskirts, such as Nang Duan, a 22-year-old university student in Ha Dong Ward, also find the electric bicycles handy. He had planned at first to park his motorcycle outside the restricted zone and take a bus or ride-hailing vehicle to enter the inner city, but was fearful of the long waits for buses and high costs of ride-hailing services, he says.

After learning about the electric bicycle service, he now plans to leave his motorcycle at a friend's house on the outskirts of Ring Road 1 and rent one to travel to the city center, he says.

"The electric bicycle gives me full control over my time and route. I don’t have to wait for a bus or deal with fluctuating taxi prices."

Nguyen Dang Khoa, TNGo director, says the rollout of the 500 electric bicycles is part of Hanoi’s strategy to diversify its public transport. In the first phase, 130 bike stations will be concentrated in the Ring Road 1 area, each with 10–15 bikes, and they will be expanded to Ring Roads 2 and 3 in future, he says. To encourage the public to use the new service, TNGo offers free 15-minute rides from Dec. 1 to 5. After that the fare will be VND10,000 for 15 minutes and VND20,000 for 30 minutes. Users can register and pay via an app and must be at least 16 years old to hire the bikes.

The vehicles’ batteries will be monitored and replaced by company technicians. The bikes have a maximum speed of 25 km/h, can carry up to 130 kg and have removable batteries that allow 90 km per charge. However, even if the battery runs out, the bicycles can be used like regular bikes.

A rider experiences the public electric bikes on Dec. 2, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

Le Nang Tan, 24, a visitor from HCMC, is impressed by the efficiency of the rental process.

"The bike runs smoothly with good acceleration and no noise," he says. "It’s the perfect way to explore the city."

But he says the pedals are too small and the handlebars are too low for people taller than 1.75 meters. Do Ba Quan, chairman of TNGo, says the company plans to increase the fleet to 5,000 electric bicycles across Hanoi’s central areas by the first quarter of 2026.

Hanoi already had over 1,000 traditional bikes at 79 since August 2023. The addition of electric bicycles is seen as an important step before the city implements stricter regulations on gasoline motorcycles to combat pollution.