Shift to electric motorbikes filled with potholes for drivers, ride-hailing platforms

Gia Dat, 47, a veteran ride-hailing driver in Hanoi, has never considered switching to an electric motorbike, calling it "inconvenient." "E-bikes usually have limited range, take hours to fully charge, and many places ban parking."

App-based motorbike drivers like him are among the worst affected financially by Hanoi’s push toward electric transportation to curb air pollution. From July 2026 gasoline motorbikes operating on app-based platforms will be banned from low-emission zones, while all others will have time- and area-based restrictions from mid-2026.

The city has also said motorbike-based transport businesses, including ride-hailing platforms, should transition to EVs, with electric motorbikes accounting for 20% of their fleets by the end of 2026, 50% before 2028 and fully by 2030.

But Dang Thuy Trang, director of public affairs at Grab Vietnam, says high costs remain a big hurdle for drivers considering a switch to electric motorbikes and households relying on a single motorbike for its livelihood.

Bui Thi Yen, chief operating officer of electric delivery firm Gopika, says an EV needs a maximum payload of 200 kg and a daily range of around 150 km, and these typically cost VND25-50 million.

App-based drivers wait for customers on a side walk in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Tung

Charging infrastructure is another deterrent.

Huu Hung, 33, an app-based driver in Vinh Hung Ward, Hanoi, says fully charging his electric motorbike takes more than six hours, and so he usually charges it at home overnight. But now many residential areas restrict or ban charging.

Duy Chien, 22, who lives in a mini apartment building, says his landlord prohibits charging after 10 p.m. due to fire safety concerns, making him hesitant to switch to an electric motorbike. Some large apartment complexes, including HH Linh Dam and CT1 Thach Ban in Hanoi, have recently refused to allow EVs to be parked in basements, citing fire risks.

Public charging infrastructure for electric motorbikes remains limited. Hanoi has yet to announce a clear road map for the number of charging stations across the city or their technical standards. Accelerating the rollout of battery-swapping stations is imperative so that vehicles are not stopped for charging, especially app-based drivers, Yen says.

A spokesperson for the Be ride-hailing platform says fixed conversion targets are not practical since platforms do not own vehicles and therefore cannot decide whether drivers replace their motorbikes. The company wants to extend the timeline and link it with the pace of charging infrastructure development. Authorities should regulate through emissions standards rather than fixing electric vehicle quotas so that drivers are not forced out of work before the transition becomes feasible, it adds.

An EV's battery swapping station in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of Selex Motors

Limited domestic production is another challenge. Since June Gopika has bought 300 electric motorbikes and plans to scale up to 10,000 units. Selex Motors CEO Nguyen Huu Phuc Nguyen says VinFast is the only domestic producer with a large electric motorbike production capacity. In the first nine months of this year VinFast churned out more than 234,000 electric motorbikes and bicycles, more than three times last year’s number. Other local manufacturers operate on a smaller scale, with Selex producing 20,000 units annually. DatBike does not disclose output figures, but says production increased fivefold from last year.

Hanoi plans to provide subsidies of up to VND5 million per vehicle and VND20 million for low-income households to switch from gasoline to electric two-wheel vehicles. It also aims to set up charging facilities at 15% of Ring Road 3 parking lots before 2030.

EV makers and ride-hailing platforms are offering trade-in programs, discounted charging and battery leasing. But Dat remains unconvinced about the need to switch to an electric motorbike: "I have used my gasoline bike for over 10 years and it still works well. Why change?"

Chien says he is unsure whether to sell his gasoline motorbike and buy an electric one, and wants to wait for clearer support policies from the ride-hailing platform he works with before deciding.