In Vietnam's heavily polluted capital of Hanoi, young taxi driver Phung Khac Trung rides his electric motorcycle through streets full of two-wheelers spewing out toxic fumes.
Trung, 19, is one of a growing number of Generation-Z workers leading the way for e-bikes in the communist nation where 77 million — mostly gas-powered — motorcycles rule the streets.
A cheap set of electric wheels can now be had for as little as $500, but problems include spending hours at charging stations and people finding it hard to break their habits.
Trung has long hated riding in Hanoi, rated among the world's top 10 most polluted cities in 2023 by air quality technology company IQAir.
The wind is “unbearable for motorcyclists”, said Trung, who worked as a motorcyclist before applying to university.
“When I stop at a T-junction… my only desire is to run a red light. The smell of petrol is very bad,” he told AFP after a morning flight labeled “unhealthy” by IQAir.
More than two-thirds of the toxic smog that settles in Hanoi most of the year is caused by gasoline vehicles, city authorities said last year. The World Bank puts the figure at 30 percent.
Vietnamese officials have ordered that a quarter of two-wheelers across the country must be electric by 2030 to help combat the air crisis.
By 2023 only nine percent of two-wheelers sold were electric, according to the International Energy Agency — though only China had a larger share.
– It's hard to stop –
Low operating costs and cheap prices attract students, who account for 80 percent of electric two-wheeler users in Vietnam, said transportation analyst Truong Thi My Thanh.
But for older drivers, it's hard to let go of what they know.
Fruit seller Tran Thi Hoa, 43, has been driving a petrol motorcycle for over twenty years and has no intention of changing it.
“A petrol motorcycle works very well. It takes me a few minutes to fill up with fuel,” he said.
“I know that e-bikes are good for the environment and can help me save fuel, but I'm very used to what I have,” Hoa told AFP with her face covered.
Although many electric two-wheelers are easily charged at home, fears over battery safety have led many to use the 150,000 EV power stations installed by Nasdaq-listed VinFast across the country.
After last year's fire in Hanoi that killed 56 people, several apartment complexes temporarily restricted EV charging — before police ruled that battery charging was the cause.
But some remain afraid, and others who live in crowded houses have no place to strengthen.
Trung, whose VinFast motorcycle has a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles), spends up to three hours a day drinking tea and scrolling on his phone while waiting for his battery to charge — time he's probably paying for.
But home-grown startup Selex, which makes e-bikes and battery packs, has invented quick fixes — stations where riders can quickly swap out a dead battery for a new one.
– 'Change is important' –
Bowen Wang, a senior expert on sustainable transport at the World Bank, told a press conference this month that it is delivery companies and taxis, as well as rural drivers, who could really benefit.
“They generally drive longer distances than urban users”, he said. “That's where the exchange is so important.”
Selex, now backed by the Asian Development Bank, has partnerships with delivery giants Lazada Logistics and DHL Express, which use e-bikes for some of their shipments.
Vingroup — backed by Vietnam's richest man — owns a taxi company with thousands of e-bikes, mostly in big cities.
Selex founder Nguyen Phuoc Huu Nguyen, who quit his job at the defense minister's research program to set up the company, called on the government to help drive the momentum through incentives.
He suggested that the removal of vehicle registration fees for EVs will help “end users realize the benefits of buying an e-bike”.
“We all understand that EVs are good for the environment. But they need investment.”
Transport analyst Thanh insists that Hanoi should also embrace public transport alongside EVs if it wants to relieve congested roads.
But if the transition to electricity cannot fully solve Hanoi's problems, the growth of ownership is “a ray of hope”, Thanh told AFP.
bur/aph/dan
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