Vietnam ranks third globally in electric motorbike consumption

About 209,000 electric motorbikes were sold in Vietnam in the first half of 2025, making the country the world's third-largest market after China and India, according to Motorcycles Data.

This figure marks a 99.2-percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.

China led the global market with over 3.2 million electric motorbikes sold, followed by India with more than 657,000 units.

Vietnam surpassed Turkey and Indonesia in electric motorbike sales.

Globally, the electric motorbike market saw about 4.4 million units sold in the first six months of the year, a 7.2-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

When including internal combustion engine motorbikes, Vietnam ranked fourth worldwide in total motorbike sales.

Domestically, VinFast remains the only manufacturer to publicly disclose its sales figures.

Despite only reporting domestic sales, VinFast ranked among the world's top 10 electric motorbike manufacturers.

In 2024, the company sold nearly 71,000 electric motorbikes, equivalent to about three percent of the 2.65 million internal combustion engine motorbikes sold by the five members of the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers.

In the first quarter of 2025, VinFast sold 44,904 electric motorbikes and bicycles globally, a year-on-year jump of 473 percent.

Sales of internal combustion engine motorbikes also rose in Vietnam.

The five members of the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers--Honda, Yamaha, Piaggio, Suzuki, and SYM--sold nearly 1.3 million motorbikes in the first half of 2025, up 6.4 percent from the same period in 2024.

While Honda and Yamaha each offer one electric model, their sales remain minimal.

Among product segments, electric motorbikes with engines under 4kW--equivalent to petrol bikes under 50cc--that do not require a driver's license saw the strongest growth at 112 percent.

These models are affordable and primarily target students and homemakers.

Demand also spikes in summer, when parents purchase vehicles for their children ahead of the new school year.

Experts believe that upcoming policies to restrict internal combustion engine motorbikes and promote electric vehicle adoption in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will significantly accelerate market growth in the next years.

Starting July 1, 2026, Hanoi will ban petrol-powered motorbikes within Beltway No. 1.

By January 1, 2028, the restriction will extend to Beltway No. 2 and include limits on fossil fuel-powered private cars.

By 2030, the ban will apply within Beltway No. 3.

In Ho Chi Minh City, a green mobility zoning plan is being implemented.

The city plans to establish a central zone that will restrict motorbikes below Euro 2 emissions standards and cars below Euro 4 from 2026.

By 2027, motorbikes will be subject to emissions testing, and those that fail will be restricted from designated pilot zones.

By the end of 2028, all ride-hailing motorbike services must switch to electric.

The road map to restrict internal combustion engine motorbikes in Vietnam's two largest cities is reshaping the nation's motorbike industry.

Pure electric manufacturers stand to benefit significantly, while traditional companies face increasing pressure to adapt their strategies and align with emerging trends.

Thanh Ha - Thanh Linh / Tuoi Tre News

(2025/08/14-18:12)

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