The Downsides of Electric Vehicles and Motorbikes in Vietnam: A Closer Look at Pollution, Infrastructure, and Sustainability Challenges
The Downsides of Electric Vehicles and Motorbikes in Vietnam: A Closer Look at Pollution, Infrastructure, and Sustainability Challenges Vietnam is rapidly urbanizing and facing severe air pollution, particularly in cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where millions of motorbikes contribute to smog and health issues. In response, the government has pushed for electric vehicles (EVs) and electric motorbikes (e-motorbikes), aiming for 25% of two-wheelers to be electric by 2030 and banning fossil-fueled motorbikes in some urban areas by 2025. While EVs promise reduced tailpipe emissions, their adoption in Vietnam comes with significant drawbacks. These include heavy pollution from battery production, dependence on an unreliable electric grid, high costs for charging infrastructure, reliability concerns, negative public opinion stemming from…