HANOI: To facilitate the transition to electrified vehicles in Vietnam, state management bodies must put forth preferential policies, development strategies and initiatives to encourage adoption by users, experts say.

       They said such measures are crucial for promoting the widespread use of electric vehicles (EVs) and achieving the associated environmental and sustainability benefits. Their comments were made during a recent national policy dialogue on accelerating the transition to electric vehicles in Hanoi.

       At the dialogue, Deputy Transport Minister Le Anh Tuan assessed that the transition to green economic development is a vital trend.

       By embracing green growth, Vietnam could position itself as a pioneer in the region and align with the global shift toward sustainable development.

       There had been efforts to introduce preferential policies to support the production, assembly, and use of electric cars in Vietnam, but Deputy Minister Tuan acknowledged that there were still challenges and difficulties to overcome in the transition to green energy.

       Some of the key challenges include lack of charging-station infrastructure, high vehicle costs, lack of mechanisms to encourage purchasing and use, and incomplete awareness of green-energy transition.

       The awareness and understanding of green-energy transition, including the benefits of electric vehicles and their role in reducing emissions, might still be limited among government agencies and businesses.

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       According to Pham Hoai Chung, the deputy director of the Institute of Transport Strategy and Development in Vietnam, the country currently has five million cars with an average annual growth rate of 13.3%.

       Additionally, there are 72 million registered motorbikes with a growth rate of 9.3% per year. It’s worth noting that the number of electric cars and motorbikes has also been increasing rapidly in recent years,

       As of now, there are approximately 20,065 electric cars and around two million electric motorbikes that have been locally manufactured, assembled or imported, and have undergone inspection and certification processes in the country.

       This indicates a significant growth in the adoption of EVs in the country.

       Regarding electric public transportation, Chung said that there were currently electric buses and taxis, and there would be great room for the development of EVs, especially under a green-energy transition roadmap for the vehicle fleet and for buses in urban areas from 2025.

       Chung noted that Vietnam is implementing policies to encourage the use of EVs, particularly battery EVs.

       Tax incentives could be an effective way to promote the adoption of EVs by making them more affordable for both manufacturers to manufacture and consumers to buy. — Viet Nam News/ANN