The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just submitted a document to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council on a draft Resolution promulgating Regulations on implementation roadmaps and policies to support the conversion of public passenger transport by bus using electricity and green energy.
The city aims to switch all public passenger transport by bus to electricity or green energy by 2030.
Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City bus system has 176 routes, of which 108 routes have subsidies, with 2,386 vehicles. Of these, 627 are electric buses (accounting for 26.3%) and 451 are CNG buses (accounting for 17.9%).
In the 2025 - 2030 period, Ho Chi Minh City plans to invest in and convert 3,011 electric, green energy buses, including 1,537 vehicles to replace old vehicles and 1,474 newly invested vehicles. In addition to the existing number of vehicles, by 2030, Ho Chi Minh City will own more than 3,600 electric buses.
To meet the demand for electric buses, Ho Chi Minh City will deploy investment in stations and charging stations at bus stations and parking lots managed by the Public Transport Management Center, public service units and 100% domestic enterprises.
In the 2025 - 2030 period, Ho Chi Minh City plans to build 393 super-fast charging stations, capable of serving 5,502 charging vehicles per day.
Regarding financial support, Ho Chi Minh City proposed a preferential loan interest support policy for businesses investing in electric buses and charging stations.
For investment in electric buses and green energy vehicles, interest rate support for a maximum of 85% of loan capital, not exceeding VND300 billion/project (excluding deducted VAT).
Investors only have to pay 3% of loan interest/year, the remaining interest rate difference will be paid by the Ho Chi Minh City budget.
For investment in charging stations, interest rate support for a maximum of 70% of construction investment capital and 85% of investment capital in technology and equipment, not exceeding 200 billion VND/project. The City budget supports 50% of loan interest rates.
The maximum support period is 7 years, but not exceeding the actual loan period, calculated from the date of initial loan disbursement at Ho Chi Minh City State Finance Investment Company (HFIC).
The total cost of implementing the electric bus conversion program and building charging infrastructure in Ho Chi Minh City is estimated at about 17,844 billion VND.
Ho Chi Minh City's budget capital is about 2,202 billion VND. In the period of 2025 - 2030, about 1,405 billion VND (including 1,237 billion VND to support vehicle investment interest and 167 billion VND to support charging station investment). The 2031 - 2036 period is about 797 billion VND.
The remaining VND 15,642 billion is invested by enterprises themselves, including: VND 12,936.1 billion invested, replacing vehicles from transport units; VND 2,706 billion invested, operating charging stations by Samco and other private investors.
