From experience to decision to transition
On Green Transformation Day 2026 organized by Lao Dong Newspaper at Cau Giay Park in May, the "Gasoline - Electricity Exchange" area is always bustling with people coming to learn about, test drive and order cars.
Mr. Pham Quoc Vinh (73 years old, Cau Giay ward, Hanoi) said that initially he only visited the booth out of curiosity. The family still uses an old Honda Dream and has no intention of changing the car immediately.
I just intended to test drive, but after test driving the electric car, I found it operating smoothly, and was further advised on the program to collect old gasoline cars, so I decided to order it right away. After that, I also called my wife out to test drive and then finalized the car together" - Mr. Vinh shared.
Also choosing to switch to electric vehicles, Ms. Phan Thi Lam, a resident of Vinhomes Smart City (Hanoi), just sold her old gasoline car to buy two VinFast VF 3.
According to the family's calculations, buying two electric cars is both suitable for the travel needs of both husband and wife, and saves fuel and maintenance costs compared to continuing to use gasoline cars" - Ms. Lam said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Minh Hoang, a technology driver in Hanoi, said that after nearly 1 year of using electric cars, operating costs have decreased significantly thanks to lower charging costs than gasoline, and the car also has less maintenance.
If I switch cars again, I will still choose electric cars" - he said.
According to many users, in addition to low usage costs, what makes them feel secure in switching is the increasingly complete infrastructure with a network of charging stations and an expanded service system.
Electric vehicles become a driving force for market growth
The change in consumer choice is also clearly reflected in market data.
In the 2022-2025 period, the total sales of the Vietnamese automobile market increased from 510,255 vehicles to 604,042 vehicles, equivalent to an increase of about 18%.
However, the growth momentum no longer comes from vehicles using internal combustion engines. In the same period, sales of gasoline and oil vehicles decreased from 486,217 vehicles to 428,943 vehicles, equivalent to a decrease of 12%. Conversely, sales of pure electric vehicles increased from 23,038 vehicles to more than 175,000 vehicles, more than 7 times after 4 years.
If in 2022 electric vehicles only accounted for about 4.7% of new car sales, by 2025, this rate has increased to nearly 30%, while the market share of gasoline cars decreased from about 95% to 71%.
The shifting trend also takes place in each segment. Gasoline-powered A-segment hatchback sales decreased by about 78%, from 27,833 vehicles to 6,052 vehicles; B-segment sedans decreased by nearly 49%, from 75,857 vehicles to 38,939 vehicles. Meanwhile, popular priced pure electric SUV and crossover models are increasingly chosen by consumers.
According to experts, besides preferential policies such as registration fee exemption and special consumption tax incentives, the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem also contributes to promoting the transition process.
Currently, VinFast has developed about 150,000 charging ports, more than 400 service workshops nationwide and is deploying 99 super charging stations, helping users to be more convenient in the process of use.
Not only individual customers, many transport businesses have also switched to using electric vehicles. According to Mordor Intelligence, electric taxi company Green SM is holding the leading position in the technology taxi booking market in Vietnam and is increasingly widening the gap with competitors. Many transport businesses have also completely switched to VinFast electric vehicles. Clearly, electric vehicles are expanding their influence from the personal market to the service business sector.
Experts believe that with preferential policies for electric cars being maintained until 2030 and the increasing participation of manufacturers, electric cars will continue to expand market share in the coming years. When infrastructure is completed, usage costs are increasingly competitive and consumer confidence is increasing, electric cars are gradually reshaping the map of the Vietnamese car and motorbike market in a greener and more sustainable direction.
