According to records, fuel costs are currently one of the significant expenses for personal vehicle users. Mr. Quoc Khanh (Binh Tan ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said that he used to pay little attention to gasoline money, but when summarizing recent expenses, his family realized that fuel costs each month have reached more than 2.5 million VND.
“Before, I just poured gasoline and left, so I didn't pay attention. But when gasoline prices increased continuously, the total cost each month increased quite a lot, so I started thinking about changing vehicles,” Mr. Khanh said.
For motorcycles using gasoline engines, on average, a vehicle consumes about 2-2.5 liters of gasoline per 100 km. With the current RON 95 gasoline price fluctuating around 27,000 VND/liter, fuel costs can be around 540,000-675,000 VND per 1,000 km traveled.
Meanwhile, according to estimates by some electric motorbike users, the cost of charging electricity for the equivalent distance is often significantly lower. Many popular electric motorbike models currently consume about 3-4 kWh of electricity per 100 km. With an average domestic electricity price of about 3,000 VND/kWh, the electricity cost is only about 90,000–120,000 VND for a distance of 1,000 km.
This operating cost difference makes some people start considering switching to electric vehicles, especially for those who travel a lot in urban areas.
Before, I didn't think about electric cars, but when gasoline prices continuously increased, I started to recalculate costs. If I can save travel money each month, it is worth considering," shared Mr. Phuong Hung (Lai Thieu ward, Ho Chi Minh City).
Not only for motorbikes, the operating cost problem is also of concern to many people when comparing electric cars and cars using internal combustion engines. According to some estimates, the energy cost for electric cars to travel 100 km may only be about 30-40% compared to gasoline cars, depending on operating conditions and electricity prices.
However, the initial investment cost is still a factor that many people consider. In the current market, ordinary electric motorbikes are priced at about 15-35 million VND/unit, while some high-end models may exceed 50 million VND.
For electric cars, the selling price is also significantly higher than many models using internal combustion engines in the same segment. Some small electric car models in Vietnam currently cost from about 299 million VND, while popular urban electric SUV models range from about 529 million VND. Electric car models in the higher segment can be up to 700 million VND to more than 1 billion VND, depending on the version and equipment.
According to experts in the transportation industry, electric vehicles have an advantage in operating and maintenance costs because they have fewer mechanical details than internal combustion engine vehicles. However, consumers still have to consider total ownership costs, including car purchase price, charging infrastructure and actual usage needs.
In the context of fuel prices possibly continuing to fluctuate, the trend of looking for cost-effective means of transportation, including electric vehicles, is predicted to become increasingly concerned by consumers.
