The Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Department of Construction has reported to the Ministry of Construction on the implementation of measures to control and mitigate environmental pollution, focusing on a phased transition of transport vehicles from fossil fuels to electricity and other forms of green energy. This strategy aims to reduce dependence on private vehicles, curb air pollution, and contribute to Vietnam’s net-zero emissions target by 2050.
Under this roadmap, from 2025 onward, all newly procured or replacement public buses must use electricity or green energy, with full conversion targeted by 2030. If implemented as planned, the city will operate around 3,200 electric or green-energy buses within the next five years. Currently, 627 electric buses (26.3% of the nearly 2,400 buses)[1], are already in service, with an additional 454 buses scheduled for deployment by early 2026, raising the share of electric buses to 45.3%. The expansion has also extended beyond the mainland, with six electric bus routes launched in the Con Dao special zone in December 2025.
The transition is extending beyond buses to encompass the broader urban vehicle ecosystem. Approximately 71% of HCMC’s 18,613 taxis are already electric[2]. By 2030, the city aims to complete the transition to electric or green-energy vehicles for buses, taxis, ride-hailing and delivery motorcycles, and passenger cars owned by state agencies. By 2029, approximately 400,000 ride-hailing motorcycles are expected to transition to electric or green-energy use. Interim targets include electrifying at least 50% of ride-hailing and delivery motorcycles by 2027 and 100% by 2030, with the total number of electric motorcycles projected to reach around 1.2 million by the end of the decade.
Urban rail and regulatory measures are being deployed in parallel to reinforce emissions reduction. Since entering operation in 2025, Metro Line No. 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien) has servedmore than 15 million passengers, helping to ease congestion and improve air quality, and will continue to accelerate the investment in urban rail development, including the Metro Line No. 2 (Ben Thanh-Tham Luong). It also plans to complete basic construction on six metro lines by 2030, creating a sustainable mobility backbone. In addition, HCMC will pilot low-emission zones in central districts, Can Gio Commune, and the Con Dao special zone from 2026, mandate emissions inspections for motorcycles, progressively apply stricter road-vehicle emission standards citywide, pilot vehicles powered by emerging green fuels such as hydrogen, and promote environmentally friendly transport services integrated with urban rail stations, to increase the public transport mode share to 15-20% of total travel demand.
Despite progress in vehicle conversion, charging infrastructure remains a critical constraint. HCMC currently operates only five electric bus charging stations with 56 charging points, largely financed by private operators, together with around1,000 charging stations for electric cars, 300 fast chargers for electric motorcycles[3], and 50 battery-swapping stations. To address this gap, the city plans to develop 44 charging locations with 317 charging points to support the city’s bus, alongside broader expansion of infrastructure, including at least 1,500 additional fast chargers for electric cars (or green energy supply stations) in the next phase, that will be installed at all government offices, hospitals, bus terminals, and parking facilities. Meanwhile, charging and battery-swapping infrastructure for electric motorcycles will be expanded in high-density areas. Notably, approximately 20,000 battery-swapping cabinets are planned for installation on existing public lighting poles and suitable sidewalks, with completion targeted for the first quarter of 2026[4].
Authorities estimate total funding needs of over 2.2 trillion VND for vehicle and charging-infrastructure investment support. City leaders stress that strong policy incentives, such as interest-rate subsidies, tax and fee incentives, and risk-sharing mechanisms, will be essential to ensure the feasibility and sustainability of HCMC’s green transport transition.
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References: 1. Tuoi Tre, 15 December 2025
2. VN Express, 16 December 2025
https://vnexpress.net/de-xuat-dat-20-000-tu-doi-pin-xe-dien-tren-via-he-tp-hcm-4994221.html
3. Vietnam Plus, 17 December 2025
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/ho-chi-minh-city-charts-roadmap-to-green-public-transport-post334461.vnp
4. Vietnam News, 23 December 2025
[1] Together with 451 buses using compressed natural gas (CNG) (17.9%)
[2] Equal to around 13,124 taxis
[3] including 900 stations belonging to V-Green, with 9,432 charging poles, 14,743 charging ports (4,792 fast charging ports for electric cars, 9,839 slow charging ports for electric cars), and 300 fast charging stations for electric motorcycles with 9,000 charging ports.
[4] As the total number of electric motorcycles could reach around 1.2 million by 2030, it will generate demand for more than 25,000 public charging and battery-swapping facilities citywide.
