Commitment to zero emissions relies on electric vehicle sales

In order to fulfill its commitment to achieving zero emissions by 2050, Vietnam’s transportation sector will need to increase the sale of new electric vehicles.

At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, from October 31 to November 13, Vietnam committed to zero emissions by 2050. This commitment has placed a heavy burden on the transportation sector, which consumes large volumes of fossil fuels, Mr. Nguyen Duc Tuyen, a Lecturer at the Department of Electrical Systems at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, told “The future of electric vehicle development in Vietnam” seminar held by the Transport Newspaper (Bao Giao Thong) on December 21.

In the 2014-2020 period, an average of 5.14 million motorbikes and 255,000 new cars were registered each year. Emissions from these vehicles totaled 33.2 million tons, accounting for 19.3 per cent of emissions from the energy sector.

“It is necessary to put the environment first, because without the electrification of traffic, the declarations made at COP26 will be very difficult to achieve,” Mr. Tuyen emphasized.

The golden time to have all new cars sold in Vietnam be electric vehicles is 2045, according to Mr. Dao Cong Quyet from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA).

Under a VAMA scenario, the route to achieving 100 per cent electric vehicles by 2050 is divided into three phases. The starting phase is 2021-2030 and the phase for rapid growth is 2030-2040. After that, the phase for steady growth is 2040-2045 and for industry consolidation 2045-2050.
To stimulate market demand, given that electric vehicle sales remain quite small, from the beginning to 2030 it is necessary to offer preferential treatment regarding taxes and fees for electric vehicles, Mr. Quyet suggested. The development of charging infrastructure and business assistance are also needed, as is promoting the economic benefits of electric vehicles.