Electric cars introduced at Vietnam Motor Show 2022 (VMS)

With the government-initiated roadmap to put an end to vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2050, auto manufacturers in Vietnam have gradually shifted to manufacturing electric vehicles.

This was seen at the ongoing Vietnam Motor Show 2022 in HCM City, where nearly 10 new car models were introduced on the opening day.

E-tron SUV is Audi’s second model introduced in Vietnam after the e-sports sedan e-tron GT Quattro, which was launched in July. The C-class crossover was once introduced in Vietnam in 2019 to show off technology. At VMS 2022, the manufacturer quoted a price of VND2.97 billion.

Mercedes introduced the EQS model at VMS 2022, the first model of Mercedes-EQ brand in the Vietnamese market. Mercedes EQS 450+ has the quoted price of VND4.839 billion, while the EQS 580 4Matic VND5.959 billion. EQS is positioned in the same market segment with S-Class. After Mercedes EQS, Mercedes said it would market more electric Mercedes-EQ models.

The electrification trend was seen in the launching of LF-Z placed at the center of the display hall. It is introduced as a concept model in Vietnam, but a commercial version of Lexus LF-Z Electrified has appeared in Europe and North America under the brand Lexus RZ 450e.

Toyota has launched bZ4X model, which saw a global launch in mid-2022. In Southeast Asia, Toyota bZ4X was introduced in Thailand in June 2022. This model is positioned in the popular C-class crossover. It will compete with VinFast VFe34 in Vietnam.

British manufacturer MG has launched the highest-end version of MG Marvel R – Performance. It’s unclear when MG will officially offer this model in Vietnam. Meanwhile, MG Marvel R was introduced in China in 2020.

MG4 is another model of the MG brand. It is smaller than the MG Marvel R and positioned in the B-class crossover. The electric vehicle is developed on MG's base of expanding MSP modules specifically designed for electric cars.

Vietnamese ready for electric vehicles

Development of electric vehicles in Vietnam is evidenced in the mass launch of new electric car models, and Vietnamese’s interest in this type of car.

Nguyen Cuong from Coc Coc (Vietnam’s browser) reported that of 23 million users of Coc Coc, 7-8 million are interested in electric cars, or 30-35 percent.

The keyword ‘xe dien’ (electric car) has grown by 45 percent over the last year. Some 81 percent of users think that electric cars will better protect the environment than petrol-run cars and the majority of users hope that enterprises will manufacture models that allow them to save fuel and reduce emissions.

The keyword ‘moi truong’ (environment) has a growth rate of 23 percent and ‘khi hau’ (climate) 123 percent, which shows the increasing attention of Vietnamese to the environment and climate change.

Dr Dam Hoang Phuc from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) said that the more vehicles save fuel, the more emissions they can reduce. Vehicle electrification is one of the important measures to reduce emissions in the transport.

Laurent Genet, CEO of Audi Vietnam Importer, chair of Vehicle Importers Vietnam Association (VIVA), said that all the products of VIVA members at this moment and the products to be made in the near future aim at environment protection.

Meanwhile, Do Tu Cuong from Mercedes Benz Vietnam affirmed that by 2025 consumers will absolutely have an alternative solution to replace internal combustion engine vehicles.

Hoang Hiep