E-biking their way out of the smog


This photo taken on November 27, 2024 shows motorists on a busy street in Hanoi. Hanoi authorities say that more than two thirds of the poisonous smog that blankets Vietnam's capital for much of the year is caused by petrol vehicles, and officials have ordered that a quarter of two-wheelers across the country must be electric by 2030 to help battle air pollution. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP) / To go with 'VIETNAM-ENVIRONMENT-POLLUTION-MOTORBIKE,FOCUS' by Tran Thi Minh Ha

In the heavily polluted capital Hanoi, teenage taxi driver Phung Khac Trung rides his electric motorbike through streets jammed with two-wheelers belching toxic fumes.Trung, 19, is one of a growing number of Generation-Z workers driving an e-bike trend in the communist nation where 77 million – largely petrol – motorbikes rule the roads.

A cheap set of electric wheels can now be had for as little as US$500 (RM2,213). But issues include wasting hours at charging stations and people finding it hard to give up their habits.

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