Hanoi is set to implement one of the most ambitious clean transport initiatives in Vietnam: banning gas-powered motorbikes within designated areas of Ring Road 1 starting July 1, 2026.

The biggest bottleneck in controlling car emissions in Vietnam does not lie in the vehicle standards but in the type of fuel. A car that meets the Euro 5 standard, but uses gasoline that meets only Euro 3 will not have clean exhaust emissions.

From July 1, 2026, Hanoi will implement time-based restrictions on gasoline motorbikes within the city's innermost Ring Road 1 zone.

A draft resolution on policies to support the shift toward clean-energy road transportation in Hanoi includes a key proposal: providing up to 5 million VND (approximately $200) to individuals switching to electric motorbikes.

Starting July 1, 2026, Hanoi plans to restrict gasoline-powered motorbikes in the Ring Road 1 area, with a roadmap to expand the ban to Ring Road 2 by 2028 and Ring Road 3 by 2030.

Electric motorcycle use is booming, while gasoline motorcycles are starting to decline following Hanoi’s ban on fossil fuel-powered motorcycles entering Ring Road 1, beginning July 1, 2026.

Instead of restricting or banning charging areas as before, many apartments and rental houses in Hanoi’s city center are now planning to expand safe parking and charging spaces for electric motorcycles.

To reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution, Hanoi is implementing a roadmap to restrict and eventually ban gasoline-powered motorcycles, initially within Ring Road 1 by mid-2026.

Hanoi will offer maximum support, targeting the right user groups, to ensure the most favorable conditions for residents within Ring Road 1 and those who frequently travel into the area.

Directive 20 lays the groundwork for Vietnam’s capital to go electric by mid-2026.

Over 70 million aging motorbikes in Vietnam, many without proper emissions testing, are quietly polluting the air in major cities and endangering public health.

A plan to test emissions on 14 million motorbikes in Vietnam's two biggest cities may falter due to lack of facilities and trained personnel.

Manufacturers fear waste and cost under new emissions rules without matching fuel supply.

According to a draft roadmap for implementing new emission standards, starting January 1, 2030, all cars operating in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City must meet at least emission level 2 standards.

A draft regulation proposes mandatory emissions testing for motorbikes, potentially forcing millions of older vehicles off the roads.

A proposed national regulation introduces five emission levels for in-use cars, with a roadmap starting in 2026.

If proposed stricter emissions standards are implemented in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, will vehicles manufactured before 2017 still be permitted on the roads of Vietnam’s two largest urban centers?

Controlling vehicle emissions in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is an urgent task to protect public health. However, current regulations on vehicle emission control have yet to be effectively implemented.