*

A majority of survey respondents said they would opt for

electric motorbikes

*

Honda ( HMC ) sales falling in Vietnam

*

Vietnam's VinFast to gain from Hanoi's planned curbs on

petrol

bikes

By Francesco Guarascio and Phuong Nguyen

HANOI, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Honda's ( HMC ) dominance of

Vietnam's motorbike market is under threat as Hanoi pushes for a

rapid switch to electric vehicles in a boost to local EV maker

VinFast, according to industry data and the findings of

a consumer survey.

Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued a directive

in July that bans after 12 months fossil-fuel-powered motorbikes

from the centre of the capital Hanoi and extends the scope of

the ban from 2028.

Honda ( HMC ) and other motorbike makers have written to authorities

criticising the changes as being too fast, according to two

people with direct knowledge of the matter.

The Japanese company's sales in Vietnam fell by nearly 22%

in August from July, a 13% drop on the year, after the

government's ban was announced, industry data showed.

Partly in response to the government's policies, residents

of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's two largest cities,

plan to choose an electric model for their next motorbike

purchase, according to a survey conducted in September by market

research firm Asia Plus Inc.

Representatives for Honda ( HMC ) in Vietnam did not reply to

requests for comment.

The Vietnamese ministry responsible for transport did not

reply to a request for comment but the government has said the

new measures were needed to address air pollution in Hanoi,

which at times tops the list of the world's most polluted

cities.

LION'S SHARE OF THE MARKET

Vietnam's two-wheeler market stands at $4.6 billion in 2025

and is projected to reach $6 billion by 2030, according to

market research firm Mordor Intelligence.

Petrol motorbikes dominate Vietnam's market, one of the

world's largest. Honda ( HMC ) sold 2.6 million vehicles in the country

last year, more than 80% of the total. VinFast said it delivered

71,000 electric motorbikes.

Honda ( HMC ), the world's largest manufacturer of motorbikes, is

also producing electric models but it is not clear how many it

sells in Vietnam.

Of the 200 people polled in the survey, 54% said they would

choose an electric motorbike for their next purchase, and only

24% would opt for a gasoline model. The main reason given for

preferring an electric option was the government's policies to

endorse EVs.

In Hanoi, the share of interviewees saying they would choose

an electric motorbike was 60%.

Half of the poll respondents said they would consider buying

a Honda ( HMC ) motorbike and 32% said they would opt for a VinFast

model. More than 80% said they already owned a Honda ( HMC ) vehicle and

4% said they had a VinFast motorbike.

"The rapid policy support, including phased bans,

incentives, and public messaging, has significantly shaped

consumer attitudes and could accelerate a market shift faster

than traditional manufacturers anticipated," said Kengo

Kurokawa, the head of Asia Plus.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Additional reporting by

Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi and Daniel Leussink in Tokyo; Editing by

Muralikumar Anantharaman)