Mini cars are increasingly popular in Japan, India and China. The vehicles are mostly small with matchbox-like design which saves fuel and money. Mini cars now account for 35 percent of all cars in Japan, and purely electric vehicles are also increasing rapidly. 

Vietnam is entering the motorization period and car buyers are increasingly diverse. There are the clients who don’t have high incomes but still want to own cars.

The first mini electric car model that appeared in the Vietnamese market in June 2023 was the Wuling Mini EV, assembled by TMT Motors at its factory in Hung Yen. The car manufacturer reported that over 500 products had been sold by the end of 2023.

More mini electric car models are expected to be launched in 2024. Vietnamese VinFast is going to market the VF3 model in Vietnam. The model has a length of 3,190mm, height 1,622mm, width 1,679mm, weight 1.3 tons, 110 horse power, highest speed of 100 kilometers per hour and maximum travel distance of 210 kilometers after a full charge. It is priced at VND300 million.

TMT said it is going to market Wuling Mini EV 2024 series, named Macaron, with more options, but the prices will be higher. Baojun Yep and Wuling Bingo may also be marketed this year.

The advantages of mini cars are small and can easily move in small streets and alleys. The majority of mini cars have small batteries, so it takes six hours only to be fully charged and can be charged at home. With the total travel distance of 40 kilometers per week, users would need to charge twice a week. 

One more advantage is the low operation cost, which is expected to be even lower than petrol-run motorbikes.

Analysts say that mini electric cars will become more popular in Vietnam as large cities have planned to prohibit motorbikes from 2030, and the whole country will stop using tge internal combustion engine by 2050. Now is the time for automobile manufacturers to launch mini electric cars to familiarize customers with the clean-fuel vehicle.

The buyers of mini cars often have a regular car but want another small vehicle for traveling short distances to markets and schools.

However, mini electric car is still not the choice of the majority of people because of worries about safety, convenience and battery life. Mini electric cars remain expensive, VND250-300 million, unaffordable for many.

Hoang Hiep