VinFast’s electric two-wheelers have finally arrived in the Philippines, and with the way they’re priced, they’re aimed right at the entry-level gasoline-powered scooters from the more popular brands in the market.
But apart from the low retail prices, VinFast is banking on the lower operating costs of its e-scooters compared to ICE motorcycles. In fact, it’s even gone ahead and made the computations for all of us. The Vietnamese brand says riders can save up to P157,680 in five years with its bikes, with up to 80% lower operating costs and 90% less maintenance required.
VinFast came up with these estimates based on the assumptions that the motorcycles were used for an average of 40km per day, electricity rates were at P15/kWh, and gasoline prices were at P70/L.
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Based on these numbers, VinFast’s e-motorcycles should cost P0.56/kWh to run, totaling P8,064 per year. Maintenance is said to cost about P1,000 per year, bringing the total annual running cost to P9,064.
Gasoline motorcycles, meanwhile, are said to cost about P2.125/km. Yearly consumption would be at P30,600 and maintenance at P10,000, totaling about P40,600 per year. VinFast’s numbers equate to roughly P31,536 in savings each year, hence the P157,680 total.
We didn’t crunch the numbers any further, but it seems these do not take into account the actual costs of battery swapping. To the unfamiliar, subscription entails a monthly fee of P439 per battery, and each swap will cost P35. Riders can opt out of the subscription and simply pay for one or two batteries upon purchase of a bike, in which case they can simply charge their bikes or batteries by plugging them into a wall socket.
In any case, these are still bold estimates from VinFast. What do you guys think? Will these potential savings make you consider trying out these electric scooters?
