Vietnamese engineers

Easy Riders

Vietnamese engineers are taking on mighty Ford in the electric bike market


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By Margot Cohen/VIETNAM




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IN MOTORBIKE-MAD VIETNAM, Do Anh Tuyet already drives the plushest machine around: a gleaming, snub-nosed $4,800 Honda Spacey, imported from Japan. But the Ho Chi Minh City accountant can't wait for delivery of her latest transport purchase, a $255 Vietnamese electric bicycle.

"It's very cheap and convenient," says Tuyet. Rather than haul her heavy Spacey into scarce parking space at her son's kindergarten, she'd take the relatively lightweight electric bike. She's sympathetic to the cause of reducing air pollution. And she's looking forward to getting more exercise, cutting the motor to pedal. "Definitely, I want to lose four kilos," Tuyet chuckles.

For the two Vietnamese firms producing electric bicycles, it's an exercise in underselling an innovative foreign rival. While other Asian nations such as Taiwan and Singapore have developed various versions of this novelty product, the Vietnamese are pitting themselves against the Americans--and looking toward export markets in the region and beyond.

First off the rack, last October, was the TH!NK e.go bike produced by American automobile giant, Ford Vietnam. With parts imported from the United States and assembled at Ford's plant in Hai Duong province, the sleek bike sells locally for around 10 million dong ($700)--about 2 million dong more than the cheap Chinese motorbikes now clogging local streets. Next, in January, came a 4.9 million dong model made with Taiwanese parts, assembled by state-owned Bicycle, Motorcycle & Engine Company, or BMEC. Finally, in late March, a private Vietnamese company, Delta Electromechanics, rolled out a 3.7 million dong bike, made with 80% local parts, including a battery-charger designed in Vietnam.

"With this price, the company recovers very little profit. But we can still do good business, based on quantity," says Delta director Vu Tien Hao.

Cost certainly matters to Tuyet. "For the price of a Ford bike, I can buy three of these," she notes.

Ford doesn't seem concerned. "A lot of competition is good for the marketplace," says Deborah Aronson, general director of Ford Vietnam. The company isn't expecting the bike to be a big moneymaker. Rather, it's angling to boost its environmental image, in tandem with other activities such as promoting non-leaded fuels. Aronson still hopes the government will decide to slash the 50% import tax on the bike--on the grounds that it's an environmentally-friendly product.

So far Ford has spent less than $3,000 on marketing its bike. Delta hasn't spent a dime, relying on media reports to lure customers to the showroom. To date, the two Vietnamese companies have each sold about 100 bikes, compared to 175 bikes sold by Ford.

Both Delta and BMEC are looking beyond the home market. BMEC hopes to export to the U.S., while Delta is more focused on possible opportunities in China and Australia.

All the companies initially thought the bikes might have greatest appeal for elderly riders. But new government regulations might just add a little more oomph to the youth market. Hanoi's department of education and training decreed in late March that teenagers below 18 should not ride motorcycles of more than 50 cc engine capacity--almost all the motorbikes sold in Vietnam are 100 cc or more. Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City and Danang have introduced similar rules. "It's very lucky," grins Hao. "I think that by the beginning of the new school year [in September], our company won't have enough products to meet the demand."

With an initial investment of two billion dong, the Delta factory is capable of churning out 2,000 bicycles per month. It took Hao and his brother, both engineers, about two years to invent the Delta model. One unique feature is a charger that's connected to the battery. Rival bikes have separate chargers, which are normally left at home. After four hours of charging, the Delta bike can cruise 40 to 50 kilometres, at a maximum speed of 28 kilometres per hour. Comfortable and easy to control, the bike can climb hills. Will sales climb, too? With an eye toward safety and affordability, it looks like many Vietnamese parents will give the bike a whirl.

But they will have to strive hard to wean their teenagers from their beloved motorbikes. "Motorbikes are faster," gloats 18-year-old Hanoi student Nguyen Thu Phuong, sporting tight jeans and dyed-blonde tresses. "I'll just ride that electric bicycle if my parents force me to."



Được sửa chữa bởi - despi on 22/12/2001 07:29