It comes to no surprise that “electric vehicles” has become the latest buzzword in Việt Nam, sparked by a directive from Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on July 12. The order mandates an aggressive, phased ban of fossil-fuel vehicles in Hà Nội, beginning in 2026 within Ring Road No. 1 and expanding to all personal vehicles within Ring Road No. 3 by 2030.

While the government insists this is a necessary step to curb pollution and promote green transportation, many are doubtful about the policy’s feasibility. Before one can even ask if electric cars will make Hà Nội cleaner, a more fundamental question arises: does Việt Nam even have the electrical grid capacity to support such a massive transition? Answering that requires a panoramic view of the nation’s electricity sector—its output, reserves, potential, and forecasts for meeting a dramatic surge in demand.