This initiative is a propaganda campaign directed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Why it matters: There has been no proper public survey on attitudes toward E10 gasoline.
What is happening: In recent days, several state newspapers and information channels—including Lao Động, VietNamNet, Vietnam.vn, Ho Chi Minh City Television, VTV Online, and Hà Nội News—have published stories claiming that most Vietnamese people have “positively received” and “agreed” to use E10 biofuel gasoline.
On May 23, Lao Động newspaper reported that people had “positively received” E10 gasoline, based on interviews with several residents and gas station employees in Hà Nội.
The same day, VietNamNet said many consumers in Hồ Chí Minh City supported the policy of expanding E10 gasoline use, citing “field observations.”
State outlets, including Tin Tức, Sài Gòn Giải Phóng, Nhân Dân, and Hồ Chí Minh City Television, have also published stories praising E10 gasoline, saying it is safe for vehicles and environmentally friendly.
In mid-April and early May 2026, after E10 gasoline was first introduced, state newspapers such as Công Thương and Công an Nhân dân reported that people had “enthusiastically welcomed” and “chosen to use” E10 gasoline.
The background: On May 22, the Ministry of Industry and Trade sent a dispatch to provincial and municipal people’s committees, ordering them to strengthen communication activities on E10 gasoline.
In the document, the ministry said that over nearly five months of E10-related communication, press agencies had closely followed the ministry’s propaganda orientation, focusing on E10 gasoline as an inevitable trend for environmental protection.
They also noted that social media and press discourse still contained concerns about the compatibility and safety of E10 gasoline. It described these as “conflicting information flows” that needed to be “oriented and explained in a timely manner.”
The ministry therefore asked provincial and municipal people’s committees to direct and guide press agencies, media outlets, and petroleum distributors to increase propaganda on E10 gasoline “in an objective and accurate manner, closely following the policies of the Party and state,” in order to “promptly orient information and public opinion” before E10 is rolled out nationwide.
On May 19, the Domestic Market Management and Development Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a document asking provincial and municipal industry and trade departments to increase “propaganda,” “reminders,” and “strict supervision” of retail gas stations through May 31 to serve the scheduled transition to E10 gasoline sales.
What state media left out: After information emerged about the transition timeline, many social media users voiced concerns about E10 gasoline’s safety and compatibility with machinery and vehicles. These concerns have largely been absent from state media coverage.
- A Facebook account named Phạm Thanh Nhân said E10 gasoline was “incompatible” with many types of equipment, including chainsaws, lawn mowers, water pumps, and generators—machines commonly used in agriculture.
- Another user, Trịnh Hà, shared an incident involving E10 gasoline. They said that after filling a tank with “E10-95III” for the first time, the vehicle ran normally for a short distance before suddenly stalling on the expressway. The initial cause was identified as a “failed fuel pump.” The user added that after checking online groups, they found “quite a few people like me,” referring to fuel pump failures after using the gasoline.
- Another account, Nhà xe Minh Anh, said vehicles became “sluggish” and their engines “noisier” after using E10 gasoline.
- A VnExpress poll published on May 15, 2026, about readiness to switch to E10 gasoline had received more than 4,500 votes as of 3:30 p.m. on May 26. Of these, 83% (nearly 3,800 votes) said they did not want to switch to E10; 13% (575 votes) said they needed more time to verify its quality; and only 2% (113 votes) said they were ready to use it immediately.
The bigger picture: Under Circular 50/2025 issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, starting June 1, unleaded gasoline must be blended into E10 biofuel gasoline—a fuel made of 90% conventional mineral gasoline and 10% bioethanol—for use in gasoline engines nationwide.
The ministry says E10 gasoline is the first step in Việt Nam’s biofuel development roadmap.
After June 1, market surveillance authorities will “handle” gas stations that sell products not in compliance with the required fuel categories.
E10 gasoline was previously sold on a trial basis in Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City in early August 2025, but the results were assessed as unfavorable by the consumers.
Lê Sáng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 26, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights of the English translation.
