If you have noticed that Vietnamese electric scooters cluster just below 50 km/h, that is not a coincidence — it is the law defining a product category.

Article 34(1)(g) of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (No. 36/2024/QH15) defines a moped (xe may gan may) as a two- or three-wheel vehicle designed for a top speed of no more than 50 km/h, powered by an engine of 50 cc or less or an electric motor of 4 kW or less. Meeting that definition is what removes the licence requirement: mopeds can be ridden from age 16 with no driving licence.

So the 50 km/h ceiling is not a speed limit written for electric bikes — it is the membership condition of the licence-free class. Build the bike slower than 50 km/h and under 4 kW, and you sell to every 16-year-old and unlicensed adult in the country.

How manufacturers respond

VinFast sells the Evo in two versions that prove the point: the standard Evo reaches up to 70 km/h with its 2,450 W motor, while the Evo Lite is deliberately limited to below 50 km/h and, in VinFast’s own words, does not require a driver’s licence. Same platform, different legal class, different market.

What riders should take from it

  • Buying unlicensed? The spec sheet must show 4 kW or less and a sub-50 km/h design speed.
  • The cap interacts with power: many sub-4 kW scooters could physically exceed 50 km/h, so the design speed is what is certified.
  • Above the cap you are in motorcycle territory: A1 licence for above 4 kW to 11 kW, A above that.

A note on riding at the cap

A 50 km/h machine still rides in the same traffic as everything else. Keep to the left lane discipline, watch mirrors for faster bikes, and remember the quiet motor makes you easy to overlook. Information, not legal advice; verified against Law 36/2024/QH15 on 2026-09-24.