A thick haze often hangs above Saigon, obscuring the skyline. Some people can feel a heaviness in their lungs while their eyes and throats throb. After a day spent atop a motorbike idling in traffic, you may notice your facemask has gathered a layer of dark grime. Statistics likely aren’t needed to convince you that the city suffers from poor air quality, though the science certainly exists to back it up. Saigon and Hanoi appear with increasing frequency on the air quality index (AQI) list of most polluted cities. In addition to issues regarding climate change caused by rising carbon levels, living in such conditions carries with it a range of short-term and long-term health risks including breathing difficulties, respiratory infections, and the exacerbation of pre-existing conditions such as asthma as well as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

While a variety of economic and industrial conditions contribute to poor air quality, gasoline vehicles contribute up to 70% of urban environmental pollution emissions including dangerous levels of CO and NOx (NO, NO2, N2O3, N2O5), according to the 2019 paper “Urban Transport in Vietnam: A Perspective from Environmental Pollution” published by the European Journal of Engineering and Technology Research. Traffic jams, as are frequently experienced in large cities, exacerbate the situation as gasoline vehicles contribute 4-5 times the level of pollution vapors amidst congestion. In Vietnam, the vast majority of cars run on gasoline and nearly all of Saigon’s more than seven million motorbikes do.

Electric Vehicles Offer Optimism 

Sitting in traffic, overwhelmed by the noxious fumes and depressed by the visible pollution on the horizon, you, like many, have probably reflected on alternatives including better public transportation and more electric vehicles (EVs). While EVs sound attractive because they emit no toxic pollutants as direct exhaust and are more energy efficient than internal combustion engines, which reduces their total carbon output, adoption remains low. Many reasons exist for why more people have not made the change to EVs, including concerns with the cost, performance and style of the vehicles, as well as access to charging stations and battery safety. 

There is cause for optimism, however, as many of the barriers to EV adoption are being removed and technologies are improving to address the concerns. A recent study by KPMG reports that 70% of participant responders in Vietnam expressed interest in buying a hybrid or fully electric vehicle with particular support coming from younger consumers. This desire coincides with the increased availability of EVs from trusted global brands including Hyundai; newer players such as BYD; and local upstarts such as Vinfast and Dat Bike that are offering new designs that boast longer ranges, greater durability, more comfort and higher overall performance. Meanwhile, the government is considering ways to promote e-vehicle ownership via regulations and industry support.    

What EBOOST Reveals About the Industry’s Path to Sustainability

Several years ago, before the EV climate in Vietnam appeared so positive, Stefan Kaufmann found himself trapped in Saigon’s claustrophobic traffic during his daily commute and pondered the market potential: “Wow, there are 70 million motorbikes in this country; it’s huge!” he remembers thinking. 

Stefan Kaufmann atop the motorbike he built at an EBOOST charging station.

The Swiss national with a background in microengineering was working in operational management for a global materials corporation but nurtured an entrepreneurial spirit and romantic notions of becoming a startup founder. Driven by a desire to overcome the challenges of starting his own business, he launched a company assembling and selling electric vehicles in tandem with charging ports. While building the bikes on the ground floor of his apartment and working his corporate day job, he learned difficult but necessary lessons regarding establishing networks and partnerships. As he progressed and continued to analyze the market and its development he realized it would be better to focus fully on another aspect of electric vehicles he had been concurrently developing thanks to a fortuitous realization. 

“Don't call me stupid; you can think about many things as an entrepreneur, but sometimes you miss the most essential things,” Stefan explained during his visit to the Saigoneer offices earlier this year. “Where do I go to charge? There is nothing to use to charge and there could be thousands of electric bikes coming,” he says of his building’s parking lot. Stefan quickly realized that when more people adopt electric vehicles there will be an overwhelming need for charging stations that up to that point didn’t exist. Thankfully 

EBOOST charging station for residential building with standard outlet.

“There must be thousands of buildings where they have shared parking areas: offices, commercial malls, residential apartments. This means thousands of bikes, right? And cars. They need to have a certified, safe, smart solution” for charging, he realized. “Hey, I'm going to do that because I saw nobody's doing it much.” Thus about four years ago, EBOOST pivoted to focusing 100% on providing certified, convenient, and trustworthy public charging stations for electric vehicles. It was a prescient calibration as access to a large and reliable charging network is currently among consumer’s greatest concerns when it comes to EV adoption.

Equipped with a problem-solving engineer’s mindset, Stefan identified the electric vehicle market’s needs and quickly shaped his business to meet them. EBOOST employs an app so that users can easily pay for and track their energy use as well as locate stations that have been installed in cooperation with commercial and residential locations that see the economic and brand value of providing them to tenants and the public at large. Predicting the future landscape, Stefan knew he had to make his chargers accessible for all vehicles so that customers could use them regardless of their vehicles’ brand or model. EBOOST also provides around-the-clock support so individuals can receive assistance if they encounter any problems.

EBOOST charging station installed for public use.

EBOOST’s business model posits a win-win situation for all stakeholders. By witnessing the proliferation of charging stations, individuals will be more aware of progress being made in the electric vehicle industry and more able to take part. Incentivized by direct and indirect value received, residential buildings, offices, schools and public spaces will assist in expanding the charging coverage. Meanwhile, EV manufacturers will be able to better satisfy and attract more customers thanks to the more complete charging solutions provided by EBOOST. And of course, the impact on the air pollution positively impacts everyone in the city.

One of the greatest concerns revolves around safety. A number of high-profile tragedies involving building fires sparked by charging electric bikes in Vietnam have led to public fears.  Stefan understands that these concerns are not unique to electric vehicles and have surrounded the adoption of many new technologies from microwaves to air travel. It’s always a matter of perception as impacted by information. Therefore, one challenge is to communicate to customers that EBOOST’s stations are safe as exemplified by third-party certification according to international standards along with a variety of safety features that protect against current surges and overheating. Ultimately, EBOOST can only do so much as the most consequential element is that e-vehicle manufacturers should use and deploy high-quality batteries according to required standards to avoid risks. Furthermore, while users are protected if the chargers malfunction, they have a responsibility to correctly use and maintain their batteries. As time passes and more people have positive experiences with e-vehicles, the consensus of the industry’s safety should mature.

EBOOST representatives explaining the technology during the Powering a Sustainable Future event.

How the EV Landscape May Look in the Future

A true entrepreneur, Stefan has quantifiable goals and benchmarks as well as an endgame for his company. To date, EBOOST has expanded to over 200 charging locations across the country with more on the way. These efforts are not only helping foster the transition to green mobility in Vietnam but also contribute to avoiding a projected metric ton of carbon per year. And while he remains passionate about EBOOST’s day-to-day growth and praises his team, he fantasizes about “one day in the future, a large partner or corporate institution joining to establish the EBOOST brand for many years to come and help Vietnam in reaching its green journey goals,” he shared. 

For the electric vehicle industry to take hold in meaningful ways that will significantly impact air pollution, for example, implementation must come on a massive scale that is simply not possible for small, independent companies alone to foster. This reality holds true for the industry’s smaller components, such as charging stations. Thus, it will be a positive sign if a government entity or large corporation such as a vehicle manufacturer joins EBOOST and nurtures its further growth. 

We had assumed our conversation with Stefan would involve how matters of environmental stewardship and sustainability are compelling people to switch to EV vehicles while these ethical issues are major motivators for business founders. But after more than an hour of speaking about EBOOST, from inception to exit goals, we had barely mentioned the topics. When we brought them up to Stefan he quickly remarked “That should be in the DNA of everything we do … I think that's obvious, right? We don't need to talk about climate change, waste, garbage, health … that’s proven.” Stefan is not a wide-eyed dreamer picturing scrawny polar bears on melting ice floes. Rather, the thrill of succeeding as a founder allows him to continue with what he repeatedly described as a marathon.

Improving Saigon’s air quality will require the work of many people like Stefan toiling away as small business owners, corporate cogs, and government functionaries to address mundane logistics and infrastructure needs as well as individuals changing their travel habits by selecting EV, public transportation and bicycles. The challenges ahead may seem daunting. But from improving battery recycling methods to designing sleeker electric bikes on par with the flashiest combustion models, it's only a matter of time. And if Saigon drivers one day take deep lungfuls of fresh, clean air, it will be thanks in part to passionate innovators and dogged tinkerers thrilled by a challenge. 

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