Vietnam’s southern industrial provinces have quietly become one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for Chinese electric heavy-duty trucks. In the first ten months of 2025, more than 1,050 units from XCMG, FAW, Dongfeng and Shacman were registered for factory-to-port and inter-provincial haulage — a 420% increase from 2024.
The epicenter is Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where Samsung, Intel, Lego and thousands of foreign-invested factories demand just-in-time logistics with zero tolerance for downtime. Gemadept, Vietnam’s largest port operator, now runs 85 FAW J6P 6×4 electric tractors between Cat Lai port and the new 2,600-hectare VSIP III industrial park.
Each truck is equipped with a 550 kWh CATL LFP battery, delivering 380–420 km range under full load in Vietnam’s tropical heat. Overnight depot charging at 180 kW costs less than VND 1.8 million per full charge — roughly 40% of diesel cost.
In the north, VinFast may dominate passenger EVs, but Chinese brands own the heavy segment. Vinalines deployed 68 XCMG electric terminal tractors at Lach Huyen deep-water port near Haiphong in 2025. The Ministry of Transport’s new Decree 70/2025 offers 100% registration fee exemption and priority green-lane access for electric trucks until 2030.
Chinese manufacturers have established massive after-sales networks: XCMG opened a 12,000 m² parts center in Binh Duong in April 2025; FAW has trained 320 Vietnamese technicians through its Hanoi academy.
By 2030, the Vietnam Logistics Association forecasts that 28–35% of the country’s 180,000 heavy trucks will be battery-electric — almost entirely Chinese brands.
From the Standard Gauge Railway depots in Nairobi to the Lamu Port construction site and the Addis-Djibouti corridor, Chinese electric heavy-duty trucks have become the backbone of East Africa’s largest infrastructure projects in 2025.
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) deployed 180 SANY electric dump trucks and 90 XCMG electric mixers on the Nairobi Expressway extension and the new Isiolo-Mandera highway. All vehicles are charged by 15 MW solar farms built alongside worker camps.
In Ethiopia, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) operates 140 Dongfeng electric trucks for the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway logistics chain. Electricity from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam keeps charging costs below $0.03/kWh.
Kenya introduced a 0% import duty and 0% VAT on electric commercial vehicles in its 2025/26 budget. Rwanda and Uganda followed with similar incentives. The Northern Corridor Transport Observatory reports that average port clearance time for Chinese electric trucks is 18 hours faster than diesel due to dedicated green lanes.
By mid-2025, more than 720 Chinese electric heavy trucks were operating on BRI projects across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Tanzania — with another 1,100 on order for 2026-2028 delivery.
