HO CHI MINH CITY – It’s a Sunday morning and a group of young men are lounging around, Vietnamese style, in plastic half-height chairs on the pavement with milky coffees in hand. They are not there just to shoot the breeze. Dressed in identical blue tops, they trade tips about their latest passion: electric motorcycles.

They line their motorbikes up and pore over accessories such as tyre lights and remote-controlled seats. The racier modifications can be seen only when these vehicles are turned on.