Apart from VinFast, the number of third-party electric vehicle charging stations in Vietnam is not much, only scattered in big cities, and few places have fast charging.
Electric vehicles in the Vietnamese market have been gradually developing rapidly in recent years, as more and more companies have brought car models to Vietnamese customers. However, not all companies invest in charging station systems when selling electric vehicles. Currently, domestic car company VinFast is leading in the charging station system, with about 150,000 charging ports nationwide, no other company besides VinFast has built charging infrastructure on such a large scale.
VinFast currently has a monopoly and has no intention of opening it to other cars in the near future. With other brands of electric vehicles, you can charge slowly using household electricity, charge quickly at home using electric poles provided by the company, charge quickly at poles located at dealers, or use charging services from independent suppliers.
How to find a charging station
Using the Google Maps app to find a charging station is one of the easiest and fastest ways. The latest version of Google Maps can now display detailed information about the charging station on the map, such as the type of charging port (CCS, Type 2...), charging speed, number of charging ports, and operating time.
Google Maps shows full information about electric vehicle charging stations in Vietnam. Screenshot
To search, the car owner needs to open the application, then type the search keyword "charging station" or "charging station", the results will be displayed in a list, from here the car owner can choose the appropriate location according to personal needs.
In addition, Google Maps allows users to add information about the charging port of the electric vehicle in use, from which the application will suggest charging stations with plugs suitable for the vehicle, as well as give recommendations about incompatible charging stations. Adjust this information by clicking on the profile photo in the upper right corner, going to "Settings", selecting "Electric vehicle settings", then selecting the charging head type in the list. This option can only be adjusted on the mobile application, not when opening Google Maps on a computer browser.
Instructions for choosing a charging head type compatible with the vehicle on Google Maps. Video: Ho Tan
Most luxury electric cars in Vietnam, such as Mercedes, Audi, Porsche... have fast charging stations at authorized dealers in big cities, but the number of stations and charging posts is still small. All companies have a roadmap to build more charging stations in the future.
In addition, some companies allow other brands to share charging posts, such as Porsche's fast charging post in Ho Tram using the CCS2 standard, companies such as VinFast, Audi, Mercedes, BMW can share, but must pay parking and charging fees.
For VinFast electric cars, in addition to Google Maps, car owners can find charging stations through the map system on the infotainment screen inside the car, the VinFast application on smartphones, or refer to the list of charging points on the manufacturer's website.
Number of third-party charging stations in Vietnam
Currently, third-party charging stations can be used to charge any type of electric vehicle in Vietnam if the charging port is compatible with the charging post, but the number of charging stations like this is very small. The charging station figures below are posted on the company's official website and application.
Evercharge has 19 charging points, including 8 points in the North, 5 points in the Central region, and 6 points in the South. There are 1-2 charging posts at each point, some places are equipped with 5-10 posts. Only a few are equipped with DC fast charging.
EV One has 24 charging points, including 3 points in the North, 5 points in the Central region, and 16 points in the South. Of which, Audi car dealers in the North and South are equipped with this company's DC fast charging.
Charge+ has installed 350 kW DC fast charging stations at Porsche dealers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. In the near future, Porsche is expected to deploy 17 more DC charging points spanning over 1,700 km in Vietnam.
In addition, many garages, parking lots, restaurants, and hotels have also invested in charging stations to increase convenience for customers, or have ready-made power outlets to charge the car, using slow charging with the included plug. Therefore, before each trip, car owners should contact the destination in advance to learn more about the feasibility of charging electric vehicles.
An EV One charging point in Vietnam. Photo: EV One
Thus, it can be seen that the third-party charging station system in Vietnam is currently not numerous, forcing car owners to charge at home, which has a low speed, or to carefully research charging points on long journeys.
Currently, according to statistics from the General Department of Standards and Quality (Ministry of Science and Technology), Vietnam has 13,500 national technical standards (TCVN). However, as of 2021, there are only 39 national standards specifically applied to electric vehicles and focusing on the main parts of the vehicle such as: batteries, accumulators, engines, etc.
The technical standards, requirements, and safety systems for charging station systems in Vietnam are still in the process of development and construction, so building or deploying charging stations by a third party is not easy or quick. According to the General Department of Quality Standards, the number of standards currently applied to road motor vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations is 277, of which 140 are for cars, 100 are for motorbikes, 18 are for bicycles, and 19 are for charging stations and related equipment.