A survey by reporters at Vinaconex 7 Apartment Building (Ho Tung Mau Street, Phu Dien Ward, Hanoi) shows that the entire apartment building currently only has 3 electric motorbike chargers, causing many residents to encounter many inconveniences in the process of use.
At New Skyline apartment building (Ha Dong ward, Hanoi), the electric vehicle charging area currently has no roof, the number of sockets is limited, posing a potential safety risk. While the parking basement is spaciously arranged with hundreds of electric vehicles, the charging area is placed outdoors, with only about 8 sockets and is temporarily shielded, every time it rains or shines brightly, charging the car poses many dangers.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Dinh Quoc Dan - Deputy Director of the Institute of Construction Science and Technology (Ministry of Construction) said that the current situation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in many apartment buildings is not complete and does not meet the technical requirements in the newly issued standards, as well as stems from a serious mismatch between the explosive speed of vehicles and the capacity of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Most existing apartment buildings are designed many years ago, not designed or lacking synchronization in space arrangement, power grid capacity limits and fire protection systems to receive additional electric vehicle charging loads. Overload of vehicle charging needs and infrastructure limitations force residents and management boards to fend for themselves, leading to the arrangement of charging areas not meeting standards.
This reality stems from the technical gap that current regulations such as QCVN 04:2021/BXD, QCVN 13:2018/BXD do not have technical regulations for arranging and installing charging areas and battery exchange areas of apartment buildings. The lack of unified technical requirements makes management boards confused in implementing compliance and operating correctly or even refusing services.
On the other hand, electric vehicle charging areas, battery exchange areas that do not meet technical requirements, do not have independent fire prevention compartments and electrical systems that do not meet standards are potentially directly threatening the lives and property of the entire residential community.
To remove confusion for existing apartment buildings, the Ministry of Construction issued Circular 31 Amending 01:2026 QCVN 04:2021/BXD (effective from December 15, 2026) on the principle of flexible, feasible application and not rigid imposition.
The regulation allows buildings to review and design electrical charging infrastructure based on the maximum use of the capacity of existing fire prevention and fighting (PCCC) systems, ventilation and power grid capacity. Technical regulations go hand in hand with specific technical solutions to ensure compliance, even for works with limited ground and limited infrastructure, the regulation allows the application of compensatory risk management solutions through solutions on median distance, auxiliary equipment and 24/7 continuous monitoring.
In parallel, apartment building management boards need to proactively review needs, assess existing infrastructure capacity, coordinate with local Fire and Rescue Police agencies to survey and agree on additional plans to meet the compliance with standards for each project. In the process of implementation, if there are any problems, all opinions can be sent to the Ministry of Construction or the Institute of Construction Science and Technology for timely guidance.
According to regulations, the transition period is 6 months from the date Circular 31 takes effect for apartment buildings to review and adjust infrastructure. The Department of Housing and Real Estate Market Management, specialized management agencies and the Institute of Construction Science and Technology will also coordinate to organize dissemination, guidance on application, as well as inspection and supervision of the implementation of Amended 01:2026 QCVN 04:2021/BXD after it is promulgated. This is to ensure uniformity and management efficiency from competent authorities regarding issues of public concern.
