Urgently design charging stations in apartment buildings
Former Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Official Dispatch No. 27/CD-TTg directing ministries, branches, and localities to promote the development of electric vehicle charging station infrastructure in apartment buildings.
In which, the Official Dispatch requests the Ministry of Construction to urgently build and complete a system of regulations, standards/norms on urban planning that must integrate infrastructure for green traffic, including electricity charging station systems, infrastructure necessary for replacement battery charging stations, to be completed in the second quarter of 2026.
At the same time, the Prime Minister requested to urgently study, amend and supplement national technical regulations on apartment buildings to provide specific guidance on the design of charging stations in apartment buildings to ensure safety requirements, fire and explosion prevention, convenient installation location for use and incident response, to be completed before April 30, 2026.
The Prime Minister's policy quickly received a response from electric vehicle users living in urban areas and apartment buildings.
Ms. Bui Thu Phuong (Hoang Liet ward, Hanoi) said that her family has 2 electric vehicles for her mother and children to travel daily. Currently, the apartment building where she lives is limiting the number of electric vehicles allowed to be parked. According to her, while the city encourages the use of environmentally friendly vehicles, many apartment buildings limit or do not accept electric vehicles, causing residents no small difficulties.
If more cars arise, we are forced to find parking outside" - Ms. Phuong shared.
From that inadequacy, Ms. Phuong expressed her desire for the charging station infrastructure and regulations at the apartment building to be completed soon in a more convenient and safe direction, so that people can feel secure using electric vehicles in daily life.
Clear standards, safety solutions and appropriate roadmap are needed
Talking to Lao Dong, Dr. Phan Le Binh - traffic expert, Chief Representative of OCG Japan Consulting Office - said: "With the changes of the times, of society and the increasing demand for electric vehicles, arranging charging stations is necessary.
However, he pointed out that currently apartment buildings do not have standards and technical regulations related to electrical charging for personal vehicles.
In fact, locations such as internal courtyards, floating parking lots, areas along fences or interspersed land strips in the campus... can all be used to install charging piles in the form of open parking lots. In Vietnam, some urban areas have also been equipped with outdoor charging stations for both motorbikes and electric cars.
As one of the building management and operation units, a representative of S-TECH Technology Joint Stock Company said that in the context of the rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles in apartment buildings, the problem posed is not only in the addition of charging station infrastructure, but also in the overall management and operation method.
According to business representatives, solution providers are currently gradually shifting to digitizing operations, taking data as a foundation to support the Management Board to control parking lots more effectively. Through the Building Care building operation management platform, fully grasping vehicle information from quantity, type to frequency of use helps the Management Board have a basis to rearrange space, gradually forming suitable areas for electric vehicles instead of managing in the traditional way.
