Recently, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc agreed on the policy of allowing the deployment of electric motorbike battery exchange cabinets on sidewalks.
According to Mr. Do Ngoc Hai - Head of Traffic Works Maintenance and Exploitation Management Department, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the battery exchange cabinet model brings great convenience to users.
People only need to remove old batteries and replace fully charged batteries, without having to wait like at traditional charging points. Arranging battery exchange cabinets on sidewalks and public areas helps users access them more easily, especially for technology drivers and delivery staff.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has assigned the Department of Construction to coordinate with relevant units to review and select locations that meet installation conditions, ensure technical safety, and not affect pedestrians, traffic and people's house entrances.
After agreement, the city will announce a list of locations for businesses to register for deployment, license and fulfill sidewalk usage fees according to regulations.
Representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction said that the battery exchange price is calculated in a "budget-friendly" direction, encouraging people to boldly switch to electric motorbikes.
Currently, there are two businesses proposing to participate in socialization to invest in a system of battery exchange cabinets and electric vehicle charging stations in Ho Chi Minh City.
Great Wealth Trading and Service Co., Ltd. proposes to deploy 10,000 battery exchange cabinets placed next to lighting poles on roads with suitable sidewalks, expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
Battery exchange cabinets of type 6 - 12 trays, capacity from 6kW to 12kW, are designed in monolithic blocks, using 220V power from existing lighting poles, with separate meters and monitoring connection via 4G. The enterprise plans to install 5,000 cabinets in the first quarter of 2026 and the remaining 5,000 cabinets in the second quarter of 2026.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the model of combining lighting poles with battery exchange stations has been applied in many European countries. Taking advantage of available infrastructure is considered a smart and sustainable solution, helping the city quickly expand its battery exchange network.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has about 182,722 lighting poles, of which the old Ho Chi Minh City area has 77,389 poles, Binh Duong 23,229 poles and Ba Ria - Vung Tau 82,104 poles. Therefore, piloting the installation of 10,000 battery exchange cabinets is feasible, as a basis for expansion in the coming time.
Similarly, V-Green Global Charging Station Development Joint Stock Company also proposed installing 10,000 electric motorbike battery exchange cabinets of type 6 - 12 trays on spacious sidewalks, 0.5 m to 1 m from the roadside, near bus shelters, hospitals, schools, museums, and public administrative agencies.
Each point arranges parking spaces for users to switch batteries right on the sidewalk, without affecting pedestrian traffic flow.
V-Green aims to complete the entire system in the first quarter of 2026, serving more than 400,000 technology and delivery drivers in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction said that Ho Chi Minh City currently has about 100,000 electric motorbikes, 300 fast charging poles and about 50 battery exchange points. This infrastructure still does not meet actual needs, while the general recommendation in the world is that about 50 electric motorbikes need a charging pole or battery exchange cabinet.
Most people currently charge their cars at home or in apartments, posing a potential risk of electrical and fire safety insecurity.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction is developing a roadmap from 2029, 100% of motorbikes and mopeds participating in technology vehicles carrying passengers and goods will use electricity, with a scale of about 400,000 vehicles.
According to forecasts, by 2030, Ho Chi Minh City may reach about 1.2 million electric motorbikes and needs to develop more than 25,000 public charging poles and battery exchange cabinets to meet demand.
