On January 22, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction issued a document to relevant departments, branches, localities and businesses, guiding the installation of electric motorbike battery exchange cabinets on sidewalks.
Previously, the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee agreed on the policy of allowing the implementation of this model in the city.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction requires battery exchange cabinets to ensure common usability and technical compatibility.
The charging compartment design needs to have a flexible size and space, supporting common batteries for many car lines of different suppliers or committing to applying an open connection protocol.
The entire location of the battery exchange cabinet must be connected and updated on the city's traffic information page for people to conveniently look up and use.
Businesses participating in investing and operating battery exchange cabinets must commit to handling technical incidents within 2-4 hours from the time of occurrence. At the same time, cabinets must be equipped with 24/7 surveillance camera systems, remote data connection to monitor battery status, promptly detect and handle risks.
According to the guidance, battery exchange cabinets are allowed to be arranged on sidewalks, green trees, power poles, lighting poles, green spaces along roads, prioritizing areas near businesses, schools, commercial centers, export processing zones and industrial parks.
The minimum distance between cabinets is 500 m to ensure urban space, except for some special areas that will be considered according to actual needs. The edge outside the cabinet must be at least 0.5 m from the curb, the cabinet is placed parallel to the road surface and does not obscure the view.
The battery-carrying side must turn towards people's houses, forcing users to bring their cars onto the sidewalk when changing batteries, limiting the impact on traffic flow.
Battery exchange cabinets are not installed at intersections, entrances, pedestrian walkways, disabled walkways, in front of people's houses where complaints are likely to arise, areas that are frequently flooded or places that do not ensure pedestrian walkways of at least 1.5 m. The city also prioritizes arranging cabinets at locations where there are already electrical charging stations and areas on the side of bus shelters.
The Department of Construction requires that the installation of battery exchange cabinets must ensure traffic safety, environmental sanitation and urban aesthetics. The area around the cabinet within a radius of 2 m must always be clean, and garbage must not be left behind.
Notably, the battery exchange cabinet is not used for commercial advertising purposes, does not have panels or posters, except for brand identification logos and user manuals.
Businesses must complete all related procedures such as construction permits, temporary use permits for roads and sidewalks, and traffic organization plans for stopping and parking vehicles when changing batteries.
In case the competent authority requests, the enterprise must relocate the cabinet and return the premises on time, without being required to compensate or complain.
Battery exchange cabinets must fully meet technical standards on quality and fire safety, be equipped with automatic shutdown and temperature warning systems according to current regulations. The equipment must be designed, appraised, inspected and periodically labeled with electrical safety.
To ensure safety when it rains heavily or floods, the battery exchange cabinet must meet the minimum IP65 or IP67 protection index, minimizing the risk of electrical leakage during operation.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has recorded two businesses proposing to participate in socializing investment in battery exchange cabinet systems.
Great Wealth Trading and Service Co., Ltd. proposes to install 10,000 battery exchange cabinets next to lighting poles on roads with suitable sidewalks. The enterprise plans to deploy 5,000 cabinets in Q1/2026 and complete the remaining 5,000 cabinets in Q2/2026.
Meanwhile, V-Green Global Charging Station Development Joint Stock Company also proposed installing 10,000 electric motorbike battery exchange cabinets, expected to be fully completed in the first quarter of 2026, serving more than 400,000 technology and delivery drivers operating in Ho Chi Minh City.
