Residents are worried about electric trams in the apartment building's basement.

The purchase of electric motorcycles and electric cars by city dwellers to replace gasoline-powered vehicles is an inevitable trend in today's society. While the number of electric vehicles is increasing, many apartment buildings lack parking spaces and charging stations, leaving owners and residents alike worried about the risk of fire and explosion.

Lack of electric vehicle parking spaces.

Hundreds of residents at Tan Phuoc apartment building (Minh Phung ward, Ho Chi Minh City) are living in a state of anxiety due to fire and explosion risks, after learning that there are four electric cars parked in the building's basement.

Following feedback from residents, the apartment building management promptly issued a notice: "For safety reasons, from July 23, 2025, the management board requests that electric vehicles, including electric bicycles, electric motorbikes, and electric cars, not be accepted for parking in the apartment building's basement parking area."

The announcement was made, but residents remain worried. Electric car owners who are residents of the apartment building are in a dilemma, unsure where to park their cars when they return home from work.

The management board of Tan Phuoc apartment building (Minh Phung ward, Ho Chi Minh City) has set up a temporary parking and charging area for electric bicycles and electric motorbikes to serve residents.

Mr. Bui Thanh Phuc, a resident of Tam Phu apartment building (Tam Binh ward, Ho Chi Minh City), said that in recent times, fire and explosion incidents caused by electric vehicles have become increasingly frequent, causing heavy losses of property and human lives, leaving residents with a lasting fear. Meanwhile, the increasing number of residents buying electric vehicles to replace gasoline-powered cars has put pressure on apartment buildings due to a lack of parking spaces and charging points, in addition to concerns about fire safety.

To ensure the safety of residents, the apartment building management board issued notice No. 05/2025 stating: “The management board requires all electric vehicles not to be parked in the apartment building's parking garage. Absolutely no electric vehicles or their batteries are allowed in the elevator or in apartments for charging…”

Not only in Ho Chi Minh City, but also in several other provinces and cities, many apartment buildings have issued notices prohibiting parking electric vehicles in their basements. Based on the actual fire safety situation at the building and the potential risks associated with charging and storing electric vehicles such as electric bicycles, electric motorbikes, and electric cars, the management board of The Pegasus Plaza apartment building ( Dong Nai province) has requested that electric vehicles not be allowed to park in the basement area to ensure fire safety for the entire building.

Lack of consensus, difficult to manage.

Replacing gasoline-powered vehicles with electric ones is an inevitable trend. Ho Chi Minh City has also developed a plan to convert from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles, aiming for green transportation, initially focusing on drivers of ride-hailing and delivery services. According to the plan, from now until 2029, the city will convert 400,000 vehicles, with many preferential policies regarding VAT, registration fees, loan interest rates, and registration fee waivers. Therefore, the number of electric vehicles will increase rapidly in the coming years, making the need for parking spaces and charging stations in apartment buildings more urgent than ever.

In reality, not only older apartment buildings but also many newly constructed, large-scale, and modern apartment complexes "forget" to provide parking spaces and charging stations for electric vehicles. The number of apartment buildings with parking spaces and charging stations designed to ensure fire safety can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Mr. Nguyen Phong Dien, a resident of Popal Boulevard apartment building (Di An ward, Ho Chi Minh City) - one of the few apartment buildings with electric vehicle parking and charging facilities - said that the building's basement is designed with parking spaces, a charging system, and fire safety measures in place for electric vehicles. Residents can comfortably park their motorbikes and electric cars in the basement, unlike many residents in surrounding apartment buildings who struggle to find parking spaces.

Speaking with us, Mr. Le Van Quang, Head of the Tan Phuoc Apartment Building Management Board, informed us that the apartment building, constructed in 2016, consists of three blocks with over 1,000 apartments, but its design lacks parking spaces for electric vehicles, charging systems, and fire safety measures for electric vehicles. In early 2025, the building's management board organized a survey of residents, and 80% of them disagreed with parking electric vehicles in the basement.

To support residents in using electric vehicles, the management board proactively contacted parking facilities for four electric cars and also built an electric vehicle parking garage and charging stations for electric bicycles and motorbikes within the building. The management board also purchased two specialized fire extinguishers to put out fires caused by electric vehicles. However, these measures by the management board are only temporary "firefighting" solutions and not fundamental or sustainable solutions.

Mr. Tran Thuong, Deputy Head of the Tam Phu Apartment Building Management Board, said that to serve the needs of residents, the Management Board built an electric vehicle parking area and charging station. Staff regularly inspect, maintain, repair, and replace equipment for electric vehicles, while also updating information and fire safety measures for users. Charging fees for electric vehicles are applied at 50,000 VND/month for electric bicycles; 70,000 VND/month for vehicles used for commuting; and 250,000 VND/month for electric vehicles used for service.

“The measures taken by apartment building management boards to support residents using electric vehicles by providing parking and charging points are only temporary solutions. The government needs fundamental and sustainable policies and plans; otherwise, the city's goal of developing green transportation will be difficult to achieve because apartment buildings lack parking and charging points,” Mr. Tran Thuong shared.

TRAN YEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/cu-dan-thap-thom-vi-xe-dien-trong-ham-chung-cu-post807911.html