Ho Chi Minh City proposes installing 20,000 electric vehicle battery swapping cabinets on sidewalks.

Faced with the reality of inadequate and poor charging station infrastructure, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has sent a document to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee reporting on and proposing a plan to socialize the installation of 20,000 electric motorbike battery swapping cabinets on sidewalks and at public streetlights.

Ho Chi Minh City has proposed a pilot project to install 20,000 electric vehicle battery swapping cabinets on sidewalks.

According to data from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the city's infrastructure has not kept pace with growth. Ho Chi Minh City currently has approximately 100,000 electric motorbikes in circulation. However, the supporting energy infrastructure is extremely limited, with only about 300 fast charging stations and 50 battery swapping points. This ratio is significantly lower than international recommendations (an average of 1 station per 50 vehicles), forcing most people to charge their motorbikes at home or in apartment buildings, posing numerous fire safety risks.

To address this bottleneck, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has received and compiled proposals from two businesses, Great Wealth Trading and Service Company Limited and V-Green Global Charging Station Development Joint Stock Company, with a commitment to investing in synchronized infrastructure without using state budget funds. The pilot phase of the battery swapping cabinets is expected to last until 2027 to evaluate operational efficiency.

The plan, submitted to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, aims to cover 20,000 lampposts and street corners. In this plan, Great Wealth Company proposes installing 10,000 battery switching cabinets integrated directly into existing public streetlights. These cabinets are compact (6-12 bays), utilize the existing power source from the lampposts, and are equipped with separate power metering devices.

V-Green Company proposed deploying 10,000 battery swapping cabinets along roads with wide sidewalks (over 3m), prioritizing areas near bus stops, schools, and public places. The goal is to serve a community of over 400,000 ride-hailing and delivery drivers, a group with high and continuous energy needs.

According to the companies, each cabinet measures approximately 1m x 1.4m, and battery replacement takes only about 2 minutes, whereas traditional charging typically takes 3 to 8 hours.

Based on this, the Department of Construction recommends that the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee consider and approve the pilot project, and at the same time assign districts and communes to review and propose suitable installation locations. The implementation must ensure that it does not obstruct pedestrians, does not affect urban aesthetics, and strictly complies with fire prevention and fighting regulations.

In addition, the Department also proposed that the City should soon develop a pricing framework for sidewalk rentals for this type of service to ensure transparency in management and generate revenue for the budget.

An electric motorbike battery swapping station has been installed in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction also proposed being assigned the leading role, coordinating with the City Police and relevant units to survey locations, grant construction permits, and develop a plan for collecting sidewalk usage fees in accordance with regulations.

If approved, Ho Chi Minh City will possess a large-scale green energy network, creating a strong incentive for people to switch to green transportation, contributing to the realization of emission reduction goals and the development of smart transportation.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/van-de-quan-tam/tp-ho-chi-minh-de-xuat-lap-dat-20000-tu-doi-pin-xe-dien-บน-via-he-20251216094107204.htm