Vietnam's new national EV charging standard aims to improve compatibility across brands, but drivers may still be denied access to certain networks. Technical compatibility alone will not guarantee the right to charge.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued Circular 61/2026/TT-BCT, introducing the National Technical Regulation on Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment and Charging Stations (QCVN 32:2026/BCT), known as Regulation 32, which will take effect on July 1, 2027.
For the first time, Vietnam has established a relatively comprehensive national technical framework for EV charging infrastructure, covering charging equipment, power supply and distribution systems, connectors, installation requirements, electrical safety, control systems and operational management.
Charging stations must be compatible, but not necessarily open to all vehicles
Vietnam has introduced its first relatively comprehensive national technical regulation for EV charging equipment and stations. Illustrative photo: VF.
One of the most closely watched provisions of Regulation 32 concerns interoperability.
Under the new rules, charging stations must be technically capable of serving electric vehicles whose charging ports are compatible with the connector types, charging modes and technical configurations supported by the stations.
Compatibility goes beyond the physical shape of a charging plug. Regulation 32 also covers voltage and current ranges, communication functions and safety mechanisms between vehicles and charging equipment.
Charging devices must also meet requirements for protection against electric shock, overloads and short circuits, as well as electromagnetic compatibility, communication systems, labeling and operating instructions.
Industry experts say these requirements are significant as Vietnam's electric vehicle market continues to attract more brands.
Previously, carmakers could develop their own charging ecosystems, leaving buyers to consider not only driving range and battery capacity but also where their vehicles could be charged.
Globally, several charging standards are in use, including CCS1, CCS2, GB/T, CHAdeMO and NACS.
If manufacturers introduce incompatible charging systems into Vietnam, the country's charging infrastructure risks becoming fragmented into separate brand-specific networks.
The new regulation establishes a common technical principle: if a charging station supports a particular connector type, charging mode and technical configuration, it must be capable of serving vehicles that meet those specifications.
However, experts stress that this does not mean every electric vehicle will automatically be able to charge at every station.
The distinction is important.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the regulation primarily establishes technical requirements. Business models, station operations and customer access arrangements remain matters for investors, operators and their agreements with customers.
The regulation therefore does not require charging station operators to make their services available to vehicles from every manufacturer.
In other words, hardware compatibility does not automatically grant access to a charging service.
A practical example is V-Green, whose charging network uses the CCS2 standard but primarily serves VinFast electric vehicles.
Another manufacturer's EV may have a physically compatible CCS2 connector, yet that alone does not guarantee permission to use a V-Green charger.
The most significant impact of the new regulation may therefore be less about immediately opening every charging station to all brands and more about establishing the technical foundation for broader access in the future.
Will Vietnam's charging market shift from exclusivity to cooperation?
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The new regulation establishes common technical requirements but does not guarantee that every electric vehicle can charge at any station. Photo: Hoang Hiep.
Vietnam's EV charging market currently consists of three main groups: automakers developing their own charging networks, distributors installing chargers at dealerships, and independent companies providing commercial charging services.
Among them, V-Green, part of the VinFast ecosystem, has announced that it has developed more than 150,000 charging ports across Vietnam's 34 provinces and cities, with plans to expand the network to 500,000 ports in the coming years.
Other brands, including Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, BYD, Ford, Porsche, Geely, Lynk & Co, Omoda & Jaecoo, Lotus and TMT EGreen, have also installed charging facilities at their dealerships, although their networks remain relatively limited in scale.
Alongside brand-specific charging ecosystems, another approach is emerging through partnerships and shared infrastructure.
Companies such as EV One, Evercharge, Charge+, Tasco Smart Charge, ESKY, Rabbit EVC, ChargeLink and NovaCharge are developing or connecting charging networks capable of serving different electric vehicle models.
These initiatives suggest growing market demand for charging infrastructure that is not entirely divided along brand lines.
For consumers, this represents an important potential shift.
Buying an electric vehicle involves more than choosing a car. Drivers must also consider their ability to access the infrastructure needed to keep it running.
The more fragmented charging networks become, the stronger the competitive advantage of individual ecosystems, but the less convenient they are for drivers.
If charging stations become technically interoperable and operators reach agreements to share their networks, EV owners will have more charging options.
Long-distance journeys could then become less dependent on which manufacturer produced the vehicle.
However, the new regulation also raises the technical and operational requirements facing charging infrastructure investors.
Building charging networks will involve more than simply installing additional chargers.
Operators must consider power supply capacity, electrical safety, fire prevention and protection, communication between vehicles and charging equipment, operational management and safeguards for the electricity system.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the regulation pursues five main objectives: safety, compatibility, transparency for users, protection of the electricity system and the development of smart charging infrastructure.
Among these priorities, electrical safety, fire prevention and the protection of users and vehicles take precedence.
This is why the new framework should not be viewed solely as a requirement for charging stations to support vehicles from different brands.
The broader objective is to establish a consistent set of technical requirements that will allow Vietnam's EV charging market to expand on a more unified foundation.
With roughly 10 months remaining before Regulation 32 takes effect, new investors will need to consider these requirements more carefully from the initial design stage.
Over the longer term, if charging operators can take advantage of a common technical framework, competition may shift beyond simply building the largest number of charging ports.
Instead, the market could increasingly be shaped by which networks offer drivers the greatest convenience, safety and accessibility.
Vietnamnet.vn
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