Vietnam proposes new safety standards for EV charging stations

Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade is drafting a new National Technical Regulation (QCVN) to standardize the safety, technical, and operational requirements for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and pillars nationwide.

The move aims to address the rapid growth of the domestic EV market, which has seen the development of approximately 150,000 charging ports with capacities up to 360kW. Currently, regulations for charging infrastructure are scattered across various legal frameworks, including electricity, construction, fire prevention, and metrology. This lack of a specialized, unified standard has led to diverse business models and technologies that may lack compatibility or consistent safety oversight.

The proposed draft requires charging stations to ensure electrical safety and fire prevention throughout their entire lifecycle, from design and installation to maintenance and decommissioning. Stations must include solutions to detect and handle incidents such as fires, electrical leaks, collisions, flooding, and overheating. Additionally, the draft specifies physical layout requirements, such as minimum lane widths and parking space dimensions for public charging areas.