If 100,000 electric vehicles charge simultaneously, how will the power grid be affected?

Simultaneous charging of 100,000 electric cars at fast-charging stations could reach instantaneous charging power of 6-12 GW, representing about 1/8 to 1/4 of the current total system capacity. As of the end of 2025, Vietnam had about 215,000 electric cars and nearly 2.6 million electric motorbikes. The electricity demand for transportation is not only total energy consumption but also the instantaneous power the system must supply. The Electric Power Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade estimates the electricity demand to serve this number of vehicles at about 652 million kWh, only about 0.2-0.3% of total electricity consumption. By 2030, the number of electric cars will reach 1 to 1.6 million, and electric motorbikes about 8-13 million. The projected electricity consumption will be 3.1-5.6 billion kWh per year, about 0.68-1.1% of total electricity demand. According to Mr. Nguyen The Huu, Deputy Head of the Electric Power Department, this number is not too large. However, electricity demand for transportation is not only the total energy consumption but also the instantaneous capacity the system must meet. The Electric Power Department forecasts electricity demand for electric vehicles based on vehicle count, consumption characteristics (kWh/km), charging behavior (frequency, time windows, charging power), and the concentration level by area. In urban areas, the number of vehicles is highly concentrated. Mr. Huu cites an example where about 100,000 electric cars charging at a fast charger (60-120 kW) could have an instantaneous charging capacity of 6-12 GW, occupying 1/8 to 1/4 of the current system capacity. This would put extreme pressure on the electricity system, especially on the medium- and low-voltage grid. Therefore, the Deputy Head argues that the long-term challenge is not total electricity demand but the synchronous development of the medium- and low-voltage grid with charging infrastructure, avoiding local overloads in densely populated areas and public charging stations. The Ministry of Industry and Trade assesses this will be one of the important factors affecting electricity supply in the near future. The Electric Power Department will direct electricity units to review and update local power development planning (distribution grid), study pricing mechanisms to encourage charging outside peak hours, and deploy smart charging stations integrated with distributed power sources to reduce instantaneous power pressure. Thùy Linh