Vietnam accelerates electric-vehicle charging infrastructure with 99 renewable-powered superchargers along national roads

Fast charging technology is intended to reduce one of the main barriers to wider EV adoption: charging times. Even with fast charging, reaching roughly 70% to 80% capacity can take about 15 minutes depending on the vehicle, which remains less convenient than gasoline refueling that typically takes around 3 to 5 minutes.

Vietnam accelerates ultra-fast charging investment

In March, V-Green, a developer of EV charging stations, announced an investment of 10 trillion VND to deploy 99 ultra-fast charging stations for VinFast along national and provincial roads across Vietnam within the year. Each station is designed to serve up to 100 EVs simultaneously, with charging times starting from 15 minutes and powered entirely by wind and solar energy.

V-Green said the system uses renewable energy supported by energy storage systems (BESS) developed, researched and manufactured by VinFast. The model is positioned as a way to shorten charging time while reducing emissions.

V-Green Chairwoman and General Director Pham Thanh Thuy said the ultra-fast charging network along national and provincial highways is expected to meet EV demand, particularly on long trips. “With 99 charging stations, VinFast EV users can be assured on every route, even during peak periods,” she said.

VinFast charging stations are currently available in Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces. By the end of 2025, V-Green reported it had completed planning for 150,000 charging ports for cars and motorcycles. In the next phase, the company plans to focus on ultra-fast charging stations and expand battery-swapping stations for electric motorcycles to improve user experience.

BYD and Ford partnerships expand capacity

Beyond VinFast, other automakers are also increasing investment in charging infrastructure. BYD Vietnam plans to install dozens of ultra-fast charging stations this year, bringing its Flash Charge technology (Blade battery generation 2) to Vietnam. BYD Auto Vietnam CEO Vo Minh Luc said the technology can reach up to 1,500 kW, enabling charging from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes and reaching 97% in about 9 minutes. He also said a full charge could provide a range of about 1,000 km.

Vo Minh Luc added that BYD plans to install fast charging stations at 38 dealerships nationwide this year and expand cooperation with third parties to develop an ultra-fast charging network.

Separately, Tasco Auto and Ford Vietnam signed a strategic cooperation agreement to share charging station systems. By April, the two sides had operated 32 DC charging stations. By the end of 2026, Tasco Auto plans to deploy more than 55 fast-charging posts nationwide together with 34 Ford Vietnam posts, bringing the total number of charging points to 89.

Why ultra-fast charging is still constrained

An Dinh Nha, CEO of An Gia Energy, said the EV market is forecast to accelerate as fuel prices remain high and charging technology continues to improve, gradually addressing concerns about long charging times. He said his company and partners are planning heavy investment in charging networks using new technologies, focusing on clean energy such as solar power combined with energy storage to provide stable electricity to stations.

Prof. Do Van Dung, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Automobiles and Equipment, said Vietnam’s EV market before 2025 is still relatively small and is mainly driven by VinFast, while brands such as Mercedes, Audi, BYD, GAC and Geely have limited sales. In a small market, Dung said investing tens of billions of VND per ultra-fast charging station can lead to losses, which is why many foreign firms have preferred “sell cars first, deploy infrastructure later” rather than building charging networks immediately.

He also noted that in many parts of Vietnam, the electricity grid cannot currently meet the high capacity required for ultra-fast charging, ranging from 150 kW to 1,500 kW. Deployment would require upgrades to transformers and transmission lines. Dung added that safety standards, separate pricing for charging stations, and licensing procedures on national and provincial roads are expected to be issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade by 2026.

On technology readiness, Dung said ultra-fast charging is expected to mature during 2025-2026. He cited BYD’s Blade generation 2 with a 1,000 V platform and VinFast’s 800-1,000 V system, which enable charging in 5 to 9 minutes without overheating or reducing battery life. He said earlier fast charging power was typically 60-120 kW, which was not enough to compete with 3-5 minute petrol fueling times, leading companies to wait for a larger EV market and clearer policy support.

Looking ahead, Dung forecast that ultra-fast charging networks will provide a strong push in 2026-2027. He said users would be less concerned about running out of battery on long trips and would be more willing to use EVs for inter-provincial travel, helping Vietnam’s EV market accelerate over the next 2-3 years, especially in mid- to high-end segments. He added that progress would require multi-brand charging networks, unified national standards, and appropriate electricity pricing.

Market analyst Nguyen Duy Linh said EV development depends heavily on charging infrastructure. “Which automaker invests heavily in infrastructure will have a competitive advantage,” Linh said. He added that globally, ultra-fast charging networks have been deployed for years, and that their arrival in Vietnam could trigger a new wave that shifts consumer behavior from slow charging to ultra-fast charging, increasing EV demand and reducing concerns about switching.

Power demand: current load is limited, but peak timing is a risk

According to statistics, by the end of 2025 Vietnam had about 215,000 EVs and nearly 2.6 million motorbikes. The Electricity Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) estimates power demand to serve these vehicles at about 652 million kWh, equivalent to 0.2% to 0.3% of total electricity output. The department said this level does not create large pressure on the grid.

For 2030, Vietnam could reach 1 to 1.6 million cars and 8 to 13 million motorbikes, which would raise power demand to 3.1 to 5.6 billion kWh per year, or 0.68% to 1.1% of total electricity sales. Nguyen The Huu, Deputy Director of the Electricity Department, said the figure is “not too large,” but that pressure would concentrate during peak usage times.

Huu cited an example: if around 100,000 EVs charge quickly (60-120 kW) at the same time, total capacity could rise to 6-12 GW, equivalent to one-eighth to one-quarter of the current system capacity. He said this could be a major pressure, especially for mid- and low-voltage networks.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said the long-term challenge is not only total electricity demand, but also synchronized development of the grid with charging infrastructure to avoid local overload. It said it will review distribution grid planning, establish pricing signals to encourage off-peak charging, and develop smart charging stations to reduce grid pressure.