Battery swapping cabinets on the sidewalk of Le Lai Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, January 2026. Photo by Read/Ha Giang
Ho Chi Minh City authorities have urged businesses to accelerate the installation of battery-swap cabinets and charging stations for electric motorbikes, aiming to put more than 3,000 cabinets into operation before April 20.
Under the city’s plan, by the end of April, Ho Chi Minh City must deploy 60 charging stations and 3,000 battery-swap cabinets. The network is expected to expand further to 100 charging stations and 20,000 swap cabinets by the end of this year.
However, implementation has fallen behind schedule. The municipal Department of Construction reported that 762 locations for 2,111 battery-swap cabinets have been announced, while 300 locations for 850 cabinets have been licensed. To date, businesses have installed 411 cabinets at only 173 locations, far below the required progress.
The department has instructed the Traffic and Technical Infrastructure Management Center and the Urban Traffic Operations Management Center to review the entire urban transport infrastructure system, including bus stops, sidewalks, vacant land and canal-side strips.
These units must compile a list of locations suitable for installing charging stations and battery-swap cabinets and submit it to the Department of Construction before April 10.
They are also tasked with proposing sidewalk locations that ensure traffic safety and urban aesthetics, while regularly monitoring the installation and operation of the facilities. Any violations such as construction without permits, expired temporary use of roadways or sidewalks, or activities affecting public order, sanitation or traffic safety must be promptly inspected and handled.
The Department of Construction has also asked businesses to urgently review the list of approved locations and speed up procedures related to temporary sidewalk use, construction permits and on-site installation.
Companies must ensure that more than 3,000 battery-swap cabinets are installed and operational across the city before April 20.
The department noted that businesses should prepare complete documentation in line with regulations to avoid repeated resubmissions that could delay progress. It also clarified that installing battery-swap cabinets on sidewalks without excavation or road works would not require a construction permit under the 2024 Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety.
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