"If you can't manage it, ban it"
In recent days, many boarding houses, mini apartments and even luxury apartments have issued regulations restricting charging of motorbikes and electric bicycles in basements and concentrated parking areas. Some localities even issued documents prohibiting charging of electric vehicles in apartment basements, but later changed the documents.
The above somewhat harsh reactions towards electric vehicles stem from unclear information about the cause of the mini apartment fire that occurred on Khuong Ha Street (Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi) on the night of September 12, which took the lives of dozens of people.
To date, authorities have not yet reached a final conclusion on whether the cause originates from charging electric vehicle batteries or not. However, strong moves in many places to limit charging electric vehicle batteries are disrupting the living habits of many people who use these types of vehicles, while those who live with them are confused and alienated.
Discussing this issue, Dr. Hoang Quoc Viet (General Department of Standards, Metrology and Quality of Vietnam) said that electric vehicles catching fire while charging is a completely possible risk, but it comes from many causes: due to the quality of the battery, battery, power supply, electrical leakage from the wire,... especially the use of chargers and rechargeable batteries that do not follow the standards or recommendations of the manufacturer.
Mr. Viet assessed that the ban on charging electric vehicles in basements by many apartment buildings and even localities was somewhat hasty and unscientific, and did not provide a solution for people using motorbikes and electric bicycles. This made many people using this type of vehicle confused.
"Changing any policy or regulation must be based on practical research, scientific arguments as well as legal regulations, and cannot be applied in a way that if it cannot be managed, it is banned," Dr. Hoang Quoc Viet shared.
Regarding legal regulations, Lawyer Le Van Kien - Head of the Law Office of Justice Light (Hanoi Bar Association) affirmed that currently there is no document or legal basis that prohibits or does not prohibit charging batteries of bicycles and electric motorbikes in the basements of apartment buildings.
According to Mr. Kien, the decision of an apartment building to ban charging electric vehicles, or to limit charging by hour, by area, etc., depends entirely on the decision of the management board or the management board of that apartment building according to the Housing Law. As for rental buildings, the landlord or management unit has the right to decide on this according to a civil agreement with the tenant.
"Personally, I support the need for apartment buildings to tighten management of electric vehicle charging to ensure safety, but it must go hand in hand with solutions. I think apartment buildings should arrange separate charging areas for these types of vehicles, with 24/7 security, and charging fees as well as parking fees. Any car owner who agrees with the fee can leave, otherwise they will have to find another place. That way, interests will be harmonized," lawyer Kien shared his perspective.
What is the solution?
Sharing with PV, Prof. Dr. Tu Sy Sua - Senior Lecturer at the University of Transport said: "Electric vehicles are a priority for development and Vietnam's roadmap by 2050 will see 100% of vehicles being electric and using green energy. Electric vehicles, including cars, motorbikes, and electric bicycles, of course must be charged, but in principle, where to charge and how to arrange safety must be calculated and planned in advance, not "locking the barn door after the cow is gone" as is the case today."
According to this expert, densely packed basement parking spaces are places with a very high risk of fire and explosion, not only for electric vehicles but also for gasoline vehicles if there is a fuel leak. This should only be used as a parking space, not a place to charge vehicles.
However, with the current situation of many apartment buildings "absolutely banning" electric vehicle charging in parking lots, Professor Dr. Sua believes that there needs to be a fundamental solution, both short-term and long-term.
Firstly, apartments with space should arrange a dedicated charging location for motorbikes and electric bicycles outside the building. This location has adequate fire protection equipment, a stable power source, enough space between vehicles and always has someone on duty.
If there is not enough space and you have to park your car in the basement, you should arrange a few separate charging areas that are airy, near the entrance, near fire protection equipment and have 24/7 security staff.
Second , in the long term, localities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City need to research and require each district, ward or commune to allocate land and build public charging points for motorbikes and electric bicycles.
"The number of electric vehicles is forecast to be very large in the next few years, no apartment building can handle hundreds of vehicles charging at the same time. Therefore, arranging qualified public charging stations with attendants and fees is a good solution. It can also be very convenient to combine with parks, stadiums, offices, and schools," shared Prof. Dr. Tu Sy Sua.
Regarding vehicle and rechargeable battery technology, Dr. Hoang Quoc Viet - who has many years of research in Korea in this field, said that there are currently many types of batteries used for electric vehicles with different characteristics, but all must meet technical requirements before being brought to market.
Specifically, all types of batteries used for electric bicycles must meet the technical requirements of QCVN 76:2019/BGTVT before being put on the market. Those used for electric motorbikes and electric scooters must meet the technical requirements of QCVN 91:2019/BGTVT.
"These National Technical Regulations all provide regulations on performance and safety that batteries for electric vehicles must meet such as nominal voltage, nominal capacity, overcharge, overdischarge, short circuit, vibration resistance, water resistance, drop resistance, compression, etc.
However, one thing is that motorbikes and electric bicycles in Vietnam are only controlled to meet standards before being sold, but during use, their quality is not checked. People are free to modify, replace parts, accessories, batteries of unknown origin..., leading to a very high risk of fire and explosion," said Dr. Viet.
Therefore, according to Dr. Hoang Quoc Viet, functional forces such as the police, market management, etc. need to have solutions to thoroughly control and handle all types of items related to smuggled electric vehicle chargers and batteries of unknown origin; strictly prohibit modifying and "closing" batteries of motorbikes, electric bicycles, etc. to reduce the risk of fire and explosion when people use them.
In addition, motorbike and electric bicycle manufacturers in Vietnam can refer to and pilot battery swapping station models like in some neighboring countries, which not only helps people save time but also avoids having to charge batteries at home, causing the risk of fire or explosion.
To successfully implement this solution, car manufacturers need to "join hands" to be able to share batteries and rechargeable batteries, and the market and number of users must be large enough for manufacturers to boldly invest.
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