Quality standards for electric and hybrid vehicles should be available soon

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has for the first time sought comments on a draft circular promulgating national technical regulations on technical safety quality and environmental protection for electric cars, hybrid cars, and hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Fix outdated rules

According to the Ministry of Transport, after 8 years of application, the current regulations have raised a number of new issues that need to be reviewed, revised and supplemented appropriately to enhance quality control, technical safety and environmental protection; ensure harmony with international standards, and create favorable conditions for enterprises to manufacture and assemble automobiles. In particular, the draft expands the scope of regulation to pure electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, hydrogen fuel vehicles, etc.

It is necessary to soon issue standards and regulations for electric cars, hybrid cars...

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) believes that it is necessary to issue national technical regulations on vehicle emissions because air pollution in Vietnam tends to increase, especially dust pollution.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is assigned to preside with the Ministries of Transport, Science and Technology, Industry and Trade... to submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation a roadmap for applying national standards and regulations on emissions of road motor vehicles in circulation in Vietnam. At the same time, coordinate with ministries, branches, and associations to research and evaluate each stage in this roadmap.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, the issuance of technical standards for electric cars aims to ensure safety in operation, repair and charging of storage devices. However, the requirement for grounding of charging devices may cause difficulties for users when charging at home because currently, most household power sources do not have their own grounding system.

"There should be additional requirements for users of electric motor vehicles. For example, when connecting charging equipment to a high voltage grid - where there is no separate grounding system - what specific procedures must be followed?" - Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan suggested.

Support for automobile market development

Experts say that if there is a delay in issuing standards and regulations for automobile emissions, it will not only cause disadvantages to consumers but also stagnate the development of the domestic automobile manufacturing and assembly industry.

Auto expert Nguyen Minh Dong cited that Europe and the US already have standards and regulations on automobile emissions, which Vietnam can refer to to shorten research time.

"Applying world standards and regulations suitable to Vietnam's conditions will also help domestically produced cars adapt to the world market, making it easier to export," Mr. Dong suggested.

On the other hand, according to experts, if there are no standards and regulations for domestically circulated cars, there will be no technical barriers to protect the domestic automobile industry as well as protect consumers. As a result, substandard products can enter the domestic market and be consumed at low prices.

According to a representative of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), the association has provided very detailed comments on all standards and regulations for automobiles, but so far has not yet formed a standard to serve as a basis for building quality standards for electric motor vehicles.

Furthermore, the draft standards and regulations for electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and hydrogen-powered vehicles currently only mention simple issues such as material standards, electrical systems, etc. Meanwhile, there are many other more complex standards that need further consideration.

Automakers want to soon have standards and regulations on emissions and quality for cars because that is the basis for forming development policies, from which companies can build long-term investment strategies.

"Because we do not know what Vietnam's standards and regulations are, we cannot research or officially invest. For example, the most basic standards, such as electric vehicle charging stations, are currently not available, so companies do not dare to produce or import many "green" cars for fear of not meeting them," said a representative of a car company.

Motorcycle emission testing mandatory from 2025

According to the Law on Road Traffic Safety and Order, effective from January 1, 2025, motorcycles and motorbikes (collectively referred to as motorbikes) are required to undergo emission inspection. Emission inspection is performed by inspection centers. A certificate will be issued to the motorbike owner upon completion of the procedure.

The number of registered motorbikes in Vietnam is currently around 70 million, of which more than 45 million are in circulation. Each year, members of the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) sell an average of about 2.8 million motorbikes; if non-VAMM companies such as VinFast, Kymco... are included, the sales are even larger.

Along with cars, motorbikes are one of the largest sources of CO emissions into the environment, but due to limited transport infrastructure and people's income, motorbikes are still the main means of transport.

According to Lao Dong

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