Soon, Circular 31 of the Ministry of Construction will officially take effect with many strict regulations on standardizing EV charging infrastructure in apartment buildings to ensure safety.
The demand for EV charging in apartment buildings is rising higher than ever alongside the wave of green vehicle transition in Vietnam. To ensure fire prevention and safety, the Ministry of Construction has issued Circular 31 amending the National Technical Regulation on Apartment Buildings (QCVN 04:2021/BXD).
This regulation officially takes effect from December 15, 2026, applying to both newly built projects and existing buildings, bringing many major changes that investors, management boards and residents all need to understand clearly.
New regulations on the location and spacing of charging areas
Under the new circular, areas for electric vehicles must be prioritized in the following order: outdoors, on the ground, semi-basement, then basement level 1 and subsequent basement levels.
In particular, to limit the risk of fire spread, the number of EV charging spots in apartment buildings within one zone is tightly restricted:
- In the basement or semi-basement: Each zone must not exceed 25 electric car charging spots or 50 e-motorbike charging spots.
- On the ground: The corresponding limits are 30 car charging spots and 80 e-motorbike charging spots.
- Safety distance: Parking areas must be at least 2m apart. If the limited basement area cannot ensure this distance, the building is required to build walls or partitions made of non-combustible material at least 2m high.
The circular also mandates separating electric car areas from e-motorbike/e-bicycle areas, while encouraging the complete separation of electric vehicles from gasoline/diesel vehicle areas.
The spacing between vehicles at charging areas has been re-regulated to ensure safety
Mandatory technical standards for EV charging stations in apartment buildings
When installing charging infrastructure in enclosed spaces such as basements, equipment must meet strict technical specifications to control risks early:
- Rated capacity: Electric car charging posts installed in the basement must not exceed 22 kW to protect the building's shared power grid.
- Auto cut-off feature: The charging system must automatically cut power when it detects anomalies and allow emergency power cut-off when an incident occurs.
- Independent warning system: Besides surveillance cameras transmitting data to a 24/7 control room and an automatic fire alarm system, this area is required to install Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) toxic gas warning devices – two dangerous gases produced when Lithium-ion batteries suffer a fire or explosion incident.
For EV battery swapping areas, the mandatory priority location must be outdoors or on the ground (going down to basement 1 or semi-basement only when no other option remains), and there must be a solution to isolate the equipment immediately when an incident occurs.
Pressure to renovate within 6 months for existing apartment buildings
The new regulation sets a very tight deadline for existing buildings. Within 6 months from December 15, 2026, the management board or apartment owner is required to complete a review of the current state of charging areas. If the charging system is spontaneous/unauthorized or does not yet meet the new regulations, the building must carry out repairs and renovations immediately to comply with the law.
EVSAFE – A full-package solution for standardizing apartment charging infrastructure
Self-renovating a building's electrical system and selecting charging equipment that fully complies with Circular 31 is a major challenge for many management boards, because just one small error in calculating capacity or arranging locations can cause the building to be fined or fail fire-safety inspections.
EVsafe e-motorbike charging station at CT4 tower, The Manor My Tri
As a professional in the charging station infrastructure field, EVSAFE provides a full-package solution from survey and charging-zone design consulting to system installation:
- Supplying charging posts that meet the sub-22kW capacity standard for basements, integrated with smart auto cut-off technology.
- Designing and installing a synchronized CO and HF toxic gas warning sensor system in accordance with QCVN 04:2021/BXD.
- Accompanying the management board in maintenance and safe operation for the entire user base in the building.
The deadline for applying the new regulations is approaching. Contact EVSAFE now for consulting on how to standardize your EV charging in apartment buildings system safely and in compliance with regulations!
