Home Charging Trend for Electric Cars

While there is not yet a fully established public charging station system to meet the demand, the electric car market in Vietnam has found its own development direction as an inevitable trend. One of the reasonable solutions that electric vehicle users have been using recently is installing additional home chargers.

Supply Falls Short of Demand

Since the start of 2023, the electric car market in Vietnam has seen great results. The sales of VinFast electric cars, including VF e34 and VF 8, have rapidly increased and stabilized within the top 10 best-selling cars of the month. Particularly, since the introduction of electric taxi services by the Green and Smart Mobility Company (GSM), the number of corporate customers purchasing and renting VinFast electric cars has been steadily rising. As a result, most corporate partners prefer VF e34 and VF 5 Plus models for their taxi operations. The main reason for this choice is their compact size and significantly lower cost compared to VF 8 and VF 9.

According to the latest report from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) and VinFast, in July 2023, VinFast VF 5 Plus achieved sales of 1,000 units, entering the top 10 list of best-selling cars for the first time. Among these, the majority of VF 5 Plus customers are corporate clients using them for transportation business. Key partners of VinFast and GSM include Ahamove, Be Group, Lado Taxi, Én Vàng, ASV Airports Taxi, and more.

Currently, VinFast’s electric car charging station map in major cities like Hanoi is prioritizing locations such as national highways and expressways (10 Units), gas stations (2 Units), shopping mall parking lots (8-10 Units), static parking areas (5-10 Units), and some commercial apartment buildings and offices (7-9 Units). These charging stations are mixed, meaning they provide both fast DC charging units (with power ranging from 30-60 kW) and slow AC charging units(11 kW).

However, since car manufacturers have entered the electric taxi service race, a new issue has been noticed the electric car user community in Vietnam. Some users have shared that certain charging stations in urban areas are starting to show signs of “overload” during specific hours.

“For a station with 5 chargers, capable of charging 10 cars simultaneously, there are up to 5-6 taxis being charged plus a few gasoline cars parked improperly. As a result, individual car owners like us have to wait in line and squeeze at the remaining charging stations. There are security guards here, but they don’t reprimand or handle those gasoline cars that park incorrectly,” an irritated user reported.

Sharing the same view, a member of a popular automotive forum added: “Now it’s quite difficult to find a fast-charging station in the city because everyone prefers fast charging to save time. Even the slow charging stations become overloaded during certain hours, like lunchtime, because taxi drivers also choose this time frame to recharge. I heard that car companies have regulations requiring drivers to prioritize residents’ cars, but in reality, it is first come first serve.”

Others express concerns that due to the longer charging time of electric cars compared to refueling with gasoline, as the number of electric cars increases, the shortage of charging stations will become more apparent.

The demand for home charging

Normally, electric car manufacturers provide customers with a complimentary mobile charging kit, allowing them to charge their vehicles at home or in places without public charging stations. However, most of these mobile chargers have very low power ratings, typically ranging from 2.2 to 3.5 kW. In theory, these chargers can be used to fully charge a VF e34 (with a 42 kWh battery) within… 12-19 hours. The actual charging time will vary depending on factors such as battery condition, charger quality, maximum capacity, and environmental conditions. According to user assessments, the waiting time mentioned is considered too long and is not suitable for fully charging the battery, serving only an “emergency solution” when no other options are available.

Due to the shortage of public charging points and the inadequacy of mobile charging, many users decide to purchase additional home chargers with wall-mounted designs and higher power rating.

There are currently various types of home chargers imported from abroad and sold in Vietnam. The power ratings of these chargers are typically 7 kW, 11 kW, 22 kW (for AC charging), and even the option to apply for 3-phase electricity supply to install a 30 kW DC charger.

As of now, Vietnam does not have specific regulations regarding mandatory charging standards for electric cars, as some developed countries do. However, since VinFast officially developed electric cars and introduced charging stations compliant with the AC type and DC CCS2 standards of Europe, these have essentially become the common charging standards used in Vietnam. Electric car manufacturers imported to the Vietnamese market also generally use one of these two charging standards, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Wuling Hongguang MiniEV, Kia EV6, Porsche Taycan, etc.
Mr. Nguyễn Ngọc Cường, CEO of EverEV, a company specializing in distributing home chargers, states that the demand for installing Home Chargers in major cities like Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City is increasing. “Due to compatibility in charging ports, Home Chargers can essentially charge most electric car models currently present in Vietnam. We are currently a partner of VinFast, responsible for the maintenance and repair of charging stations. EverEV products alone hold a 30% market share in Vietnam,” says Mr. Cường.

The Trend of Sharing Home Chargers

According to EverEV representatives, the most challenging aspect for electric car owners is finding suitable parking space to install the charger. This poses a significant challenge for car owners living in apartment buildings or narrow alleyways. However, many car owners have found a solution by making arrangements with families who have a garage or sufficient space for charger installation and parking. If the homeowners also use electric cars, they can collectively purchase a charger and share the monthly electricity costs based on the displayed electricity consumption for each charging session.

However, the limitation of this solution is the difficulty in accurately calculating the cost for each charging session. Therefore, another solution involves using Home Chargers with integrated online payment features. Unlike regular Home Chargers, these chargers come with additional hardware and software for payment processing, connecting to the Internet through a dedicated modem.

The payment mechanism for this service is similar to the toll collection system used at non-stop toll booths by VETC. In this setup, car owners download the service provider’s app on their smartphones, deposit money into their app accounts, and each time they complete a charging session, the corresponding amount will be deducted from their app account balance at the advertised charging rate. This allows car owners to accurately calculate the home charging costs for their vehicles and perform quick, convenient payments with just a few taps. Moreover, this device also supports other payments like hourly parking fees and penalties for not moving the car from the charging spot when the battery is full. Therefore, with a Home Charger featuring an integrated payment gateway, both businesses and individuals can turn this charger into an on-site charging service, similar to public charging stations.

Additionally, investing in wall-mounted chargers or even high-power DC charging stations in parking areas can help electric taxi companies, businesses, and organizations with multiple electric vehicles take more control of their business operations and reduce the congestion at public charging stations that currently exists.

Based on calculations, a 22 kW or 30 kW charger can fully charge a VF e34 in approximately 1.5 – 2 hours. This timeframe is considered “ideal” for charging during lunch breaks or in the evening, ensuring that the users’ journeys are not excessively interrupted.
In the context of cheap mini electric car models from Chinese car manufacturers flooding the Vietnamese market, Home Chargers have become one of the lifelines for many current users.

 
Author: Lê Vũ

Source: VnEconomy