Hanoi ban sparks concern over lack of land for EV charging stations, parking gasoline motorbikes

Hanoi has announced a ban on gasoline two-wheel vehicles in areas inside of Ring Road 1 starting July 1, 2026, following a directive issued by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a resolution passed by the city People's Council.

The areas in question are old central districts such as Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, and Hai Ba Trung.

Cars that fail to meet Euro 4 emission standards will also face time-based or route-based limits, with an eventual complete ban planned.

To implement the policy, the city Department of Construction is studying several measures such as adding new parking locations, offering discounted parking fees for green vehicles and granting up to five years of free use of roadsides and sidewalks for businesses operating public electric bicycles and motorbikes.

Authorities plan to designate at least 15% of space in parking lots within Ring Road 3, another of the concentric roads going increasingly outward in the city and a fully completed traffic artery enclosing the inner part, for charging stations by 2030.

New buildings will be required to allocate at least 30% of parking spots for charging facilities.

Charging stations will be treated as shared infrastructure and not exclusive to any brand.

Authorities have surveyed 110 potential sites for centralized charging stations between Ring Road 3 and the city center to pilot the first phase and are also exploring a battery-swapping network for two-wheel EVs.

Experts praise Hanoi's efforts to promote the transition from gasoline to clean energy but warn about the sure shortage of land for static traffic infrastructure.

Land allocated for parking now accounts for a mere 0.3–0.4% of the city's built-up area, while both domestic and international standards stipulate 3–4%.

Gasoline motorbikes at a parking lot at an old apartment complex on Le Phung Hieu Street, Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Major roads like Ring Roads 1 and 2 have almost no space for building large parking facilities, meaning vehicles will possibly be parked illegally on sidewalks and streets and in unplanned residential zones.

Assoc. Prof. Vu Hoai Nam of the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering said hundreds of thousands of people in Hanoi and nearby provinces would not have switched yet to electric motorbikes in the early phase of the gasoline ban.

Along with creating parking space along Ring Road 1, authorities must also plan for feeder transport such as buses, taxis and contracted vehicles, though admittedly the limited land availability would be a major challenge, and addressing it would require slick planning and rapid investment in infrastructure, he said.

Combine parking with charging hubs

Nguyen Van Quyen, chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, agreed that parking facilities should also function as charging or battery-swapping stations, operating 24/7 at low cost along radial routes.

He added that these facilities could connect commuters with public transit options, such as metro trains, buses, and public bicycles, by serving as convenient transfer points between private vehicles and public transportation.

He called on the city to provide incentives for investors building parking and charging infrastructure such as reduced land-use fees and to utilize public buildings, cultural and sports centers and undeveloped parks and gardens as temporary parking and charging sites.

With regard to charging infrastructure, he said the 110 stations planned within the outlying Ring Road 3 are "far too few." The city should add more and with technical specifications to accommodate multiple charging ports and vehicle types.

Nguyen Manh Cuong, chairman of EverEV, a startup in EV charging, said his company is willing to invest VND500 billion (US$20 million) to set up 2,500 charging stations for motorbikes or 100 for cars if given incentives.

The big challenge remains the lack of land, with many wards and communes, despite having space, refuse permission for setting up charging stations, he said.

"The city should assign charging-station quotas to each ward and commune.

"Parking lots, parks and even ward offices and community centers could host charging stations."

Another major challenge is charging in high-rise apartments.

Cuong said old buildings often lack fire-safety compliance, backup power and smoke extraction systems, and so charging poles should be installed at ground level rather than in basements or higher floors.

Nam said people living in old apartment complexes are often concerned about battery fire hazards, but upgrading entire electrical systems would be costly.

He said a practical solution would be to install low-capacity chargers for electric motorbikes, which could generally reduce the risk of overheating and thermal runaway and at the same time, avoid expensive underground retrofits, he said.

The city could also promote battery-swapping stations, which would save space, reduce the need for charging and improve safety by charging batteries in controlled environments, he said.

He pointed out that these stations could be located at convenience stores, parking lots, gas stations, or existing charging hubs, but standardized battery specifications would be necessary to ensure compatibility.

"If the use of battery and access to charging stations are made convenient, people will voluntarily abandon gasoline vehicles."

But Hanoi must conduct detailed studies to find out future electricity demand as it currently has around eight million gasoline motorbikes and the transition to electric would require enormous power supply, he added.

Experts also called for policies on battery waste management and safety standards for electric motorbikes, warning improper disposal of used batteries poses a serious risk to soil and water.

Quyen added: "All electric vehicles sold to consumers must undergo strict quality inspections, and unverified imports should be banned."