Motorbike makers race to set up battery swapping stations

VinFast first trialed battery swapping in April 2020, allowing users of its Ludo, Impes and Klara S models to exchange their rented batteries at designated points for VND25,000 (US$0.95). The service ended in November 2022 due to low demand.

VinFast is reviving the model through its charging partner V-Green as EV sales rise and demand for fast charging among ride-hailing drivers increases. The company plans to open 1,000 stations this October, expand to 50,000 by year-end, and reach 150,000 within three years.

Vehicle models eligible for swapping batteries will carry the suffix "Max." The first, Evo Max, will be launched in October for VND20 million, followed by Feliz, Verox and Drift priced at VND24.9 million, VND33.9 million, and VND39.9 million.

Each VinFast battery has a 1.5 kWh capacity and a range of 85 km per charge. Swapping will cost VND9,000 and monthly rentals, VND200,000 per unit. VinFast is also pursuing partnerships, including a memorandum of understanding with FPT Retail.

A battery swapping station in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of Selex Motor

Hanoi-based Selex Motor has put up around 100 stations since 2023 and completed more than 523,000 swaps as of August. The company targets app-based drivers who need to minimize charging downtime to stay on the move and plans to expand to 10,000 stations nationwide within three years.

Selex is also working with Petrolimex, Vietnam’s largest fuel retailer, a source told VnExpress, with two of its gas stations in Hanoi already having swap points. The company offers Camel 1 and Camel 2 users battery swaps at VND8,000 per unit.

They weigh 7.5 kg each and provide a 50-km range. They are leased out at VND135,000 to VND405,000 per month while unlimited mileage leases cost VND3.2 million.

Honda began offering battery swapping in July for its electric scooter CUV e: at 18 dealerships in Hanoi, Da Nang and HCMC. Though a late entrant, Honda has standardized its Mobile Power Pack e: system, allowing a range of its electric models to share batteries. The company sees this as a foundation for rapid expansion.

Vietnamese motorbike maker TMT plans to launch five EV models by late 2025 together with a network of charging and swapping stations. Each station, probably situated in gas stations, will store up to 72 batteries, though rollout details remain unclear.

Industry experts say swapping stations can help overcome barriers to EV adoption by offering faster charging, performance monitoring and extended range. For example, Selex’s system uses a dedicated app, enabling riders to replace depleted batteries within minutes compared to the four to six hours needed for home charging.

Selex CEO Phuoc Nguyen said the company handles battery maintenance and recycling, ensuring users always get reliable units. "The challenge is how to distribute swap stations in a way that is convenient for users."

Globally, battery swapping is common in countries such as India, Taiwan, and China, which rank among the world’s largest markets for new motorbike sales. An expert in electric vehicle charging station development in HCMC said the model would help boost demand for electric motorbikes but warned of limitations without standardization.

"If each brand uses different batteries, customers can only swap at their own brand’s stations. It is similar to car charging standards, which must be unified to allow cross-brand usage."

In Japan, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki formed an alliance in 2019 to develop shared EV batteries. By 2022, they partnered with energy group Ineos to establish Gachaco, which builds and operates swap stations under the Battery as a Service model.

In Vietnam, Selex remains one of the few companies supplying batteries to other manufacturers, with brands such as Son Ha, DK Bike, and Dibao adopting its units.