What’s New in QCVN 32:2026/BCT for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations? A Guide to Compliance with Circular No. 61/2026/TT-BCT

On September 29, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Trade officially issued Circular No. 61/2026/TT-BCT, together with the National Technical Regulation on Electric Vehicle Charging Posts and Charging Stations (QCVN 32:2026/BCT). The issuance of this Regulation marks an important milestone, establishing a robust legal framework to standardize infrastructure, ensure electrical safety, and prevent fires and explosions across the rapidly expanding network of charging stations nationwide.

1. Scope of Application of QCVN 32:2026/BCT

QCVN 32:2026/BCT specifies technical and operational management requirements for charging posts and charging stations serving battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with voltages of up to 1,000 V AC or 1,500 V DC. Businesses should clearly identify the applicable scope to develop appropriate investment plans:

2. Key Requirements for Technical Safety, Fire Prevention and Fighting, and Operation

QCVN 32:2026/BCT establishes stringent technical safeguards, including:

• Emergency electrical safety: An emergency power disconnection mechanism must be installed in the most readily accessible location. The system must incorporate overcurrent protection, short-circuit protection, and residual current detection devices (RCDs).

• Compliance with fire prevention and fighting (FPF) requirements: In addition to electrical safety standards, charging stations must fully comply with fire prevention and fighting safety requirements under QCVN 06:2022/BXD and QCVN 10:2025/BCA.

• Interface language: All software control interfaces, display screens, and instruction panels on charging posts must be available in Vietnamese to safeguard the rights and safety of domestic consumers.

3. Regulations on Conformity Certification (CR Mark)

All electric vehicle charging posts and charging stations falling within the scope of this Regulation, whether domestically manufactured and assembled or commercially imported, are prohibited from being placed on the market unless they have undergone quality assessment testing.

Products meeting the applicable requirements must be granted a Certificate of Conformity and bear the conformity mark (CR). In addition, operators are responsible for establishing technical management manuals and records, publicly displaying service prices and charging capacities, and making incident response procedures available at charging stations.

4. Transitional Roadmap for Existing Charging Stations

Circular No. 61/2026/TT-BCT officially takes effect on July 1, 2027. To avoid disrupting business operations, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has established the following transitional roadmap: 

• Charging stations under construction: Investors must proactively review and adjust the designs of components that have not yet been installed to ensure compliance with QCVN 32 before acceptance and commissioning.

• Charging stations already in operation before July 1, 2027: Businesses have six months from the effective date of the Circular to review all safety conditions. If any violations are identified, businesses may be granted a maximum period of 24 months to carry out the necessary modifications and fully rectify them.

The issuance of QCVN 32:2026/BCT is an inevitable step towards standardizing the electric vehicle industry. However, it also presents significant challenges in terms of inspection and assessment costs and infrastructure renovation and upgrading expenses for investors, particularly when compliance must be assessed in parallel with existing fire prevention and fighting technical regulations, including QCVN 06:2022/BXD.