Charge+ to build 5,000 km EV charging highway in Southeast Asia

Electric vehicle charging solutions firm Charge+ will develop an EV charging highway of 5,000 kilometers across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, with the first stations to be operational by end-2024.

The charging highway will be the longest in Southeast Asia and one of the longest of its kind worldwide, the Singapore-headquartered firm said Wednesday.

The green mobility unit of Singapore-based Sunseap Group said EV drivers “can look forward to using the Charge+ App to conveniently access 45 direct current fast charging locations spanning the countries.”

Of the 45 locations, Charge+ has confirmed 18 locations in the first phase where it will invest in, own and operate the charging stations. These stations will be operational by the end of 2024 and include urban charging hubs in six key cities, namely Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi.

The remaining 27 locations will be ready by the end of 2025 and comprise both stations owned by Charge+ and stations owned by strategic partners which have allowed Charge+ to roam with them.

“In Southeast Asia, EVs suffer from the persistent perception that they are inconvenient for long-distance and cross-border travel. We are therefore excited to unveil this 5,000km EV charging highway project which will revolutionize the societal perception of EVs in this region and provide EV drivers with much-needed confidence,” Goh Chee Kiong, CEO of Charge+, said in an announcement.

“This project is made possible by our extensive operations across Southeast Asia as well as strategic partnerships in roaming opportunities which will further expand our network,” he said.

Charging stations in the project will be located about 120 km apart on average, and either directly on the highway or less than 2 km from interchanges.

The Singapore firm also announced that Thailand's state-owned enterprise EGAT is its newest strategic partner.

“EGAT is providing Charge+ with a site in Thap Sakae, about 320 km south of Bangkok, to set up a DC (direct current) charging station. In addition, EGAT will partner Charge+ on roaming so that Charge+ users can use the same Charge+ App to access EGAT charging stations in Thailand seamlessly.”

In Vietnam, EV maker VinFast of the country's largest conglomerate Vingroup launched its 24/7 mobile charging service and mobile repair nationwide this February.

In Vietnam, EGAT’s international arm EGATi has abandoned its 1,320-megawatt coal-fired power project in Quang Tri province.

EGATi said the reasons to call off its proposed project are a lack of funding and Vietnam’s carbon-neutral target by 2050, which discourages coal-fired power plans and promotes renewable sources like wind, solar, biomass, and hydrogen projects.