PTT Lao signed an agreement with BlueDot, an EV charging brand, to study a joint investment in expanding electric vehicle charging stations across Laos.
Two companies signed the “Feasibility Study Project for Joint Investment in Expanding EV Charging Station” on 2 July in Vientiane.
Peravej NaRanong, managing director of PTT Lao, and Ladsasiphon Phimphachanh, managing director of Laothani Tractor Sole Co., Ltd., which operates BlueDot, signed the agreement, with executives from both companies attending.
BlueDot has operated as the sole investor in charging stations installed at select PTT stations nationwide under an earlier partnership. PTT Lao now aims to become a co-investor, and the two sides will study forming a new joint venture company to operate the charging business under the BlueDot brand.
The study will also examine a business model suited to consumer behavior in Laos.
The partnership targets expansion along Lao National Road No. 13 North and South, aiming to build a border-to-border charging network that supports heavy-duty electric trucks.
The push aligns with Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, issue date 13 March, which calls for urgent measures to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuel, a factor officials link to inflation and pressure on foreign currency reserves.
PTT Lao also plans to develop its stations into hubs that combine charging with other services, linking customers to its non-oil businesses such as Café Amazon and convenience stores. The company points to the 20 to 30 minutes EV drivers typically spend charging as an opportunity to expand those offerings at its stations nationwide.
BlueDot’s charging stations offer capacities ranging from 40 kilowatts (kW) and 120 kW to 180 kW, with an ultra-fast option reaching 400 kW, serving both private drivers and commercial fleets.
The stations connect to a mobile application and charging cards for payment and management, and are built to international engineering standards.
Both companies describe the collaboration as a step toward building a “Seamless Mobility Ecosystem” that connects charging infrastructure with lifestyle services, as Laos works to expand its EV charging network alongside growing EV adoption and government efforts to cut fossil fuel imports.
