Abstract: The three-phase equilibrium state of a distribution network is broken owing to the large number of distributed power sources and electric vehicles connected to the distribution network, resulting in the traditional distribution network protection scheme illegally adapting to current development needs. Therefore, this study presents a two-stage fault recovery method for imbalanced distribution networks based on electric vehicle charging stations using an existing balancing system fault recovery technique. The island operation strategy after the fault is determined in the first stage to reduce the fault-recovery cost. In the second stage, a collaborative optimization model is established to determine the output of each charging station when a fault occurs, with the goal of maximizing the operating income of the distribution network, considering the cost of depreciation, operation and maintenance, and the load abandonment penalty of electric vehicle charging stations and distributed generation units. Finally, the enhanced IEEE 33 node system validates the effectiveness of the two-stage fault self-healing model and the optimal operating method suggested in this study. The results reveal that the proposed technique has a lower load rejection rate than the classic island division method, thereby providing a novel solution to the fault-recovery problem of an imbalanced distribution network.