Bandersnatch

23 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

I am also concerned that the performance figures for both cars are identical and yet according to the spec sheet they have the same power motor but different weights, this doesn't add up.

Do keep us posted on this if you ever get to the bottom it. It’s difficult for consumers to make informed purchase decisions if you don’t have all the facts

I hope it finds it’s way into an EV soon. Toyota has been promising solid state batteries since 2014

5 hours ago, vinny41 said:

And when was the last time that the Nissan leaf was sold for 2m baht 

On 27/7/2022 I saw this advert from Nissan on FB 

We know that cold weather can reduce the range of EVs, but what about extreme heat like we get here in Thailand?

I wouldn’t recommend a Nissan Leaf in Thailand which doesn’t have an active battery thermal management.  Nissan now include a full liquid battery temperature control system in their latest EV (the Ariya)

A recent study looking at the effect rising temperatures had on EVs and  made the following conclusions:

“A/C has much less of a negative impact on EV range than a resistance heater.

Why is EV cooling different from ICE cooling?

1. No difference in energy use between driving or idling. With a gas car, the engine produces a lot of waste heat that the air conditioner also has to fight against to keep the cabin cool. An EV does not produce the same amount of heat when running so the AC doesn’t have to work as hard.  
2. You can pre-cool your EV when it’s plugged in. This is great because the most energy intensive part of air conditioning is the initial cool down. It may take 3-5 kW of energy to get a 95 degree car to a comfortable temperature, but it takes only around 1 kW to keep it at 70 degrees. 
3. Cold air happens immediately - no more waiting for the air compressor to kick in as the engine warms up!

On average, we found that, compared to the maximum range that our vehicles get:

• Range loss at 80 degrees: 2.8%
• Range loss at 90 degrees: 5%
• Range loss at 100 degrees: 31%***

Note that the range loss at 100 degrees is based on extremely limited data, and we will update it when we have more confidence in the value”

The study recommended cars with Heat Pumps like Tesla that didn’t experience any range difference as the temperature rose.

https://www.recurrentauto.com/research/what-a-c-does-to-your-range

32 minutes ago, FarangRimPing said:

I tried the EA Anywhere station in Kamphaeng Phet again, and it still didn't work, 6 months after I complained to them in January. So again, I'm out money since you have to pay ahead of time. 200 baht because you now have to prepay via a wallet, with a 200 baht minimum. I again complained and sent them proof from their app showing I received 0 electricity.

 

I was ignored, again.

 

Bottom line, be very wary of using EA Anywhere. I will not be using them again.

Sorry to hear your experience. All the EA chargers I have used have worked and I have contacted them twice (but not recently) and got quick replies. 

35 minutes ago, macahoom said:

In some situations this could be deemed as being very unfair.

 

If I arrived at a station with only two DC plugs, which at the moment is quite common, I wouldn't be too pleased if one car was hogging both of them. 

Agreed - only to be used when there are lots of free chargers.  If you can add 100km of range in 4 minutes you will probably not be there very long.

1 hour ago, Greenside said:

At the beginning of this year I test drove every EV available at Chiang Mai dealers and as far as driving enjoyment and handling goes the MG4 X was hands down the winner.  Have had mine since February and, although some aspects could use improvement, it's really a pleasure to get in and glide away every morning.

As regular contributors know I put down a deposit on an MGZS EV when they were announced in 2019. The wall box install company chosen by MG refuse to fit one for me as I had solar. After another fight with MG I was allowed to buy the MG HS PHEV. 
 

When I drove the MG4 I was comparing it to the HS. The HS is bigger than a Honda CRV but has a 0-100kph of 6.9 seconds. It is a very comfortable luxury car with 9 Bose Speakers, ambient lighting etc.

The MG 4 certainly felt like a big step down in luxury and comfort but it is nearly half the price.
 

Acceleration felt sluggish to start with, but it was fine when it was moving. Handling was excellent but not as smooth as the HS. 
 

For the price the MG 4 is an excellent car. I love the LFP batteries and VTL but I don’t know I could do without the comfort and luxury of my current car:

The HS has 5 years of premium data built into the car for “find my car” switching on the aircon from the restaurant etc.  

It comes with free music streaming that also shows what’s playing on the drivers display 

22 minutes ago, omnipresent said:

Is there any news about solar roof cars in Thailand? Thailand certainly gets some powerful sun.

I agree with you, a solar roof makes a lot more sense than a glass roof in Thailand.

As far as I know there are no solar roofs available on any EVs in Thailand. The Toyota Prius Prime is a Plug-in Hybrid and has a solar roof. It gets good reviews but is not available in Thailand.

45 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

One of the key ingredients of performance and handling is weight; or rather the lack thereof. 

 

Current EVs fall down in that area

Specs are about the same for these cars but unladen weight for an ICE car is with an empty fuel tank.

Regarding EVs having poor performance and handling why does Goodwood Hill climb record belong to an EV?

The record for Pikes Peak is also held by an electric car

21 minutes ago, Henryford said:

1.5 - 1.8 million baht for a 214 mile range, no thanks

If price and range are your only considerations you should try the Neta V 

Thailand accounts for 79% of South East Asian EV sales

"Thailand - the main regional auto manufacturing hub - is driving the transition. Thailand has offered incentives to consumers and subsidies to automakers to build more EVs locally. That has attracted a wave of investments by Chinese carmakers. By 2030, Thailand aims to convert around 30% of its annual production of 2.5 million vehicles into EVs.

In total, Chinese EV makers have committed to invest at least $1.44 billion in setting up production facilities in Thailand, where the auto industry has been dominated by Japanese companies for decades. Chinese auto groups are experiencing rapid growth and outpacing their competitors in the SEA (Southeast Asia) region, with their market share increasing from 38% a year ago to nearly 75%,"

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/chinese-automakers-sold-75-evs-southeast-asia-q1-study-2023-07-20/

Visitors look at a MG Maxus 9 EV at the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok, Thailand, March 23, 2023 photo Bandersnatch

I have 4 solar well pumps, for irrigated and backup for my rainwater harvesting.

The irrigation pumps are switched on for a few days at a time in the dry season and only run when the sun is shining. 
 

I have a couple of tanks for well water. There is an electronic tank sensor that sends a signal to the pump controller to switch off when the tank is full. 
 

I don’t use batteries with any dc pumps as my house runs 100% on solar and home batteries.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

many people drive cars well over 8 years old

Your TV has a one year warranty but you don’t need to replace it every year!

Stuff lasts longer than the manufacturer’s warranty. Tesla Roadsters from 2008 are still running.

I am bored explaining stuff to you - adding you to my blocked list

35 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Everything gets cheaper the more it is available. I'm not talking about now.

How about using solar power on sea water?

Not economic. When I make power from my solar system to put in my electric car there is some small efficiency loss due to the inversion process and DC to AC to DC conversion, but over 90% of the energy ends up in my car. 

With current electrolyzers, green hydrogen's efficiency is around 30%, which means 70% of the renewable energy put into producing green hydrogen is lost across the full cycle of production and use.

https://www.cleanegroup.org/wp-content/uploads/Five-Reasons-to-be-Concerned-About-Green-Hydrogen.pdf

42 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

BTW did you know that nuclear submarines use sea water to produce O2? No other way to stay submerged for months.

Again not economic. Nuclear reactors for submarines are crazy expensive. That’s why nuclear submarines cost $Billions

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/warning-that-nuclear-submarines-could-cost-10b-each-20221124-p5c148

Volvo EX30 £31,000 ฿1,300,000 in the UK for the 51kWh LFP single motor RWD 270bhp 214miles range

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

How about when you want to travel from Chiang Rai to the Gulf islands and back. Plenty of charging points along the way are there? Got plenty of time to waste while it's being charged?

 

Of course one could go for this option. Picture from google images.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Plenty of charging points along the way are there?

Yes actually there are 

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Good luck when you need to get a new battery.

My battery pack is made up of battery modules that can be replaced individually, so you don't need to replace the whole pack over a few damaged cells. The battery has an 8 year 80% warranty. I have driven it for 2 years and have lost 1km of range.  

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Can you buy a hydrogen car anywhere?

 

Not talking about now. I'm saying what they should be investing in.

 

If hydrogen was actually taken seriously it would probably make every electric car obsolete and of no value. No need to invest in polluting power stations to charge millions of electric cars- delivered to point of sale just like CNG used to be in NZ when many cars were dual fuel.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Not talking about now

Hydrogen is the fuel of the future and always will be

The economics don't make any sense. Currently the majority of hydrogen (∼95%) is produced from fossil fuels by steam reforming of natural gas. The downside to this process is that its by-products are major atmospheric release of CO2. Green hydrogen produced through electrolysis using renewable power costs US$10-15 per kg - once it has been transported to the filling station the selling price will be much more and make filling up a tank prohibitively expensive.  H2 Cars are way more expensive than electric cars to buy.