Gweiloman

I guess you mean the FT charge or something like that. Even if electricity prices were to double, it would still only cost me Thb 400 instead Thb 200. Doubt I would lose sleep over that. An equivalent ICE car to my EV would probably cost the same if not more. What a lot of non EV owners don’t realise is that the petrol and EV version of a particular make and model are not equivalent cars. The driving and ownership experience are worlds apart. Repair costs may well be higher but unless involved in an accident, there are minimal to no repair costs. Very little servicing costs as well and no money spent on changing all the various types of oils an ICE needs. Brake pads hardly need replacing. And definitely huge savings on fuel, especially if one does lots of mileage like I do. Comparing the situation in the US and in Thailand is an error that even an average person won’t make. Seems like you’re, like me, not an average person either. A lot of the EVs first sold in the US (and even now) were crap US or European made rubbish with outdated tech, poor build quality and faulty software. It’s no wonder that the ownership experience was horrendous. And thanks to US policies, the population will continue to have access only to these sub par EVs. The US also has very poor infrastructure so it’s no wonder that EVs are losing popularity. I don’t know the price differential between gasoline and electricity prices there but in Thailand, there is a huge price differential which makes the business case of EVs much stronger. But I guess the “average” Joe won’t be able to comprehend all these different variables.

You could well be right. I didn’t bother checking his maths, just repeating what he told me. But I understood where he was coming from. As a driver guide, most of his days are spent driving from one place to another, all over the country. He is undoubtedly saving a fortune on fuel given the mileage he does. Probably saves a lot on maintenance as well (engine oil, transmission oil, general servicing etc). One thing that you are overlooking is that a petrol version and an EV version of the same vehicle might not be identical in all aspects, especially the performance and comfort levels. Not sure if you have test driven an EV. It’s hard to explain the nuances to someone who hasn’t but most EV drivers I know would not purchase an ICE after having driven EVs.

Big man, you should learn to accept defeat graciously.

Sales of EVs have slumped in America, correct. Sales of EVs in Asia, especially Thailand are increasing. I have no objection to ICE cars other than the toxic fumes that diesel vehicles give off and the din they make as they go past.

Oh, did I mention that it costs me only about Thb 200 to fully charge my car from 0-100%?

I never claimed that EVERY EV can drive 500 kms. Only that mine can.

I guess you didn’t realise that you can’t actually charge a hybrid. Might not be a bad idea to do some research before posting an opinion.

It’s obvious that you are either completely outdated or ignorant as to the ranges that EVs can do nowadays. I can easily get 400 on Thai highway speeds and close to 500 kms around town. Also, if there’s a power outage in my mooban, I can still have internet access, watch my Tv and have other appliances such as fans and fridges operational.

Petrol costs around Thb 35 per litre and if I’m not mistaken, petrol cars are generally less economical than diesels? As to why he wants 2 EVs, I didn’t ask why. Could be that he charges a different daily rate or if the tour group is bigger than 3 persons, he employs a second driver guide or maybe as a backup in case trouble develops with one or he has to send it into a workshop for some panel work or maybe his gf sold her ICEV and needs a car or, or, or…

I met a Thai tour guide a while back who bought a MG ZS EV. He piled up about 180,000 kms in a space of 2 years and he reckoned the car has paid for itself already just in fuel savings. He was so satisfied with his EV purchase that he recently purchased a BYD Atto 3 as well. He is not selling his MG though as having two’s better than having one, ain’t it?

You might have garnered more than 1 reply if you had mentioned two or more towns that this new hwy connected lol.

I just today completed a 840 km journey from CM to Isaan. In a PHEV that has a smallish 34 kWh battery, only 120 kms were propelled by petrol. Journey time was probably about an hour or two longer than if I had relied totally on the ICE but would have cost me significantly more in petrol vs charging. The longer breaks were in fact very welcome, especially by my dogs and I would go as far as to say that it made for a safer journey as I was “forced “ to rest more. Main thing is that I wasn’t in a rush so for those super high achievers among us for whom time is money and every second counts, drive an ICEV instead. One thing to note though; not all Bangchak stations are 24/7 so make sure you don’t arrive at one with only vapours lol.

I can think of a real life scenario (not motor related though) that is not ridiculous and has happened many times before and many people have paid the ultimate price. What if the plane crashes? That’s why I now avoid flying unless totally unavoidable.

Another problem with owning EVs is that it has made me become like an ex-smoker. I’ve become more sensitive to the foul smelling diesel fumes but sadly my neighbour owns a diesel truck as do I (work vehicle). How I wish there are EV trucks available now.

Not sure if I would trust something like that in my house. This one, I would trust more https://s.lazada.co.th/ How long does it take your solar installation to fully charge up your 12 kWh battery?

If your battery costs Thb 50,000, then it’s probably 3 kWh or so (unless you’re talking about one of those Chinese made junk that you vehemently deride). If I remember correctly, your energy needs are minimal. You don’t have air conditioners nor a washing machine. Just a fan, a fridge, a TV and a PC/laptop. In that case, it is conceivable that you charge your battery with your solar and then run the whole house on the 3 kWh battery once the sun goes down until it rises again the next morning. Firstly, very few people, if any, are in your situation where they hardly use any electricity. Secondly, if I were to consume so little power, then I would rather save my 50k baht and just pay PEA the piddly couple of hundred baht a month. It would take a lifers if not more for the ROI on the 50,000 baht battery.

This thread is about problems with EVs. The problem I have every morning is deciding which car to take out for the day, the BEV or the PHEV. Different pros, no cons.

What is abjectly dumb is your made up scenario. In over 40 years of motoring, I have never driven to a location so remote that there aren’t any petrol stations. Why then would I want to drive an EV there? Here in CM, the technological centre of the universe, even market stall traders have QR codes for payment. If you choose to live in the back of beyond where only cash is accepted, that’s your choice. But I believe most current or potential EV owners would not be living in such isolation.

Unfortunately, my solar installation is grid tied so if there’s a power outage from PEA, my solar won’t be of help. But at least my 60 kWh battery can keep my fridge/freezers, internet, TVs, fans operating.

Yes. Good thing that ICEVs are problem free and that service centres are just a front for money laundering.

Yes, and the 2020 US Presidential elections were rigged and Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and Russia blew up the NordStream pipelines

China is far from perfect. But at least they don’t go round bombing those who have different values and beliefs.

I don’t see any EV owners on this forum telling everyone that they should buy an EV. I only ever hear them (myself included) talk about the pros of driving an EV while at the same time acknowledging the downsides. Fortunately, a lot of these cons don’t impact us much as our situation is such that we are able to mitigate them easily. A lot of anti-EV posters however go through much pain to rubbish EVs including inventing situations that are less likely than striking first price in the lottery.

Takeover of HKG? You do know that it’s the British who forcefully took HKG from China, a 99 year lease. HKG was handed back to China in 1997, much to the joy of many Hong Kongers, I was working there during the handover. China does not want to control Taiwan, it just doesn’t want Taiwan to be a vassal state of the US who would most certainly build military bases there in an effort to further contain China and to prevent China from overtaking the US economically (which will inevitably happen in spite of US’ efforts). Hundreds of millions have been lifted out of poverty, not in the West but in China. The biggest middle class is now in China. I suggest that Chinese citizens are paid a proper wage for their labours. I pity the poor folks in the West who, while having reducing standards of living, are being forced to pay more for their goods due to tariffs and sanctions which actually hurts them more than those being sanctioned. And the recent move by the EU to investigate “unfair “ subsidies of Chinese made EVs is no more than protectionism.

Given your transportation requirements, you definitely shouldn’t buy an EV as you are not benefiting from any of the advantages of owning an EV and in fact exemplifying one of the biggest downsides ie driving long distances in a single journey. In fact, you shouldn’t own a car at all and instead fly as it would be much faster and more economical (unless you live 1,000 kms from the nearest airport in which case, you’re up sh*t creek without a paddle). In answer to your question, you don’t leave your car charging for 3 weeks. You charge the traction battery up to 80% or 100% depending in the kind of battery you have and leave it. The battery might lose 1 or 2% every week, keeping the 12V battery charged and other systems operating, like in a normal ICEV. In fact, another advantage of an EV is that the traction battery keeps the 12 V battery charged. With an ICEV, you should be trickle charging the 12V battery so that it doesn’t run flat.