BKKBike09

This being Thailand, that's a good way to land yourself a defamation suit. Better to complain to a) Mazda corporate office in BKK and if not luck then b) Office of Consumer Protection Board. Complaints to a) need to be made in writing and dated.

Seal and Tang look pretty nice and are well appointed inside. Dolphin is small and TBH, for me, nothing special. I did come away feeling that, in general, BYD interior quality for Atto is a level higher than MG ZS / EP / 4. The MGs have a lot of hard plastic. Of course Atto is more expensive, and THB 150-250K more is a fair amount of money to spend extra over an MG. MG4 is a nice looking car but it is small - fitting four large adults in it would be a squeeze. Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a really good looking car inside and out. But it will be expensive when launched here (they said EOY). I expect likely THB 2.5 M+. Looked at the Volvo XC40 Recharge: very well built (in China) but THB 2.7 million is a stupid price for it. It is also loses out to Atto / Ioniq in that it's clearly not a 'ground up' build but a re-purposed ICE model. So there's a massive transmission tunnel in the rear cabin, not a flat floor. I think that's very poor for a vehicle at this price. That's where dedicated EV platforms like BYD steal a march on some competitors. The BYD stand has (tucked away at the back, strangely), a model showing the integrated battery / drive train / controller set up - which shows how a flat floor achieved. . My personal view is that Atto 3 with the 60kwh battery at THB 1.2 million is pretty hard to beat, right now, in the mid-sized pure EV sector in Thailand.

Curious that the UK versions don't have adjustable floor in the boot: "There's no variable boot floor, which is a shame because there's space for one, the boot floor is set high, level with the load lip, and there's a huge compartment beneath in which the bags for cables float around".

Good point. I might go there today. I can wave the Thai language owners manual at them because in there it says there are Dynamic / Standard modes. I asked dealership why it said this and their response was that manual was translated from the English (so I guess Oz/NZ) version and some features "no have in Thailand" (also including heated seats/, which I quite like).

If worst came to worst and I had to use it on front of car I'd consider It is a pain that Atto always insists range is 480 km @ 100%. In Australia/NZ there is the option to set 'Dynamic Range' where "estimated driving range is displayed based on the available battery power and current average power consumption". Much more sensible. But the Thai cars don't offer this option. I'm sure it must be easy enough to enable as it's only a software feature. This is what overseas owners' manual says: Driving Range Display • To improve driving experience, the vehicle features a function to select the "Driving Range Display Mode", which is "Standard" by default. • Set the mode in "Multimedia → New Energy → Energy Management → Driving Range Display Mode". • Standard mode: The driving range is displayed based on the result of the comprehensive working condition test. • Dynamic mode: The estimated driving range is displayed based on the available battery power and current average power consumption. • The set driving range display mode will be memorized by the system. • When the vehicle is powered off and then on, the display mode set last time will be maintained. REMINDER •When the "Dynamic" driving range display mode is set: » The range displayed when the battery is fully charged varies based on the energy consumption of the previous trip. » The driving range actually displayed will be adjusted based on the state of the vehicle’s air conditioner, the driving mode (ECO, NORMAL, SPORT, etc.) selected, and the driver's driving habits, so as to match the vehicle's actual driving range. I've asked in dealership whether they can enable and they said no. But maybe that will change if enough people complain. I've experimented (in Bangkok, not when I'm miles from a charger) seeing what happens when SOC gets low. When it hits 50 km predicted range remaining at around 10%, a caution comes up on the dash stating that vehicle needs to be charged. Analagous to low fuel warning light in an ICE.

I did not.

So I can confirm that a Toyota Cross / CH-R spacesaver will fit an Atto 3. Bought the wheel on Lazada for THB 2,890 + 150 delivery. Brand new. 5 x 114 17" rim with a 155/70 Yokohama tyre; not sure of the offset but it clears the brake caliper (put it on just now and drove backwards / forwards 10 feet with no scraping noise and no scoring inside rim when removed). The wheel is about an inch less in diameter (about 25.5 inches vs 26.5 inches for the full size). I don't know if the tire pressure monitoring will complain given difference in rotational speed. As per the pic above from an Atto owner in Holland, the spare is too big to lay flat in the space where the emergency kit sits. Take that foam insert out and it goes in at an angle and there's plenty of room to allow the boot floor to sit firmly in the upper position. It's quite possible just to lay the spare on the foam insert if you don't mind the floor having a little movement. I think I'll take the foam insert out but couldn't be bothered for this evening .

You can turn it off - in the BYD - but only for that ignition cycle. Then the stupid stuff all turns back on again. Predictive Collision Alert is particularly useless in Bangkok traffic with motorcycles cutting in and out all the time. I've driven various cars with all this gimmickry in Europe (rental VW, Volvo, Vauxhall) and in all of them, it can be turned off permanently if the driver wants.

Legally-held firearms are already registered. This is talking about unregistered weapons. The new bill proposes an amnesty to give people who own unregistered weapons 180 days to either register them properly or hand them in. No criminal prosecution during this period. The ones that could be registered will probably be ones that belonged to a deceased family member and have been lying around the house since the owner died. I predict a lot of 'Thai Pradit' (locally made guns eg BB gun adaptations) being handed in, and not a lot of 'real guns'.

The dealer I bought my BYD from used to be a Mitsubishi dealer (they still have a Mitsu dealership as well at another location). Gave me a little comfort knowing that at least they weren't completely new to the car biz. I suspect a lot of second-tier brand dealers will consider switching over to EV brands.

I'll have a look and report back.

Thanks. It seems well designed and fits like a glove. That guy in the video ('Champ') is the Promax owner. He has an Atto - he explained (as in the vid) that a major reason for designing it was to have somewhere to store the emergency charger - see pics below which show that it fits quite happily in the 'frunk'. The charger can stay in the boot, but then the floor has to put in the highest position if you want it out of sight and not sliding around. As per the vid, they did a 3-D scan/CAD model and then made an injection mould. He's patented it here and in China and said he's currently talking to BYD about licensing it to them. It really looks like OEM so he's done a good job.

Got to love Thailand - it's still THB 8,990 and the guy is bringing it to me this evening!

I've had three in my other car in 7 years, including two that were tears in the tyre wall, for which foam filler is useless. Luckily that car has a spacesaver spare (especially since two of the flats were upcountry). You can't turn off the Adaptive "feature" on the BYD Atto.

Tried again to use the cruise control on motorway again today. I'm going to revise my assessment from 'Not So Good' to 'Really Poor'. It could just be me of course, but it's really hard to set (because it's so <deleted> hard to see the speed that's set), it over reacts when slowing down and speeding up, and - worst of all - it won't let you drive without it being 'Adaptive'. Cruise control should be press one button to engage at whatever speed the car is doing when the button is pressed, then toggle to speed up / slow down by 1 kmh/1mph increments - NOT +/- 5 kmh steps. To be fair we have a CRV with cruise control that does this and I still never use it, but the Atto set up is really poor, at least in moderate motorway traffic. Maybe on empty upcountry roads it would be fine. It doesn't matter if the instrument display is set to dark or light (I prefer dark) - the cruise control speed setting is really hard to see.

I did find a spare wheel / tyre but it's about an inch too wide to sit under the boot floor when the floor is in the raised position. I pulled out the foam insert that holds the inflation kit etc and hoped that it would provide enough depth. I think it will, but the foam is held in place by four threaded bolts (no idea why) which don't really show in the pic above. They either need to be removed or a riser of some sort put in: you wouldn't want a tyre to be lying on those bolt tips. TBH could probably render them harmless with water bottle tops and gaffer tape. It's irritating there's no "frunk" because the tire kit could go in that space. Maybe someone will start making an insert; can't think it would be too hard.

The quick summary would be: Good External / interior styling (very subjective) Build quality (but see below) Comfort (but see below) Relaxing to drive Reasonably powerful (will get up to 150 kmh quite happily and quite quickly) Good range (at least 350-400 km) Panoramic glass roof (a big selling point for me) with sunshade Good interior space Both front seats electrically adjustable (but no memory settings) Built in dashcam GPS works pretty well (but no Thai language search option) Not So Good Suspension - way too soft and spongy (not an issue around town but not so good at any speed) as soon as decent aftermarket options available, I'm going to ditch the stock set up Build quality - well put together but the panel metal is the thinnest I've ever seen (already got two tiny dents in mine) Comfort - One-piece front seats mean no adjustable head restraints Tyres - cr*p Chinese no name; but fine for town driving Tech - too much of it that can't be permanently disabled Cruise control - fiddly to set, very hard to see speed set, only goes up/down in 5 kmh intervals AirCon - not always as cold as I think it should be No spare tyre

Interesting to see how it all goes for them in UK. I wouldn't have paid any more than the 1.2 million I spent here on the Atto. After 2000 km and 2 months of ownership, I rate it overall about 6.5-7/10. I'll post a proper review at some point when I have more time.

To be fair, that relates to buses built 6 years ago. Tech has moved on so much in that time I think it's debatable to judge BYD today by those standards. But who knows. I look at the BYD EV taxis that are still running at Suvarnabhumi - that's 5 years plus and they are still on the road, so maybe a good sign? More of a concern for me is the ability of cars to act as giant tracking devices. Certainly anyone in a sensitive government job would want to think very carefully. If you work in a 'site without windows', do you want your phone synced to your car, and your car sharing position data with a Chinese server? No thanks.

AEB and PCW (Predictive Collision Warning) are a pain in the Atto. They can be disabled, but only for each 'ignition cycle'. The Collision Warning is particularly tedious in Bangkok traffic because it often reacts to motorcycles cutting in front of you - it makes an alarming beeping noise which is quite, well, alarming if you don't know what is causing it. The LKA I detest in any car; it can be turned off in the Atto, but also only per ignition cycle. If folk buying the standard range Atto at 1.1 million are getting 1 million cover, they're doing better than those who bought the extended range for 1.2 million, which also gets 1 million cover ...

You can ask for it back if you were born British prior to 1981 (I think it is, or whenever the Nationality Act changed around that time). It's a one-off deal. The guidance is complex, and one little wrinkle is the potential requirement to provide: "a letter from the authorities of the country concerned (unless it is a British overseas territory) stating that the applicant’s renunciation of British citizenship was necessary in order to acquire or retain that country’s citizenship" Good luck getting that in Thailand and keeping Thai nationality ... However ... There is an option to apply and rely on the discretion of the Home Secretary in cases where the person "renounced British citizenship to either acquire the nationality or citizenship of their spouse or civil partner or to assist them in their careers" and when either a) the marriage, civil partnership or the career has now ended or b) they wish to remain in the UK, or return to the UK for settlement (my highlighting). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632943/registration-as-a-British-citizen-following-renunciation-v1.0.pdf

Obviously no UK grime/rap fans on this thread.

Look chief, I don't need to 'rethink' anything. I was agreeing with you on the broader issue of EV charging in condo common areas. My point is you'd have more luck getting the condo management to do something if you pushed the safety angle, not theft. You have made several posts referencing safety. Such as: Seeing as how you're not getting much of a hearing on AV, why not take your campaign to the streets? Specifically to your condo. I'm sure you can fit a sandwich board with "Stop EV Thieves" in your Tesla. Stand on the pavement wearing that and show those EV rascals who's da boss!

I suspect they've reduced the battery price because of media coverage (and possibly pressure from the insurance companies they use).

I agree that EV charging from outlets in common areas of condos is an issue. But I don't think the "theft" angle will hold much sway with the condo management. Safety is the argument to make with them: IF one of those cheap EV scooters catches fire at 3 am, how much risk will that pose to condo residents asleep in their beds? Somchai the night guard can be trusted to a) be awake and b) tackle an electric fire properly? However, this is Thailand, so chances are nothing will change until there is a condo fire caused by EV charging and lots of people die. The real issue is that when most condos were built, EV cars and scooters were almost unknown here. So no-one planned for them when designing condos (and probably still don't). The risk of an EV scooter catching fire while charging may be small but even if, say, 1 in 1,000,000, when you've got a million of them around the city charging every day ...