JBChiangRai

I do think he's a lot smarter than most people on the planet, myself included. I also know he sometimes makes decisions on emotion instead of logic (eg firing people at Twitter who asked him awkward questions on a zoom call). He canned his monopolistic LIDAR supplier over a failure to get them to reduce their price, he doesn't react well when people tell him "No". He seems to be alone in thinking he can implement FSD using cameras, even his own team disagrees with him (if the leaks are anything to go by) as does every other car manufacturer I have read about, even Mercedes Benz have beat him to FSD on the highway in the USA, I suspect it's because they have LIDAR and theirs works. Even Elon admits cameras don't work in rain or fog. FSD is not a small issue, it's the future of Tesla and it could bring it down. I accept it's possible he has a plan. That could be why he's selling FSD for a one-off fee currently and not the subscription model he intends to in the future. Let's see if he starts installing LIDAR, I expect legislation will force him to.

Elon is on record about the latest price cuts/reduction in margin saying that the future is a subscription based model. My concern with him heading up anything is the lack of oversight. He had a spat with the supplier of LIDAR and responded on emotion and threw his toys out the pram and said they would go vision based. I think not using LIDAR is a blind alley. I predict a worldwide cascade of legislation banning any self-driving tech based on vision only. If that happens Tesla’s customer base will turn against them.

I have Sonoff Internet enabled Contactors on my Grid-Tied inverters, I can turn them off from my phone when for part of the time when I am away.

Further, I think if you are ordering multiple identical items, customs may consider they are not for personal use and then an import licence is needed. It's entirely down to the customs officer on the day. Wherever possible, I would recommend importing goods "Special Line" if it is available, I used it when I imported 32 LiFePo4 batteries of 272 AHr each from China, the freight rate is a little higher but no duty or VAT is payable at destination country and it sails through customs. One of the issues you may face if your batteries are coming from Australia, is where they are made, because the FTA for Australia only applies to goods made (not assembled) in Australia, sometimes a COO (certificate of origin) is needed stating over a certain percentage of each item was made in Australia.

Speak to your customs agent/freight company here and see if it is required. A certain order value or weight often triggers the process. For me it involved registering to use the customs e-customs system. I was bringing in ATV's and later parts, but in an individual not a company name. It was about 12 years ago if I recall correctly. Customs in Mae Sai were actually very helpful even though everything came through Laem Chabang. As a further note, your registration expires after 12 months of disuse.

From MSN today... But Musk is cutting prices in a bid to boost sales further – despite the impact on profits. Tesla is set to slash the price of its electric cars in the US for the sixth time this year.

If the price and freight totaled is more than 30,000 baht, you may need an import licence, sometimes customs apply it, sometimes they don't.

I prefer the looks and wheels of the old body, but the uprated tech and kit on the new model. Maybe it’s an age thing, after all I am a grandad! I am sure the EP will be dropped when they have run out of bits to make them, perhaps they ordered too many chrome grilles.

Chiang Rai

I think it's wise for anyone ordering a Tesla to insist on 12 month's price protection from point of delivery. If the price goes down within 12 months, you get a refund of the same amount. I doubt Tesla would accept that. In China previous customers mobbed the showrooms when the price went down, they got nothing.

I worry about those that have ordered Tesla in Thailand, the rest of the world has had 2 significant price reductions but not here, not yet anyway, though I'm sure it will happen after they've delivered the initial rush of orders. I know of someone who bought a Model X import last year and he's desperately trying to sell it before he gets burned when Tesla start selling them. Those who bought imported model 3's are cursing their decisions as they have been burned already. The time to order a Tesla will come, but it's most definitely not now, not unless they will give you "price protection" as an IT guy, Elon will understand that only too well., it's common in the IT world.

I agree with you thar charging is probably going to get worse as supply of new BEV cars outstrips supply of DC CS. I don't know about Pattaya, it's more than 10 years since I visited, but I do know about DC CS's on long runs like the ones you mentioned. We are currently in the golden age of owning a BEV, there is an abundance of DC CS's on the roads for those undertaking long journeys, I have rarely seen another car at a DC CS. In the last year Chiang Rai city has gone from no DC CS's to 5 that I know of, probably more. I often drive past a few of them and I've never seen one being used, also in the last couple of months Central Mall has installed some CS's DC or AC, I don't know which as I haven't seen them close up. Central Festival Chiang Mai has added fast DC CS's. But I question the need for DC CS's in cities, generally, people charge their BEV's at home or on a road trip. I think the current issue is Condominium's, my friend is involved with 3 units at Pattaya, Rayong & Chiang Rai and they don't seem to be doing anything about it. I think there are a lot of BEV haters out there because they live in condos and they are practically excluded from BEV ownership. My aforementioned friend canceled his MG EP+ order when it arrived because of frustration at all 3 of his condos with committees that are clueless about the BEV revolution.

My first car was a Mini 850, I hated it.

You won’t keep up with an MG, BYD or Tesla BEV from any traffic light. I wouldn’t want to drive 700km without at least one, preferably two coffee breaks, and that’s long enough to charge most BEV’s. You have to drive one to appreciate the lack of NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness) which according to science is the main cause of driver fatigue. 10 years ago I had a 3.0 Toyota Vigo diesel, NVH was terrible. I replaced it with a Ford Ranger 3.2 Wildtrak, much better but still a poor comparison to an ICE car and none come close to a BEV.

In a closed room they will work for a few minutes until the humidity reaches 100% and water can no longer be evaporated. Then your room temperature will climb again and they you are back at the same temperature but now with 100% humidity which is a lot more uncomfortable. They can work outside on a balcony, or you can leave the windows wide open and sit downwind of it. Basically, not recommended in Thailand.

Funny that, I prefer the instant pickup, cheaper & silent ride in my BEV over a diesel's clatter any day

Why would you want to spend 20,000 baht to tell PEA you have a solar installation if you are not exporting?

Tesla in China is now 2/3rds of the price here, Thai customers are being gouged, I am fairly certain once demand drops off the price will be lowered substantially.

Thailand is long, long overdue “Project Discount” instead of the current project “Project Gouging”

Some cars have as much as 22Kw AC chargers (3 phase, 32 amps per phase). It was a >100,000 baht option on one of my cars, I didn’t specify it, my home solar will charge at 7Kw but it doesn’t like it when the car stops charging and the inverters error and reset, I only charge at 24 amps (circa 5Kw).

You are talking about the Treaty of Amity. It is forbidden for a TofA company to own property. You may be able to start the company 100% Thai owned, buy the property then convert it to TofA company, signing the declaration to say no property is owned, then reverse the process to sell the property as no Land Office here will transfer property into/out of a TofA company and if they find out afterwards, eg at sale time, you will lose the property risking jail at the same time. It just takes one jealous neighbor to dob you in and you lose the property. We recently bought a house in my daughters name for University, it stayed in the developers name for 3 months until her 20th birthday.

Look at a 1 year old Suzuki Ciaz, they lose 40-50% in the first year, not so much after that.

Are you going to connect your 2 batteries in parallel? Cable lengths to each inverter need to be identical. Charge your packs separately to exactly the same voltage before joining them in parallel or you will have a massive equalisation current that will goose your BMS’s (ask me how I know)

I said at the time of Prayut’s coup that Thailand had been set back on its path to an uncorrupt democracy by 20 years, I would revise that number upwards significantly now. I suspect had that coup not taken place, Thailand would have ultimately gone the way of Singapore. So PT in power (a corrupt government) would have at some point been challenged by a new party made up of youngsters (perhaps Future Forward) and Thailand would end up as a democratic uncorrupt government. I forecast this before FF came about, now it’s doubly difficult because the last charter change stacked against a true democracy occurring ever again, whether corrupt or not. Until the charter is rewritten, all I can say is those who wished for the coup and to be rid of Thaksin were simply Turkey’s wishing themselves an early Christmas. Incidentally, I am no fan of Thaksin and PT, but he was/is a shortcut to a better, uncorrupt democratic future.

I have the MG4 too and love it, it’s very much a driver’s car. There is talk of a dual motor 4WD with over 400 hp coming, that will be interesting.