matchar

2 hours ago, RabidRenu said:

I have a hunch he probably did deserve it...

 

https://www.ourwatch.org.au/quick-facts/

On average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner. In the year 2021/22, 5606 women (average of 15 women/day) were hospitalised due to family and domestic violence.

And I have a hunch that he didn't...

Judging by the violent nature of the crime...stabbing him several times in the face and leaving him for dead hardly screams self-defense.

2 hours ago, macahoom said:

 

Voice commands:

 

There’s about 8(?) pages of various voice commands you can use with the Seal. You’ll find them when you start investigating the centre display. Some of them will be very handy as it seems to me, unless I’m missing something, that a lot of settings annoyingly revert to “off” when the Seal is powered down. One example: the seat ventilation is not remembered from the last setting used; it’s always off when you turn the car on. Thankfully a quick voice command turns it on; no messing about digging into menus within menus, thank gawd.

 

The lady who answers the voice commands is very polite. A much more human-like conversation compared to my other 2 EVs.

 

By the way, I sold my 4 year old MGZS EV incredibly quickly using Facebook. Within one hour, someone had arranged to view. He came to the house three hours later, had a look around it, drove it for no more than 200 metres and said, “I’ll take it.” Paid me cash on the spot and we transferred two days later. Brilliant!

 

The evolution of EVs is advancing at such a breakneck speed. I know it’s a more expensive car, but the Seal makes the MG, a great car, seem like an antique. No doubt, in another four years, the Seal will be old hat too.

So how much did you sell it for?

I'm sure I'm not the only one interested in the depreciation of EVs in Thailand.

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

MEA and PEA are separate entities. To support e-billing they have fit 'smart meters' and there are very few of those around in the rural communities.

 

Do you have a link to this 'Thai media' that you claim says this is not a scam?

Yes but it's only in Thai:

https://mgronline.com/onlinesection/detail/9660000049697

I think the official Line account is legit but there also probably a lot of fake clones so beware.

I know the MEA is a different entity and I don't think the MEA system relies on smart meters...they just want to save on paper and printing costs but they still read the meters manually AFAIK.

Actually it's not a scam according to Thai media.

In Bangkok they are nagging us to use e-billing on MEA connect or something.

I just pay my bill through the Thai banking apps it's very easy and it saves all your details and knows your bill amount already.

29 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

When I test drove one with my Brother In Law, it was a very sunny day.  I didn’t find much heat coming through the roof glass.

 

I think the roof panel cuts down the transmitted heat to negligible, however, I suspect if the vehicle is stationary in the sun then that panel will get hot and radiate heat onto your head until such time as the vehicle is moving and the panel cooled to nearer ambient temperature by the wind over the car.

 

Incidentally, I had to start the test drive and they copied my licence as my BIL only had an Australian licence, the salesman let us swap over half way and he ordered one online in Australia 10 minutes later.

 

I was very impressed with the car, it has a luxury feel and a superb driving position. I found the suspension a little soft, perhaps that firms up on the performance model with Sport selected.

How does it compare to your MG 4? Considering it's what, nearly twice the price?

2 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

"EVs don't work for people who live in apartment buildings - how are they going to charge?" 

 

You will certainly have seen statements like this, but it's nice to see the that condos in Thailand are now being built with EV charging built in.

 

 

They are just for show and completely impractical. My condo of around 800 units has two 7kW chargers but you have to book a slot and it's 50 THB/hour with overtime fees of 100 THB/hour.

4 hours ago, vinny41 said:

At the end of 2022, we recorded 455 hydrogen stations operating in Asia, thereof 165 in Japan and 149 in South Korea. The number of hydrogen stations in China is estimated at 138,

You can now fill up with hydrogen in 37 countries, Columbia, Cyprus, and Israel being the latest additions to the list.

https://hydrogen-central.com/another-record-addition-european-hydrogen-refuelling-stations-2022-tuv-sud/#

 

Seems the number of hydrogen stations is expanding each year

So 165 hydrogen stations in the whole of Japan compared to 40,000 petrol stations...

https://thedriven.io/2023/06/23/nothing-can-compete-finkel-concedes-battery-electric-beats-hydrogen-cars/

4 hours ago, vinny41 said:

Taking the Lead in Hydrogen Fueling Stations

In response to the logistics industry's ongoing efforts to reduce emissions, BIG has taken the lead in establishing hydrogen fueling stations. In collaboration with PTT Plc. and Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd., they have inaugurated the first hydrogen fueling station for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) in Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province, Thailand.

https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/more/pr-news/40029156

PR news...AKA puff piece.

And that's just a prototype, it will never become mainstream. How many EV charging stations are there in Thailand right now? A lot more than 1 and rapidly increasing.

17 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Sounds a lot like:

So instead of oats there's a heavy tank of volatile gasoline that can only be refilled at specialized gas stations... 

 

????????????????

Except that hydrogen is a gas and it needs to be stored in heavy high pressure cylinders 350–700 bar [5,000–10,000 psi] tank pressure.

It also needs high pressure pumps at refueling stations...

8 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

I was thinking about investing in an EV , but , after refection , I'll wait for Fuel cell cars ( Hydrogen ) , to arrive .

https://www.motor1.com/news/690289/2024-honda-cr-v-hydrogen-fuel-cell-plug-in-battery/

 

A hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle uses the same kind of electric motor to turn the wheels that a battery-electric car does. But it's powered not by a large, heavy battery but by a fuel-cell stack in which pure hydrogen (H2) passes through a membrane to combine with oxygen (O2) from the air, producing the electricity that turns the wheels plus water vapor. What this means is that a fuel-cell vehicle is technically a series hybrid, which is why they are sometimes classified as fuel-cell hybrid electric vehicles .

So instead of a large heavy battery you have a large heavy cylinder of hydrogen (or two) under high pressure that can only be refuelled at specialised hydrogen stations...of which Thailand currently has 0 and even in Japan I believe they are few and far between. Also the cost of hydrogen is much higher than petrol especially "green" hydrogen made from renewable energy. Elon Musk called them "fool cells" and for once I agree with him.

Toyota was betting big on hydrogen fuel cells but now they've had to u-turn to EVs and are playing catch up...

24 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

No.  

 

https://xcadnetwork.com/

You mean you earn "creator tokens" and sell those tokens for USD cash?

How many hours does it take to earn that $10?

No it's not April fool's...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-67005620

13 hours ago, vinny41 said:

ChangAn Deepal SL03, 100% electric car, launched in Thailand at the end of 2023, 79.9 kWh battery, price comparable to C-Segment.

 It is expected that the price will be in the range of 1.1-1.3 million baht.

https://autolifethailand.tv/changan-deepal-sl03-coming-soon-thailand-2023/

Looks nice, a shame about the Lithium Ternary (NMC) battery though.

1 hour ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Sure, but probably with money ???? they scammed out of Chevron. 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-chevron-idUSKBN26N1V5

And that's why electricity has been so expensive. The dispute meant domestic gas production massively declined and Thailand had to rely on more imported gas.

Massive Prayut own goal and consumers are paying the price.

11 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

i think a few years have passed already ... it well could be a few years too many ... 

Yes they are a bit late to the party but Thailand is a very important market for Toyota.

My 22 year old Toyota ICE still runs fine and I'm happy to wait for the right time to upgrade to an EV. If I needed one right now I would choose MG but I still have some doubts about how well they will hold up after 20 years.

2 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

How many have seen headlines like this from Toyota? 

 

 

People forget that Toyota has been making claims about solid state batteries since 2014. 

 

 

I have written off Toyota long ago

 

Yes I would take their solid state battery claims with a pinch of salt but there are plenty of Chinese CATL batteries available that they can use for their next EV model (just as Tesla does).

The reason the bZ4X is so expensive in Thailand is because it's made in Japan and subject to import duties unlike the Chinese rivals.

Give it a few years and I expect Toyota will have a decent reasonably priced EV made in Thailand probably with a Chinese battery.

4 hours ago, Pib said:

I'm seriously considering buying either BYD Atto 3 EV or MG ZS EV.....really torn between deciding between them. The wife and I visited BYD and MG dealerships today/19 Sep and test drove a MG ZS EV this afternoon....I was impressed with the drive quality and power.   We also visited the BYD dealership this morning to look at the Atto 3 and also could have done an offerred test drive but didn't take them up on the offer....but going back tomorrow morning and do a test drive.

 

For the Atto 3 Extended Range model with 60KWH battery the price is Bt1,199,900 until the end of November when the govt subsidiary will dry up for that BYD model.   The freebies include:

 

- a basic warranty on vehicle 8 yrs/160Km,

- Traction battery warranty is also 8 yrs/160Km,

- Free Maintenance for 8 yrs/160Km,

- free road service 24 hrs a day for 8 yrs,

- free 1st class insurance for 1 yr, 

- free home wall charge (7KW) including installation,

- free portable (granny) charger,

- free Vehicle to Load adapter, 

- free car registration,

- and free matching carpet matts, rear luggage, license plate frames

 

Now for the MG EZ EV with 50KWH battery the price is Bt1,013,000 until the end of September....only another 10 days or so....appears the govt subsidiary on this model goes away before the subsidiary for the Atto 3.....beyond my brain power to figure out why the govt subsidiary length of time is shorter on the MG model vs the BYD model....but it is what it is.   But here are the freebies included in the MG dealership quote today:

 

- Free 1st class insurance for 3 (three) years....normally it's 1 yr but a special deal right now adds 2 more free years for a total of 3 yrs 1st class insurance

- free labor for 5 times/visits

- basic warranty on vehicle 4 years/120Km

- traction battery warranty 8 year/160Km

- free home wall charger (7KW) and installation

- free portable (granny) charger

- free ceramic windows film (40/60/80% light blocking)...I would go with 80% on the side window/sunroof and 40% on the front window

- free vehicle to load adapter

- free roadside assistance 24hrs/day for 4 years

- free towing 100Km in case of emergency

- free spray rust proofing

- free car registration

- free license plate frames

 

Yeap....seriously considering these two models.  I need to sh$t or get off the pot deciding on which one especially since the govt subsidiary soon runs out, especially for the MG at the end of September/this month....got until end of November for the Atto 3.  

 

The BYD warranty coverage pretty much 8 yrs/160Km across the board for the car and traction battery is better than the MG car warranty of 4 years/120Km & 8 yrs/160Km for the traction battery.    The MG free 1st class insurance for 3 yrs vs only 1 is definitely a good thing as 1st class insurance ain't cheap.    For the external appearance of both the MG and BYD the wife and I like them both....but when it comes to the interior we undecided on which is best.  The interest of the BYD is definitely bigger probably due to its chassis being designed solely for an EV whereas the MG chassis was originally designed for a combustion engine and adapted for an EV/electric motor.   The MG interior is more classic where the BYD interior is more eccentric but still nice....much of this is a matter of opinion that will vary from individual to individual.

 

Wish the wife and I luck as to "if" we can decide to buy either the MG or BYD....but if we are going to do it we do to do it ASAP if wanting either car at a much lower price due to the soon to go bye-bye govt subsidiary although there is talk the subsidiary may continue in a new form/lower amount in the coming months/for 2024 but I doubt any future subsidiary will be a good as the current one.

 

P.S.  I currently drive a 2009 Toyota Fortuner 3.0L diesel which I will be keeping....a great car that I bought brand new, kept well maintained, and it still runs and looks great with 315,000Km on it's odometer.   But at the same time I want to get an BEV....have one car that totally electric...cheap to drive at least "fuel" wise.

 

 

 

I could be wrong but I'm betting even after the subsidies end the prices will stay the same or fall due to increased competition.

Battery prices are coming down and EV prices are still trending downwards in China after the subsidies ended.

1 hour ago, JBChiangRai said:

I think they can catch up on technology but supply chains will be much more difficult, I am specifically thinking about batteries.

 

Tesla & the Chinese have spent a lot of time securing their battery supplies.

More than enough batteries to go around right now:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Caixin/Chinese-battery-makers-brace-for-price-war-to-supply-EV-producers

PS if you reach the limit for free articles clear your cookies or open in an incognito tab.

Don't be so quick to write off legacy carmakers such as Toyota. They have the means to catch up with the Chinese and first movers can actually end up at a disadvantage if technology rapidly improves since they have invested a lot in R&D and may end up with stranded assets that are made redundant.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Toyota-gigacasting-prototype-cuts-production-from-hours-to-minutes

40 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Battery prices plummet as electric cars approach ‘tipping point’ (msn.com)

 

The cost of batteries fell by nearly 10 per cent in August, taking them past a key milestone that is seen by energy analysts as a “tipping point” to supercharge the transition to electric vehicles.

The price of lithium-ion battery cells, which power everything from smartphones to the International Space Station, fell below $100/ kilowatthour (kWh) last month – a 33 per cent drop from March 2022 and an 8.7 per cent month-on-month drop.

Energy analytics firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, who compiled the figures, noted that battery pack prices need to reach $100/kWh for electric vehicles to reach price parity with fossil fuel-burning vehicles.

“Decreasing cell prices could allow [manufacturers] to sell mass market electric vehicles at comparable prices to internal combustion engine vehicles, with the same margin, improving the attractiveness of the EV transition for both consumers and automakers,” said Benchmark analyst Evan Hartley.

“Falling cell prices are of particular concern for companies investing in cell production outside of China, particularly when there is already concern surrounding the profitability of factories in regions such as Europe.”

The drop in price could also have implications for other technologies, the report noted, including for solar and wind installations that need to store excess energy during periods of overproduction.

“The energy and transport revolution continues,” energy analyst Gerard Reid wrote on LinkedIn.

“Lithium battery cell prices are now below $100 per kWh, down 80 per cent in a decade. Going forward we will see even lower costs and better performance, which is why the death of the internal combustion engine is near.”

 

(Benchmark)© Provided by The Independent

The falling prices have been attributed to decreasing raw material costs, with lithium prices more than halving since the start of 2023.

The price could continue to fall following the discovery of massive lithium deposits in recent months, most notably within an extinct supervolcano on the border of Nevada and Oregon.

The McDermitt caldera could contain up to 120 million tonnes of lithium, according to recent estimates from geologists, which could potentially meet global battery demand for decades.

Yes I'm still waiting for further price cuts. The competition is just heating up and China has a massive oversupply of batteries. The fear of the Thai government subsidies running out soon might be driving sales in the short term but I don't think the car companies are passing on the full subsidy to the customers anyway.

10 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Neta V is a great car and fantastic value.

It's cheap but you get what you pay for. I think the MG 4 is better value for money (based on specs) although I haven't tried either yet.

22 minutes ago, Bandersnatch said:

Nice to see BYD e6 EV taxis at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday 

 

Until they start hogging all the public chargers in Bangkok...

This topic is bound to cause a lot of debate but I think the batteries in electric cars are designed and tested to be much much safer than the cheap batteries in cheap no name scooters.