Pib

Thanks. And regarding use of cruise control I've don't use it in Thailand (on any vehicle I've owned) since it would always be cutting off from frequent braking in my driving environment where VERY frequent gas pedal/brake pedal back & forth activity is always underway. Plus, since I rarely even attempt to use cruise control, I partially forget the "exact" steps to follow to effectively use it...have to tinker/experiment with the cruise control knob settings hiding behind the steering wheel. I don't think I'm an outlier in how/when I use cruise control in Thailand. Cruise control is fine on uncrowded highways for long drives--but not many such uncrowded highways exist in Thailand. Plus I don't have any problem in just using the brain-foot combo on long driving trips. For me cruise control is just one of those options I will rarely or never use again after playing with it a few times after getting the vehicle. I think cruise control comes on almost every passenger car/truck now days. But it's just a vehicle capability I don't use. The brain-foot combo is all I need for cruise control. I wonder if BYD would give me a lower selling price on the Atto if it could be delivered without cruise control? ????

Below quote from the full article. No truer words have ever been said. Basically don't get a pet...a fur baby... if you can't make a life long commitment to it. "The vet concluded the emotional pet abandonment post by urging people to be responsible pet owners and not to abandon them even when they have children or other commitments. If they are not ready to take on a decade-long commitment, they should not adopt pets in the first place. Abandoning pets and making them other people’s burdens is sinful."

Dont mind at all....time will tell once the wife and I get the Atto and can experience the regen braking for at least a few weeks in our driving environment...and how it compares to our ICEV braking which we will continue to use also. "Safety First" will carry a lot of weight in our evaluation followed by the overall feel of the braking with electricity regen carrying much less weight.

I would be more concerned about the number of speeding tickets I'm going to get in the mail from driving at 120-160kmh between Pattaya and Bangkok versus the EV battery range. ???? And yea, anytime you have the "pedal to the metal", whether dinosaur- or electric fuel-powered a lot more fuel is going to be consumed in maintaining a high speed compared to maintaining a lower speed over the same distance. The Atto 3 Extended Range (60KWH battery) has a NEDC range 480km. The NEDC standard is jokingly referred to as Not Even Durn Close although its official name is the New European Driving Cycle....and a WLTP range of 420Km. The WLTP rating gets closer to reality in comparison to NEDC, but WLTP still does not represent real world driving range most people will get considering everyone drivers differently, in different environments, etc. All the various EVs I seen sold in Thailand seem to use the NEDC standard in their primary advertising since it reflects a higher range than WLTP....for this specification higher is better for advertising/sales purposes. And maybe Thai law requires use of NEDC vs WLTP in sale of vehicles....I don't know. But if using the WLTP standard it's mainly based on speeds far lower than 120-160kmh...based on an average of speed limits a people encounter...low, medium, high, and extra high driving speeds. Yea, pedal to the metal speeds eat fuel at a far greater rate for the same distance covered.

One issue I've been concerned with is how regen braking might affect a person's ability to brake/slow down a vehicle just at the right deceleration speed to avoid rear ending the vehicle in front of you "while also" not slowing down too fast to cause the person behind you to rear-end you. Or maybe to use an ol' nursery rhyme, "....it's not too hot, it's not too cold, it's just right..." 95% of my driving is done in the greater Bangkok metro area on slow and fast moving roads (saw a 100km radius from Bangkok's center)....the land of bumper-to-bumper traffic where distances between vehicles in front and rear of you are almost always at minimum levels whether that bumper-to-bumper traffic is crawling along or moving at a high speed on a highway. The type of traffic where it can be challenging to maintain a safe following distance especially since many drivers which see any open space ahead in the lanes next to them will quickly cut over/squeeze into that open space in hopes of gaining even 1 meter of distance and/or reducing their driving time by 1 second to where ever they are going in spite of the safety risks involved in cutting in and out of lanes frequently to gain a little distance. Makes it hard to maintain safe driving distance so a person often decides not to leave too much space between you and the vehicle ahead in trying to prevent other drivers from unsafely cutting in front of you to fill that safe space....ends up causing you to quickly slow down to create safe spacing again. And of course if you slow down too fast you run the risk of causing the person behind to kiss your vehicle's butt. After 15 years of driving in Thailand by far the most typical accident I see in the greater Bangkok area is "rear-end collisions"...very often with 3 or more vehicles involved. Not deadly collisions...just collisions that cause minor to major vehicle damage. Just last weekend on a drive on Rama II Road from Bangkok to Samut Songkhran I saw two rear collisions at two locations over 20 minutes. A 5 vehicle pile-up and a 7 vehicle pile-up in the right/fast lane. A MG4 Electric was in the 5 vehicle butt kisser pile-up...it was car number 3 in that pile-up. No serious injuries in either pile-up as far as I could see as I rubber-necked as driving by; just all vehicles incurring BIG baht damage. Each time I see a butt kissing vehicle pile-up I just know it could have been probably been prevented or the number of vehicles involved reduced if the drivers had maintained a safe spacing distance and/or "decelerated/braked" at just the right speed....braking that paid attention to braking enough to avoid kissing the vehicle in front but not braking so fast it ends up not giving the vehicle behind you enough time to stop. A couple times a year I have to brake suddenly and heavily (a.k.a., butt-puckering braking)...usually at a healthy speed and my brain is trained to also instantly glance into my rear view mirror to gauge how close any vehicle is behind me as I "do not want to stop on a dime...stop so fast too easily avoid hitting the car in front of me" if stopping too fast is probably going to cause the vehicle behind me to hit me. Yes, I determine how fast to stop based on the vehicle in front "and" vehicle behind me; not just the car in front of me. When I get my BEV (an Atto 3 inbound from the China factory) I will most likely set it to the lowest level of regen braking in order to give "me" the most control in determining how slow or fast I brake.....I'll continue to trust my own defensive braking skills over that of the car's computer which is maybe biased towards squeaking out a little more energy to feed back into the battery versus the safest braking control. Now to the Atto 3 has two regen braking levels...Standard and High. Reviews indicate even the High level is provides a pretty minimal (weak) level of braking.....much less than a lot of other EVs. See one review of the Atto 3 regen braking. I did do a 20Km test drive before ordering and don't know what regen level was set...Standard or High. And I don't think it can be turn off....it's either Standard or High based on what you select. Now I didn't do any butt-puckering braking to get a feel for "how much control I have in the braking" but the braking I did do felt OK....it didn't get the feeling of regen braking having too much control. I know a lot of people talk about how great "one pedal" driving is because the regen braking on their EV is so strong...brings the car to a slow stop without even have to press on the brake pedal. But I wonder if these folks ever have to drive in "very challenging, close quarters" driving and/or have just relinquished braking control to the vehicle's braking computer vs relying on human braking/defensive driving skills. For me I could care less about a few more kilometers worth of energy being pumped back into by battery due to regen braking if, repeat, if that regen braking reduces braking safety like in butt-puckering stops where a person needs to be super concerned about braking at just the right amount to protect your front "and" rear.

Yea...No argument from me that ceramic coating is way overhyped when it comes to protecting from chips/scratches but it's much better than wax for shine, repelling water & grim, lasting power, etc. And when it comes to protecting against stone chips/scratches even PPF can't prevent all of them....especially the aggressive ones. My Fortuner which I bought new in late 2008 which now has 315,000km under its odometer has very few minor paint chips/scratches (all on the front bumper area from stone's or doors from other cars opening their door against your door). 95% of the kilometers accumulated on roads within a 100km radius of Bangkok. PPF would probably have helped in protecting against most (not all) of the stone chips but probably not the door chips. PPF is definitely better than wax or ceramic coating but it comes at a high price.

Maybe keep the paint protection simple but a lot better than wax and a lot cheaper than ceramic coating applied at a detail shop. Ceramic coating products like below are cheap but work really well....simple to apply once you get the paint good-and-clean/smooth....and looks really good afterwards. Apply every year or so. I've been using it on my 15 year old Fortuner.

In studying up on the PTT app usage such as possible problems if not being able to start a charging session, it listed an "outstanding balance" as one of the possible reasons. A person needs to pay/get that outstanding balance cleared before another charging session will be allowed as you said. Since your CIMB card didn't approve the charging payment how did you eventually pay...get the PTT app outstanding balance cleared/paid?

OK, I got fully registered on the PTT EV Station Pluz app to including being able to load a payment option. I used my Thai Pink ID card (13 digit Thai card as required by the app...passports not accepted) and was able to load my Bangkok Bank debit card as a payment option. Now I thought for a while I was not going to be able to add the card because the app asks you to enter the card number, name, expiration date, and CVV....and then hit Save where a OTP is suppose to be sent to you to finish the process. But when hitting Save absolutely nothing happened for the first couple of tries (I would wait around 30 seconds on each try for something to happen). Then on the 3rd or 4th try where I completely reentered all the card info when hitting Save it finally continued to the next step which was a screen saying K-bank was going to complete the verification process by causing a OTP to be sent to me. A OTP was sent to me from Bangkok Bank....I entered that OTP and the card was then approved as a payment option. It now appears in the app's payment section. So, it appears I might be good-to-go with the PTT app, but until I'm able to do a real world operational charging test I will not know for sure. Ditto for the PEA Volta app. Need to get my Atto 3 first which is supposedly inbound from the China factory. I'm now setup for use of PEA Volta and PTT EV Station Pluz apps/chargers. Particularly happy to get the PTT app setup as in my driving around PTT stations with chargers seem plentiful and PTT stations are all over Thailand. Not all PTT stations have chargers but quite a few do and those that do usually have a big EV logo on the station main road sign that can be seen from a long distance away....and of course the PTT app will show stations with chargers. The next app I may try to sign-up for is the EA Anywhere app as they seem to have the most chargers and locations in Thailand according to that chart posted eight or so posts up. P.S. Thank you Pink ID card as you are coming in handy once again.

Well that kinda sucks especially if you started charging say 5 minutes before top of the hour, head off to a food shop say for 30 minutes, but when you come back expecting 30 minutes worth of charge has completed you see only 5 minutes completed.

Yea...in playing with the app I noticed that. I pretty much only visit PTT stations....guess I will need to start visiting Bangchak stations.

I just successfully signed up with PEA Volta. For others listening in, after the "initial" registration which just requires an email address and password you get an Activation email to confirm your email address....press the Activate button in that email and you can now log onto the app. But before you can select a payment option the app requires you to complete your app profile where they ask for your name, DOB, ID number (I used my 13 digit Pink ID Card....don't know if it would have accepted my foreign passport number), full address, phone number, car model, etc. I used my Pink ID card number since it will probably never change whereas my foreign passport number will change ever 9 to 10 years when renewing. Anyway I was able to complete the Profile setup without any problem. Now after having the Profile setup when clicking TopUp it showed the image in your post above...click say a Bt200 topup and a QR codes pops up for you to use to complete payment within 10 minutes. I did not follow thru with a topup as I don't even have my EV yet, but you can be sure once I get the EV and even if I have say a 80% charge level I will stop at a PEA charger just to see/test if I can initiate a charge session, top-up, pay, etc.---that is, do a real world test to ensure it works. When selecting the topup via Credit/Debit Car it offers Visa, Mastercard, and JCB. The required entries for payment by card is: card number, card name, expire date, and CVV. You are then to click the Pay button. As with the QR topup method I did not give that a try via my Thai banks debit card nor my foreign debit/credit cards....but I have a gut feeling it's only going to accept a Thai card. But I would prefer to pay by QR code and not have to enter any debit/credit card info into any app (especially a Thai app) because if that app ever gets hacked then your debit/credit card info could end-up in the hands of bad guys. Thanks again for your post/images....it gave me enough confidence that there may not be a Catch 22 problem after initially registering but then not being able to setup a payment option to be able to use the app....kinda like getting a gun but you can't get any bullets.

No but I will. I have an BYD Atto 3 on order and it comes with a free 7KW wall charger....also a free granny charger. The wall charger is supposed to be installed within about a week after I accept the car....still waiting on it to arrive from China....hopefully within the next month. I expect it will be rare to have a need to use a charging station as the great, great majority of my EV use will be with around a 100Km radius of my Bangkok home. But, I want the capability to to charge on the road for those rare longer trips OR I forget to keep the EV charged high enough for a planned short trip & need to top-up while driving.

Yea...very useful info. I want to concentrate on being able to use the top 5 or so since they have many stations. Like PTT stations are everywhere and many of them have EV Station Pluz chargers. Also PEA chargers since PEA is all over Thailand but not in great numbers yet. Now the EA Charge Anywhere chargers (got the most chargers on below list) I haven't noticed anywhere but maybe they are right under my nose here in the Bangkok area....I just need to be more observant.

Below is some partially redacted back and forth emails a few hours ago between me and the PTT EV Station Pluz Call Center. I give them A+ for answering quickly....answered within minutes. BUT like my other conversation I had with them last week regarding payment methods such as are foreign cards allowed, is QR payment allowed, I had to go back several times asking for clarification of their answers. Read below from bottom-up...but bottom line they only accept "Thai credit/debit cards"....foreign cards not allowed....QR payment not available. ********************************************************** Evangelist (GridWhiz (Thailand) Co., Ltd.) Oct 4, 2023, 12:33 GMT+7 Dear XXX Thank you for using the service of the electric charging station network operation center. The center apologize for any inconvenience caused. you can use only credit or debit cards of a Thai. Should you wish to get more information, our staff are available 24 hours a day. Best regards, Tharathip I. EV Station PluZ Call center ******************************************* Mr XXX Oct 4, 2023, 12:19 GMT+7 Are foreign, repeat, foreign cards allowed? Thanks. ******************************************* Evangelist (GridWhiz (Thailand) Co., Ltd.) Oct 4, 2023, 11:47 GMT+7 Dear XXX Thank you for using the service of the electric charging station network operation center. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Only credit or debit cards can be used. Best regards, Tharathip I. EV Station PluZ Call center *************************************** Mr XXX Oct 4, 2023, 11:30 GMT+7 With the Pluz app are "foreign" credit or debit cards allowed as a payment option? Also, is payment via QR payment allowed? Thanks. ------------------

Oh no....I would never shoot the messenger....you've been relaying great info/details. And please pass my thanks to your girlfriend.

Thanks. Now my next question would be what payment methods they allow to topup your acct in order to have a balance?

For any of you that has used "QR/Promptpay" method that might be offered by an app/charging station, does the QR payment process occur before or after charging? And if occurring before do you have to pay a "specific" amount before the actual charging even begins like saying I want to make payment for Bt100 worth of charge? I use QR/Promptpay payments several times a month and in all those cases you are paying a specific/set amount "before you get any product/service you are paying for." Like hey, here's Bt100 for the vegetables I'm buying from you. But with a charging station I looking for details on how the QR payment process works...done before the charging begins or after the charging is completed. With a charging session where you vehicle might rack-up a charge of Bt160.23 before the charger cuts off are we saying the app will then start the process of you authorizing a QR payment of Bt160.23 "after" you have got all of that fresh electricity transferred into your EV battery? I wouldn't think the app would be that trusting of the person following thru with payment or the QR payment would clear/might reject. So, I'm guessing any QR payment method is completed "before" the charging process will even begin? Sorry to harp on the specific verification/payment process details used by the different charging apps but like I mentioned before I don't even want to register for a certain app by giving them a bunch of personal info during the registration process and then after being registered you find out the payment process prevents you from easily or even using the app at all unless you are a Thai citizen. You then wish you had never registered especially if it's one of those registrations you can not delete.

So, it sounds like with PTT payment authorization is required to use the card each and every time "before" you begin charging as the initial payment setup in the app is just to get the card save in the app settings. Regarding the PEA app, where you say payment is "automatic" exactly what do you mean since payment has to occur using a credit/debit card or some other payment method where there is typically some approval/verification process?

Thanks....that definitely sounds right...the typical verification process to setup online payment.

Thanks. Could you ask her during the "payment initial setup" was there some kind of "verification process" to confirm the card she was entering was her card vs someone else's card like maybe sending a SMS code to the phone number she has on file with her bank....not the different phone number you might use during app regristration but the phone number her bank has linked to the card. If she remembers details from that initial payment setup/verification process that would be great. Thanks again.

Thanks. Was there a card ownership verification process during that one time entry?

In my "playing" around with the PTT EV Station Pluz app registration the registration data field titled National ID will accept my 13 digit Pink ID card but not my foreign passport. I have not followed thru in trying to complete the registration primarily because I still trying to find out what "payment options" are acceptable. Don't want to register only to find out I can't use the app to charge since I can't setup/utilize a certain payment option. I did several emails back and forth with the Pluz Contact Center who said just use a Thai person's credit/debit card. I asked several times if foreign credit/debit cards are accepted and they never gave a yes or no answer; instead, the always answered to use a Thai person's credit/debit card. I guess that was their way of saying "No, foreign cards are not accepted....use a Thai person's credit/debit card." The problem with using "someone else's" credit/debit card (Thai or foreign) is there is usually a verification process where a SMS or email is sent to that person's mobile number or email that on-file with their bank; not sent to a mobile number/email you setup during the registration process. And of course you need to have a family/friend who would allow you to use the credit/debit card info....pay the bill, etc. Yea...if a person can't setup a payment option/offered a payment they can use then simply being able to register on a app doesn't do a person any good in getting the electricity pumped into their EV.

Thanks. Assuming the girl friend is Thai she might have used her 13 digit Thai ID card number to register for you. And beyond the getting past the registration then there is a requirement for a "payment" option within the app which varies from app to app. Some may only accept a "Thai credit card"....some may also accept a Thai debit card....some may also offer QR payment....and maybe, repeat, maybe some might accept "foreign" credit/debit cards. Registering for a certain app but then being unable to utilize/setup any payment option (like maybe having to use a Thai credit card that gets verified with the issuing bank first) can make the app useless to charge your vehicle since a payment option can not be setup.

Have you been able to set up a payment option within the EV Pluz app? If so, what? Thai credit/debit card, foreign credit/debit card?