Electric Vehicles in Thailand

[JBChiangRai]

I went to the GWM showroom today, I still can't order a Grand Cat.

[Andrew Dwyer]

On 3/21/2023 at 6:35 PM, JBChiangRai said:

Not with the MG4 alas, you have to do it every time you start the car.

I did read from one of the early adopters of an MG4 in the U.K. that the earlier released vehicles could disable the Lane Keeping Assistance , and it would stay disabled, but when the car achieved the NCAP rating LKA was deemed a safety feature important enough to make it enable by default on every start up. An early update made this a permanent feature, so no hope of this being reversed.

 

I also read that there is sensitivity on LKA and once applied, for example the lowest setting, it will remember this on startup.

Not sure if this helps in any way.

[BKKBike09]

On 3/13/2023 at 5:21 PM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Wonder if you have tried your full size spare ( 18” ) in the hole  ?

Read a report of a guy using a Rav 4 wheel and tyre as a spare and it fit in on an angle, but it’s only 17” .

 

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

 

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[Andrew Dwyer]

5 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

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

 

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Good news, those spacesavers usually have a 60 psi rating, but it should say on the tyre.

[motdaeng]

On 3/22/2023 at 12:57 PM, JBChiangRai said:

I went to the GWM showroom today, I still can't order a Grand Cat.

i was at the Bangkok Motor Show yesterday, GWM did not show the ora grand cat, quite disappointed!

i did a short test drive in an interesting electric car, accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds, that was a lot of fun!

[Yellowtail]

44 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

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).

Did you try it on the front and turn the steering all the way both directions while driving? 

[JBChiangRai]

2 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I also read that there is sensitivity on LKA and once applied, for example the lowest setting, it will remember this on startup.

Not sure if this helps in any way.

I read that on mgevs.com the forum in the UK, but I can't find it on the car.  A manual for the car in English would be nice, it's on the infotainment but I like a proper book I can read (preferably with a glass of wine).

[Andrew Dwyer]

2 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

I read that on mgevs.com the forum in the UK, but I can't find it on the car.  A manual for the car in English would be nice, it's on the infotainment but I like a proper book I can read (preferably with a glass of wine).

Just read a LKA thread on that forum and it appears there’s no sensitivity only on or off, sounds like an update has reduced the sensitivity, but without any code it’s difficult to know whether you have had that update yet.

Due to the U.K. MG4’s having been around for a while one would assume that you already have the latest update.

 

It’s a real mess, the most sensible suggestion i saw was using one of the shortcut buttons for dedicated LKA but that would mean an update and sacrificing a shortcut option.

[JBChiangRai]

8 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Just read a LKA thread on that forum and it appears there’s no sensitivity only on or off, sounds like an update has reduced the sensitivity, but without any code it’s difficult to know whether you have had that update yet.

Due to the U.K. MG4’s having been around for a while one would assume that you already have the latest update.

 

It’s a real mess, the most sensible suggestion i saw was using one of the shortcut buttons for dedicated LKA but that would mean an update and sacrificing a shortcut option.

I just checked, you can set the left shortcut button to bring up a shortcut menu and from there you can turn LKA off, you have to confirm it afterwards and you have to be wearing your seatbelt first.

 

Other options for that shortcut button are toggle android auto/apple car play, and bring up the 360 degree cameras.

[BKKBike09]

12 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Did you try it on the front and turn the steering all the way both directions while driving? 

I did not.

[Yellowtail]

3 hours ago, BKKBike09 said:

I did not.

If you end up having to use it, be careful, particularly when parking or making a U-turn. That is when the offset really counts. 

[CLW]

5 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

I just checked, you can set the left shortcut button to bring up a shortcut menu and from there you can turn LKA off, you have to confirm it afterwards and you have to be wearing your seatbelt first.

 

Other options for that shortcut button are toggle android auto/apple car play, and bring up the 360 degree cameras.

Strangely in the European MG4 version this shortcut button let's you select the driving mode. 

Don't know why the Thai version is different from that.

But I would appreciate to have this option here as it seems to be more useful to me than the shortcut menu, Android auto or 360° camera. 

Maybe it can be changed in the future at MG workshop or third party car programming shop

[Andrew Dwyer]

Lurking around the Atto 3 FB Groups i see a lot of posts from Thai owners who have run out of battery and have to call the tow truck to take them home or the nearest charging station, depending on distance I guess and paying up to 3,700 baht for the service.

 The major complaint is that they appear to have enough km’s to get them safely to their destination but when they get down to the lower km figures they disappear very rapidly and the inevitable happens.

Of course, it has been stated frequently, on here, that 20% is a good safety barrier but on the Atto the remaining km figure is a lot bigger than the actual battery percentage and owners are ignoring the battery %.

 

It has been stated that as the 100% SOC figure is fixed at 480 ( NEDC ) and as the battery percentage drops it doesn’t compensate until the lower levels when rapid compensation causes the km to disappear quickly.

For example: if you have been driving along since 100% SOC and have covered 200 km in 50% then it is likely to tell you that you have 280 km left where in reality you probably have around 200-220 km .

 

This is causing so much confusion that many have got the dealership to covert from 480 ( NEDC ) to 420 ( WLTP ), not perfect but closer to the actual range.

 

My questions are ( finally ????

Do other EV owners see this type of range management.

Why can the range not be calculated based on your driving similar to ICE which seems to work well.

[BKKBike09]

2 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

If you end up having to use it, be careful, particularly when parking or making a U-turn. That is when the offset really counts. 

If worst came to worst and I had to use it on front of car I'd consider 

 

46 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Lurking around the Atto 3 FB Groups i see a lot of posts from Thai owners who have run out of battery and have to call the tow truck to take them home or the nearest charging station, depending on distance I guess and paying up to 3,700 baht for the service.

 The major complaint is that they appear to have enough km’s to get them safely to their destination but when they get down to the lower km figures they disappear very rapidly and the inevitable happens.

Of course, it has been stated frequently, on here, that 20% is a good safety barrier but on the Atto the remaining km figure is a lot bigger than the actual battery percentage and owners are ignoring the battery %.

 

It has been stated that as the 100% SOC figure is fixed at 480 ( NEDC ) and as the battery percentage drops it doesn’t compensate until the lower levels when rapid compensation causes the km to disappear quickly.

For example: if you have been driving along since 100% SOC and have covered 200 km in 50% then it is likely to tell you that you have 280 km left where in reality you probably have around 200-220 km .

 

This is causing so much confusion that many have got the dealership to covert from 480 ( NEDC ) to 420 ( WLTP ), not perfect but closer to the actual range.

 

My questions are ( finally ????

Do other EV owners see this type of range management.

Why can the range not be calculated based on your driving similar to ICE which seems to work well.

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. 

 

 

[Yellowtail]

11 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

I've asked in dealership whether they can enable and they said no. But maybe that will change if enough people complain.

If you get to the Motor Show, they should be some manufacturers reps that know the cars and systems well. 

 

Dealers are sometimes not very well informed. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

30 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

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. 

 

 

Yes, seems strange why the dynamic option is not available, hence many Thai owners paying a couple of hundred baht to convert to WLTP ( 420 km ).

Wonder what the reason is for not enabling this feature here, really doesn’t make sense.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Andrew Dwyer

[JBChiangRai]

Great BTD Atto 3 review here BYD Atto 3 review: the latest Chinese electric car is credible enough to worry the establishment (msn.com)

[Andrew Dwyer]

38 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Great BTD Atto 3 review here BYD Atto 3 review: the latest Chinese electric car is credible enough to worry the establishment (msn.com)

I haven’t seen an official list but the 3 trim levels are slightly different to the Thailand models.

The top spec , Design , is the Thai extended version with a 15.6” screen and 11kw AC charging but weighs in at 1,623,00 baht. Bearing in mind that the 15.6” screen can be bought and fitted here for 28,500 baht that’s some expensive 3 phase charging, even if you have it at home that is !!

So the difference between the top U.K. model and top Thai model (with an upgraded screen)is 11 kw v 7 kw home charging and around £9,300 ( 387k baht ) and a free home charger with installation and 1 year insurance .

 

Makes you glad to be a Brit …….. living in Thailand ????

[KhunLA]

On 3/21/2023 at 12:06 PM, Andrew Dwyer said:

My ZS ICE , a little over 2 years old, was a great buy and has given me 33k trouble free km.

Was competing against the Corolla Cross when I bought it, no doubt I would have been happy with the Cross but the 450k difference sealed the deal.

I don’t find it too thirsty either, with an average 14.5 km/ltr i’m happy.

14.5 kms/L ... nice

 

Remember when I was doing the comparison, E85 vs 91 vs 95, and main concern was performance & cost per 100 kms.

 

E85, since designed to take, gave just a wee bit better pep, off the line, and at the time, was 25+% less than the others.  Memory serves, cost per 100 kms was about the same.   So that pep, came at a cost, a bit thirsty.  Lost kms but cost the same, even though using more.

 

Now E85 is basically the same price, so cost per 100 kms, not good at all, so definitely would use 91.   

 

We racked up just shy of 40k kms in 2 yrs.   Really hated selling it, loved the red ????

Edited March 24, 2023 by KhunLA

[BKKBike09]

18 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

If you get to the Motor Show, they should be some manufacturers reps that know the cars and systems well. 

 

Dealers are sometimes not very well informed.

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). 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Anyone make it to the show yet ?

I’m guessing Seal didn’t show?, did Neta U Pro make an appearance ?

[BKKBike09]

17 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Great BTD Atto 3 review here BYD Atto 3 review: the latest Chinese electric car is credible enough to worry the establishment (msn.com)

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".

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

1 hour ago, BKKBike09 said:

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".

 

I thought that maybe the Telegraph journo had given the car back already and couldn’t remember if it had or not.

Quickly browsed another 4 U.K. car magazine reviews and they all said the same…… could it be they are all plagiarising each other ?? 
 

Until Parkers spotted it 

 

“ You also get a handy storage area under the boot board, which is useful for hiding the car’s charging cable – and it’s especially welcome considering you don’t get any storage space under the bonnet. You can also set the boot board to a higher position to eliminate the lip between the boot opening and the floor.“

[Bandersnatch]

2 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Anyone make it to the show yet ?

I’m guessing Seal didn’t show?, did Neta U Pro make an appearance ?

Going to drive down on Monday. Visit to the Tesla pop up store in Central World then onto the show. 
 

Seal is on my list to see

 

 

 

https://www.sanook.com/auto/87091/

[KhunLA]

51 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

I thought that maybe the Telegraph journo had given the car back already and couldn’t remember if it had or not.

Quickly browsed another 4 U.K. car magazine reviews and they all said the same…… could it be they are all plagiarising each other ?? 
 

Until Parkers spotted it 

 

“ You also get a handy storage area under the boot board, which is useful for hiding the car’s charging cable – and it’s especially welcome considering you don’t get any storage space under the bonnet. You can also set the boot board to a higher position to eliminate the lip between the boot opening and the floor.“

Yep, does make you wonder.   I spec shop before even walking into a showroom.  If it gets past spec comparison (different sources), then hands on for anything I consider buying.

[CLW]

3 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

Going to drive down on Monday. Visit to the Tesla pop up store in Central World then onto the show. 
 

Seal is on my list to see

 

 

 

https://www.sanook.com/auto/87091/

Sanook also has another article about the BYD Dolphin, saying orders can be made with delivery in July. 

Nothing said for the Seal, unfortunately.

I would be surprised if you can see the inside of the car this time. Most likely not.

I need a new car/ EV asap. 

So 99% the MG 4 will it be. 

Dealer said less than 2 months delivery time, more likely one month after financial documents are approved.

God, I wish it were those times again when you can step into the dealership and buy a new car right away from the showroom 

[Andrew Dwyer]

5 minutes ago, CLW said:

Sanook also has another article about the BYD Dolphin, saying orders can be made with delivery in July. 

Nothing said for the Seal, unfortunately.

I would be surprised if you can see the inside of the car this time. Most likely not.

I need a new car/ EV asap. 

So 99% the MG 4 will it be. 

Dealer said less than 2 months delivery time, more likely one month after financial documents are approved.

God, I wish it were those times again when you can step into the dealership and buy a new car right away from the showroom 

Starting to see more MG4 around now, saw an X model in the Holborn Blue the other day, it looked really nice.

[motdaeng]

19 minutes ago, CLW said:

... 

Nothing said for the Seal, unfortunately.

I would be surprised if you can see the inside of the car this time. Most likely not ...

i had the opportunity to examine and sit inside this car:

byd seal / tang / han / atto 3 / dolphine ...

ioniq 5 and 6 ... and many more!

 

but some cars were looked, as mercedes eqs / neta s and a few more!

 

most companies offer a test drive near by ... 

 

Edited March 25, 2023 by motdaeng

[Andrew Dwyer]

33 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

i had the opportunity to examine and sit inside this car:

byd seal / tang / han / atto 3 / dolphine ...

ioniq 5 and 6 ... and many more!

 

but some cars were looked, as mercedes eqs / neta s and a few more!

 

most companies offer a test drive near by ... 

 

Tell us more, which impressed you and which would you go for if inclined ?

[BKKBike09]

55 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

i had the opportunity to examine and sit inside this car:

byd seal / tang / han / atto 3 / dolphine ...

ioniq 5 and 6 ... and many more!

 

but some cars were looked, as mercedes eqs / neta s and a few more!

. 

 

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.