Electric Vehicles in Thailand

[JBChiangRai]

29 minutes ago, stratocaster said:

Can anyone here give a definitive answer regarding the legality of electric vehicles in Thailand. Years ago my friend bought a golf buggy for his daughter to use as transport for the 6 kilo ride to school. Even with his company's legal department help he could not get it registered. She just continued to use it for the next 5 years with no problem. There is a guy with an electric vespa styled motorbike that he has been unable to register. He just uses it again with no problem. Now a youtuber has bought a semi enclosed electric three wheeler for his mother. He claims it is impossible to register and was assured that no license is required. A Thai neighbor is driving an electric DT motors city car. This is similar in styling to a Smart car. It appears fully road legal and completely enclosed with AC. She assures me that registration nor license is required. Looking on DT website it claims neither plates or license is required.

 

This what we were told by the local BiB about our 2 seater ATV.

 

Not legal, but providing wearing seatbelts and helmet and not driving like a loon, they would ignore us.

[Bandersnatch]

BYD Seagull an affordable mini electric car, coming to Thailand soon. Starts at $10,000 in China.

 

Good review video just surprised he didn’t mention the pink interior, hopefully there are other colour choices 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by Bandersnatch

[Bandersnatch]

1 hour ago, Bandersnatch said:

surprised he didn’t mention the pink interior, hopefully there are other colour choices 

Definitely prefer the blue

 

 

 

[BKKBike09]

Did a few runs today to see whether Atto 3 can really do 0-100 kmh in 7.3 seconds. Out of three runs, best was actually 6.5 seconds (with a 7.1 and 7.2 before and after). This is with the stock Batman tyres squealing like stuck pigs. 

 

 

 

[Gweiloman]

The Dolphin has the same motor and power configuration as the Atto 3 but lighter. The claimed 7.0 seconds 0-100 should be easily achievable then. Will test it when I get my Dolphin sometime this week (supposedly).

[macahoom]

8 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

The Dolphin has the same motor and power configuration as the Atto 3 but lighter. The claimed 7.0 seconds 0-100 should be easily achievable then. Will test it when I get my Dolphin sometime this week (supposedly).

Which model are you getting - standard or extended range?

 

The standard range model is quite slow for an EV.

[BKKBike09]

8 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

The Dolphin has the same motor and power configuration as the Atto 3 but lighter. The claimed 7.0 seconds 0-100 should be easily achievable then. Will test it when I get my Dolphin sometime this week (supposedly).

That should be the case, although Dolphin being lighter and with skinnier tyres might have a harder time with grip. 

 

The BYD web site actually has "7s" as the 0-100 time for both Dolphin and Atto 3.

[Gweiloman]

9 minutes ago, macahoom said:

Which model are you getting - standard or extended range?

 

The standard range model is quite slow for an EV.

The extended range. I felt the extra 150,000 baht is worth it for all the extras (bigger battery, electric front seats, panoramic sunroof, bigger tyres, two tone colour etc).

 

 I intend to fit a changeover switch at home so that I can power my house between those hours where solar production is not available and before TOU kicks in at 10 pm.

[Gweiloman]

7 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

That should be the case, although Dolphin being lighter and with skinnier tyres might have a harder time with grip. 

 

The BYD web site actually has "7s" as the 0-100 time for both Dolphin and Atto 3.

Ah, maybe so but whilst the Atto3 has Batman tyres, the Dolphin has Linglong Dolphins lol.

[BKKBike09]

I see the BYD web site (which gets fancier by the day, it seems) now promotes the BYD app ... although when you try to download it, it's still "not available in your country or region". Coming soon, perhaps.

 

 

The web site also now has one of those "see how much you could save!" calculators. For the Atto it fixes the average battery consumption rate at 6.71 km/kWh - which equates to just over 400 km on a full battery, so somewhat below the advertised max range.

 

In practice I think the realistic range is between 350-400 km for 'normal driving' [I've done 7000 odd km and the average consumption is stated as 15.5 kWh/100 km, so about 390 km in all]. More spirited driving (e.g. 100 km yesterday on highways at 120-130+) and range will drop to between 320-350 km.

 

One gripe I have with the Atto is that here in Thailand the only range estimate it shows is based on a starting point of 480 km at full charge, which is not very realistic. There's no option for dynamic range estimation. Very irritating as it's only a software tweak, and is available in other markets. Hopefully BYD will unlock this here at some point. 

 

 

[macahoom]

51 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

 I intend to fit a changeover switch at home so that I can power my house between those hours where solar production is not available and before TOU kicks in at 10 pm.

I'd be very interested to hear more from you when you power your house using the car. I'm thinking of doing the same and the dolphin extended range model seems ideal with its big battery.

 

Please update when you get it going. 

[Gweiloman]

2 hours ago, macahoom said:

I'd be very interested to hear more from you when you power your house using the car. I'm thinking of doing the same and the dolphin extended range model seems ideal with its big battery.

 

Please update when you get it going. 

From what I have gathered, the max output is around 2 - 2.2 kWh. My base load (without aircons) is under 1 kWh (fridge freezer, wine cooler and 3 fridges plus lights and fans) so I should be well within the range. I of course won’t be using the washing machine or such while hooked up to Dolphin. Will update once I get delivery of the Dolphin and my electrician fits the changeover switch.

[macahoom]

6 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

From what I have gathered, the max output is around 2 - 2.2 kWh. My base load (without aircons) is under 1 kWh (fridge freezer, wine cooler and 3 fridges plus lights and fans) so I should be well within the range. I of course won’t be using the washing machine or such while hooked up to Dolphin. Will update once I get delivery of the Dolphin and my electrician fits the changeover switch.

Okay, thank you!

 

I thought I read or saw a video which stated the Dolphin was much more than 2.2 kWh. Maybe that was the MG4? 

 

Information overload. I really should start taking notes.

[Gweiloman]

42 minutes ago, macahoom said:

Okay, thank you!

 

I thought I read or saw a video which stated the Dolphin was much more than 2.2 kWh. Maybe that was the MG4? 

 

Information overload. I really should start taking notes.

You could well be right. I’m just erring on the side of caution 

[Bandersnatch]

5 hours ago, macahoom said:

I'd be very interested to hear more from you when you power your house using the car. I'm thinking of doing the same and the dolphin extended range model seems ideal with its big battery.

I made a video about integrating V2L with a home solar inverter. They are designed to accept AC power inputs from the grid or a generator.

 

 

[JBChiangRai]

Someone on the MGEVS forum in the UK tested the V2L function on the MG4 and could get over 6Kw out of it before it tripped.

 

You need to wire the plug yourself with thick enough wire to stand the current.

 

I bought an adaptor that is basically a plug with a socket on the same plastic moulding and that’s rated at 3.6Kw.

[Alotoftravel]

11 hours ago, BKKBike09 said:

One gripe I have with the Atto is that here in Thailand the only range estimate it shows is based on a starting point of 480 km at full charge, which is not very realistic. There's no option for dynamic range estimation. Very irritating as it's only a software tweak, and is available in other markets. Hopefully BYD will unlock this here at some point. 

Somewhere I read that the technician can programatic changed to WLTP versus their starting point of NEDC even with no dynamic range est.

 

 420 (WLTP) 480 (NEDC)

[Andrew Dwyer]

1 hour ago, Alotoftravel said:

Somewhere I read that the technician can programatic changed to WLTP versus their starting point of NEDC even with no dynamic range est.

 

 420 (WLTP) 480 (NEDC)

Yes, I’ve seen that also, a couple of hundred baht at some dealerships.

 

 The dynamic range update was supposedly in the 1.6 OTA in Australia but apparently it didn’t work and the 1.6 OTA was pulled until some issues were sorted.

[macahoom]

On 8/20/2023 at 10:56 PM, Gweiloman said:

The Dolphin has the same motor and power configuration as the Atto 3 but lighter. The claimed 7.0 seconds 0-100 should be easily achievable then. Will test it when I get my Dolphin sometime this week (supposedly).

I visited the BYD showroom yesterday to enquire about the Dolphin.

 

I took away the brochure and it gives the 0-100kph as 12.3 seconds for the base model and 7 seconds for the extended range.

 

I think this is interesting, if not funny - a list of other cars with 0-100 times of 7 seconds:

Aston-Martin Virage 5.3 V8 - [1988] - 7.0 seconds
Audi A3 2.0T FSI S-Line - [2005] - 7.0 seconds
BMW 7 Series 750i E38 - [1999] - 7.0 seconds
Dodge Charger SXT AWD 3.7 V6 - [2017] - 7.0 seconds
Ferrari Mondial 3.2L V8 - [1986] - 7.0 seconds
Jaguar E Type 5.3L V12 - [1971] - 7.0 seconds
Mini Cooper John Cooper Works - [2012]- 7.0 seconds
Porsche 928 4.5L V8 - [1977] - 7.0 seconds

Edited August 22, 2023 by macahoom

[matchar]

I'm trying to figure out the cost of charging at my condo before considering an EV.

 

The ReverSharge app just says it's type 2, AC and 50 baht per hour but it doesn't say the power output.

 

Juristic staff are useless as they told me it's DC but they eventually sent me a photo of the specifications.

 

Looks like it's 22kW which would equate to 2.27 baht per kWh which seems unusually cheap...can anyone confirm?

[KhunLA]

22 minutes ago, matchar said:

I'm trying to figure out the cost of charging at my condo before considering an EV.

 

The ReverSharge app just says it's type 2, AC and 50 baht per hour but it doesn't say the power output.

 

Juristic staff are useless as they told me it's DC but they eventually sent me a photo of the specifications.

 

Looks like it's 22kW which would equate to 2.27 baht per kWh which seems unusually cheap...can anyone confirm?

That actually sounds about right, as I notice the 'slow' charger are by the hour.  Few vendors at Charging Stations that have hourly rate, and notice 22kWh +/- the standard.  

 

They are usually at Malls & Hotels.  Most be getting electric at a cheaper rate, or a perk to get you to the location.

 

Obviously not something you want to use when on the road, when your EV will accept 76kW (MG ZS), and most fast chargers/cables put out 50kW or more.

Edited August 22, 2023 by KhunLA

[JBChiangRai]

5 minutes ago, matchar said:

I'm trying to figure out the cost of charging at my condo before considering an EV.

 

The ReverSharge app just says it's type 2, AC and 50 baht per hour but it doesn't say the power output.

 

Juristic staff are useless as they told me it's DC but they eventually sent me a photo of the specifications.

 

Looks like it's 22kW which would equate to 2.27 baht per kWh which seems unusually cheap...can anyone confirm?

It could be 3 phase 22Kw, which means your car will draw whatever on-board charger it has.  

 

Most on-board chargers are 7.2Kw, a few are 11Kw, very few are 22Kw (It's a 100,000 baht option on a Porsche Taycan for example).

 

In the 2nd graphic you posted, they are talking about 22KwHr delivery, they don't specify the Kw.

 

I think you can be confident it will deliver 7Kw so it's a rate of about 7 baht / KwHr which is not unreasonable, if you can charge at 11 or 22Kw then it's a bargain.

[matchar]

10 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

It could be 3 phase 22Kw, which means your car will draw whatever on-board charger it has.  

 

Most on-board chargers are 7.2Kw, a few are 11Kw, very few are 22Kw (It's a 100,000 baht option on a Porsche Taycan for example).

 

In the 2nd graphic you posted, they are talking about 22KwHr delivery, they don't specify the Kw.

 

I think you can be confident it will deliver 7Kw so it's a rate of about 7 baht / KwHr which is not unreasonable, if you can charge at 11 or 22Kw then it's a bargain.

Thanks for the info, that makes more sense and 7 baht/kWh seems a bit expensive for slow charging at home.

 

No wonder hardly anyone uses it, especially considering the hassle of moving the car when finished to avoid overtime fees of 100 baht/hr.

 

I guess I'll have to move to a house before buying an EV.

[JBChiangRai]

14 minutes ago, matchar said:

Thanks for the info, that makes more sense and 7 baht/kWh seems a bit expensive for slow charging at home.

 

No wonder hardly anyone uses it, especially considering the hassle of moving the car when finished to avoid overtime fees of 100 baht/hr.

 

I guess I'll have to move to a house before buying an EV.

It is more expensive than charging at home, but it’s still a lot cheaper than petrol or diesel.

 

350 baht for 400km in an MG4 or equivalent.

[matchar]

18 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

It is more expensive than charging at home, but it’s still a lot cheaper than petrol or diesel.

 

350 baht for 400km in an MG4 or equivalent.

Yes it's a lot cheaper than most cars but it's also a lot of hassle charging in a condo. Assuming MG 4 efficiency of around 6km/kWh I estimate 1.2 baht/km

 

But a Toyota Yaris Ativ has a very efficient petrol engine (23.3km/L) which works out around 1.7 baht/km with the current high price of oil.

 

If gasohol goes back down to around 30 baht then the running cost should be roughly the same. Obviously for those with cheaper home charging an EV makes a lot more sense.

[JBChiangRai]

1 minute ago, matchar said:

But a Toyota Yaris Ativ has a very efficient petrol engine (23.3km/L) which works out around 1.7 baht/km with the current high price of oil.

 

If gasohol goes back down to around 30 baht then the running cost should be roughly the same. Obviously for those with cheaper home charging an EV makes a lot more sense.

The difference with the Yaris, is you're unlikely to get anything like that in town, the EV will do it's mileage figures all day long.

 

My youngest daughter has a Suzuki Ciaz, that's an ECO Car and will do 20km/l on a run, in town it's more like 2/3rds of that.

 

You might find you can negotiate something better on the price with your condo.  Nobody wants to be getting out of bed at 3am to unplug and move the car.

[Bandersnatch]

I have stopped answering questions until I've checked what others have written.

 

Nothing to add  - good job all.

[Bandersnatch]

As previously posted GAC Aion, China’s third-largest EV maker plans to build a factory in Thailand to serve the Asean market.

 

On August 21, GAC Aion's first exported vehicles, 100 units of the Aion Y Plus, were loaded onto a ship at Guangzhou's Nansha Port and began shipping to Thailand's Port of Laem Chabang, the company announced today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Aion Y Plus vehicles are GAC Aion's right-hand drive version built specifically for the Thai market and have been certified by local transportation authorities, according to the company.

 

Aion did not announce prices for the right-hand drive edition of Y Plus in Thailand. The pure electric sport-utility vehicle starts at 119,800 yuan (฿576,000) in China

 

 

Edited August 22, 2023 by Bandersnatch

[Bandersnatch]

Popped into my local Robinson to see a couple of cheap and cheerful EVs.

 

Small on the outside and roomy on the inside.

 

 

The Wuling Air EV is based on the China’s best selling EV the the Wuling mini EV. Wuling is a joint venture between SIAC motors that owns MG and General Motors. They are assembled in Indonesia and so won’t be getting any government incentives. 

 

 

 

 

[ExpatOilWorker]