Electric Vehicles in Thailand

[JBChiangRai]

I have had EV’s with both NMC and LFP batteries.

 

LFP is a clear winner as approximately double the charge cycles and much safer and I would only buy an NMC car if LFP wasn’t available.

 

@matchar is correct, it is a common misconception that it is good to charge LFP batteries to 100%.  Battery degradation is  proportional to SoC, however, manufacturers need 100% SoC to recalibrate the BMS for range as LFP batteries have a fairly flat voltage over something like 70% to 95% and it’s almost impossible for the BMS to know what the state of charges, it can only tell when it’s going up towards 100%.

 

The trade-off is knowing the state of charge/range versus battery longevity. Most manufacturers take a middle road by asking you to charge to 100% but not to recharge until you’re down to 20% or below in which case your average SoC is 60%.  What you don’t want to do is called ABC Always Be Charging. Keep your average SoC as low as you’re comfortable.

 

I don’t really care about the range being accurate and I only charge to 100% every couple of months. I’m overseas on holiday and I left my Seal at 42% SoC for 8 days.

[yankee99]

17 hours ago, matchar said:

May I ask why you don't want NMC?

 

Both LFP and NMC have advantages and disadvantages but I don't think there is a clear winner.

 

A lot of misconceptions out there though. A common misconception is that it's good to charge LFP batteries to 100% all the time.

tesla recommends to charge your car to 100% daily 

 

are they wrong 

[matchar]

I'm not saying LFP is bad...it's swings and roundabouts really. Yes they last for more cycles but even NMC batteries are expected to outlast the lifespan of the car.

 

MG offer a "lifetime" warranty on both battery chemistries for the MG 4 so they must be fairly confident in the durability of NMC.

 

NMC generally has a higher energy density and faster charging but more expensive to produce so manufacturers favour LFP since it's more profitable for them.

[matchar]

LFP will last longer, all else equal

 

But LFP needs to be charged to 100% periodically for accurate battery capacity estimation

 

Often misunderstood, letting LFP sit at 100% is still bad for its life. All current battery chemistries age faster the higher their state of charge. Nothing magic happens at 80% or 100%, the cells just age faster the higher the state of charge. LFP is no different, but because they age slower overall, and need that occasional full charge for capacity estimation, the advice on them is different. Charging any cell to 100% for a couple hours before driving is fine. They only sit at the high state of charge for a little bit, not days.

 

LFP less likely to catch fire

 

LFP will be heavier for a given amount of range

[Andrew Dwyer]

Saw the MG IM6 and ES5 in my local mall up close today.

The ES5 looked okay, nothing special, but the IM6 was really nice ( with around 1 million baht on top of the ES5 of course it did ! ) beautiful interior.

 

I was having a gander at Geely EX5 when the ladyboy salesperson came over and started to annoy me, talking real close and a blast of stale cigarette smell sent me packing , sorry Geely, pick better staff and I might show some interest.

Incidentally, an ex Kia showroom is being transformed into a Geely showroom here in Ayutthaya, they announced the change during the last Motor Show and it is still a ways off getting finished.

Sorry Geely but I’m not getting good vibes !!

 

The only thing going for the Geely was a nice green colour while the IM6 was a bland cream colour and the ES5 an insipid beige colour.

 

Seems like the trend is to use more pastel colours, what is wrong with plain old white ??

BYD SL 7 has a very light grey colour which looks like a dirty white to me and the Atto 3 Frost White is an indistinguishable colour !!

 

As my dear old mum would say “ it’s so wishy washy “ !

[Yodarapper]

I bought the Atto 3 extended 2 months ago and now its on offer - 100K less at 799 with a free charger 😞 I am not too pissed off about the 100K....I was expecting that as it's what they have been doing for a while now....BUT the charger! OMG that really pisses me off. 

 

When I bought the car I questioned the reason why the free charger was not included and the salesman said oh the car is so discounted at 899 that you don't get the charger.....not even 2 months on and now its gone down more and includes a free charger.

 

Any chance I can fight it?

[KhunLA]

39 minutes ago, Yodarapper said:

Any chance I can fight it?

Good luck with that one ... 😎

 

Ours about the same, though 2.5 yrs ago, and 949k now 829k, charger & installation was included with ours.   Which we rarely use anyway, since having Solar, and the wall charger is the only thing on the grid.

 

Those that didn't jump in, or simply weren't ready, are lucking out with the price wars, both EV & ICEV.   I think all prices across the board have dropped about 100k.  For us, sort of irrelevant, and a wash.    

 

As our ICEV that was sold, also dropped 100k in price, along with saving another 100k on petrol (if all local driving), so no real financial loss.   Got to drive a much better performing car, while passing the petrol station every week.   That's priceless 

[motdaeng]

57 minutes ago, Yodarapper said:

I bought the Atto 3 extended 2 months ago and now its on offer - 100K less at 799 with a free charger 😞 I am not too pissed off about the 100K....I was expecting that as it's what they have been doing for a while now....BUT the charger! OMG that really pisses me off. 

 

When I bought the car I questioned the reason why the free charger was not included and the salesman said oh the car is so discounted at 899 that you don't get the charger.....not even 2 months on and now its gone down more and includes a free charger.

 

Any chance I can fight it?

 

i would think so...

if enough people complain about byd's pricing reduction, it's quite possible that you could receive some form of compensation.

last year, byd had to offer some very unhappy customers "free charging" for a certain period to address their concerns.

good luck!

[Yodarapper]

I would be happy with just the free charger! 🙂 Very happy with the car

[Andrew Dwyer]

57 minutes ago, Yodarapper said:

I bought the Atto 3 extended 2 months ago and now its on offer - 100K less at 799 with a free charger 😞 I am not too pissed off about the 100K....I was expecting that as it's what they have been doing for a while now....BUT the charger! OMG that really pisses me off. 

 

When I bought the car I questioned the reason why the free charger was not included and the salesman said oh the car is so discounted at 899 that you don't get the charger.....not even 2 months on and now its gone down more and includes a free charger.

 

Any chance I can fight it?

I think most of us who have had an EV for a while have had a similar experience. You have been particularly unlucky as a relatively new owner.

Probably the discount is connected to the Motor Show and will go back to “ your “ price after.

 

It does seem to be the norm now, discounting for the two Motor Shows.

[matchar]

All of these discounts are permanent. When they say it's temporary it's just a marketing tactic. They may raise the price again for a few weeks or even months but it will quickly come back down once sales drop.

 

I think now is a bad time to buy a new car whether it's ICE or EV. Prices are still going down and we are still some way from the bottom...don't try to catch a falling knife and all.

[Pib]

2 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

I bought the Atto 3 extended 2 months ago and now its on offer - 100K less at 799 with a free charger 😞 I am not too pissed off about the 100K....I was expecting that as it's what they have been doing for a while now....BUT the charger! OMG that really pisses me off. 

 

When I bought the car I questioned the reason why the free charger was not included and the salesman said oh the car is so discounted at 899 that you don't get the charger.....not even 2 months on and now its gone down more and includes a free charger.

 

Any chance I can fight it?

 

If it will make you feel better file a complaint with some agency, but you are probably pissing into the wind.   Last year lots of people filed complaints regarding price reductions like you experienced and some even filed class action law suits.  But as far as I know other than some govt spokesperson saying they are working the issue to get some compensation for some customers  the Thailand Consumer Protection Broad announced in Nov 2024 that BYD had not broken any advertising laws which probably put a wooden stake in the heart of any complaints/law suits.   See below Bangkok Post weblink.   

 

Also even before that in mid 2024 when the govt was negotiating with BYD regarding the price reductions some hi-so govt spokesman in late July said BYD had agreed to provide free charging "for a year" for some customers...but when BYD formally unveiled the free charging promotion it was only for 5 months and 3 days (1 Aug 2024-3 Jan 2025). 

 

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/motoring/2911231/thai-investigation-clears-byd-over-discounts

PUBLISHED : 29 Nov 2024 at 18:21

 

Quote

 

Thai investigation ‘clears BYD over discounts’

Consumer Protection Board concluded Chinese EV maker did not break advertising law, say sources

 

 

 

[mistral53]

On 3/24/2025 at 3:52 PM, mistral53 said:

Prices are coming in hard and fast in advance of the show.

 

If the Zeekr 7X is coming in at 1,8XX,000, they got my order. It's a monster when coming to charging, and really ticks all the boxes that a class leading SUV must have.

 

 

 

So we went to the show to kick some tires - wife decided the color for her SL7 we have now on order, and of course I was slobbering all over the Zeekr 7X. As I started a conversation with a sales girl preparing myself to make a 30k deposit for the 7X, it was revealed there was a change of mind at Zeekr and the price was tentatively set at THB 2.2 mil........WTF?

 

I went home to chat online with the sales lady I had a convo with before when she specifically mentioned the 1.8 mio price, to be told it was already April 1 on their calendar, and maybe in 6 months they will have another go jerking the price in either direction..... not holding my breath, as the 7X had some deficiencies that don't add up - e.g. no insulated glass, missing door seals.......mehh

 

 

Well - good thing we went to the show on March 27, and while the return trip was a ridiculous affair because of a totally disorganized Rama 2 detour (hey.....this is Thailand!) adding another hour, at least we made it back...... yesterday we would not have been so fortunate, Rama 2 was closed solid.

[mistral53]

59 minutes ago, matchar said:

All of these discounts are permanent. When they say it's temporary it's just a marketing tactic. They may raise the price again for a few weeks or even months but it will quickly come back down once sales drop.

 

I think now is a bad time to buy a new car whether it's ICE or EV. Prices are still going down and we are still some way from the bottom...don't try to catch a falling knife and all.

 

Maybe - the Avatr 11 had an introductory show price a year ago 200k lower for the show period, it never moved since and is solid at THB 2.3 mil now. It looks to me the price war is at the lower end, which has much fiercer competitive field.

[CLW]

On 3/27/2025 at 12:07 PM, vinny41 said:

MG 4 Standard Range D 

Comes with the following standard equipment:

AVH (Auto Vehicle Hold) system to prevent vehicle from moving without having to keep the brake pedal pressed

ABS anti-lock braking system with EBD

Electronic Brake Assist (EBA)

Stability Control System (SCS)

Curve Brake Control (CBC)

Traction Control System (TCS)

Hill Start Assist (HAS)

Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) warning light system systems

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Traffic Jam Assist (TJA) low speed automatic cruise control system

Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

FCW (Forward Collision Warning) system to warn when there is a risk of a collision with a car in front while driving

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)

Automatic high beam on-off system IHC (Intelligent High-beam control)

Driver Monitor System (DMS)

https://www.mgcars.com/th/cars/mg4-electric

https://www.headlightmag.com/special-price-mg-4-ev-motor-show-2025/

No confusion from me as it wasn't me that posted that the MG 4  D model  literally has no driver assistance systems

Sorry, I was talking about the D model from around 2023/24. They seem to have made some changes in the naming (see recent post from KhunLA). What used to be the X model, is now D and V. Four wheel drive still X-Power.

[CLW]

On 3/27/2025 at 12:55 PM, KhunLA said:

source: MG Thailand ...

https://www.mgcars.com/en/cars/mg4-electric 

 

 

 

 

My bad. This is obviously new model naming policy from MG starting 2025. No longer the "old" X model. Probably because of confusion with X-Power. Still would go for the V model. Blind Spot assist saved me many times from collisions, mostly with crazy motorcycles. ELK is annoying for every day driving, agree. MG dealer told us there'll be a software update where ELK is disabled from the start and you have to switch it on. One pedal system. No idea what is the difference to the current system. Since driving my MG I have set KERS to level 3 and it is literally one pedal drive already. I rarely use the brakes. 

[UWEB]

3 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

I bought the Atto 3 extended 2 months ago and now its on offer - 100K less at 799 with a free charger 😞 I am not too pissed off about the 100K....I was expecting that as it's what they have been doing for a while now....BUT the charger! OMG that really pisses me off. 

 

When I bought the car I questioned the reason why the free charger was not included and the salesman said oh the car is so discounted at 899 that you don't get the charger.....not even 2 months on and now its gone down more and includes a free charger.

 

Any chance I can fight it?

No

[KhunLA]

28 minutes ago, CLW said:

 ELK is annoying for every day driving, agree. MG dealer told us there'll be a software update where ELK is disabled from the start and you have to switch it on. One pedal system. No idea what is the difference to the current system. Since driving my MG I have set KERS to level 3 and it is literally one pedal drive already. I rarely use the brakes. 

That would be annoying if having to disable every time you start.  The ZS isn't like that, disabled once, and stays that way at every start.  

[Andrew Dwyer]

So, here’s a new one on me :

 

https://autolifethailand.tv/official-price-juneyao-jy-air-max-ev-thailand/

 

Free Gold membership to Juneyao Airlines …… nope … still none the wiser !!

 

 

 

[4myr]

Yesterday came back from a chaotic Bangkok. Had to flee Central Westgate around 1.30pm. We were lucky to have left the parking garage within half an hour.

 

The day before at the Motor Show has been a crowded affair at the booths of Deepal [S05], GAC AION [UT] and MG [IM6, S5]. Not so at Geely and Neta. My top list of prospective cars I had in mind was Deepal S05 and MG S5. I ended up with a booking for my wife with the AION UT as a second car. We'll keep the 10 year old ICEV for long journeys.

 

Why the AION UT ? [ https://www.aionauto.com/th-th/aion-ut ]
Most importantly the car has a light interior [beige], instead of orange, black or gray. 

 

Really impressed with the space [at the rear bigger than our Mazda 3], the comfort of the seats [we like it on the firmer side] and the quality of the materials given the price of 510k up. Just slam the door tight and listen to the sound.

 

Options wise the standard model has all ADAS features and even front parking sensors [ https://resource-www-sg.aionauto.com/static/TH/tenant/cms/common/202503/AION_UT_Brochure.pdf ].

 

But I have to admit the brochure did not match the pre-production RHD international top model [ no rear center armrest ] and the chinese LHD standard model [ no front parking sensors ]. I hope the brochure is finally correct. 
 

Yes there are areas where cheaper or less materials are used [single pane glass, glove box, wheel skirts]. I even think the front fascia is made of plastic. And no freebies like a charger.
 

After watching some videos I am more confident that the passive/hidden security features are also sound: 

 

1) radar and acceleration sensors for timely airbag deployment even at rollover

2) automatic emergency braking for obstacle in reverse 

2) a robust steel frame structure

 

Links:

https://www.dongchedi.com/video/7481483073671004699 [ The first disassembly of Aion UT on the entire network, electric cars under 100,000 yuan can actually be built like this! ]

 

 

 

 

[Bandersnatch]

16 hours ago, 4myr said:

The day before at the Motor Show

 

Excellent post!

 

Lots of detail, links, pictures and clear analysis. Much appreciate the time it must have taken to post.

 

I have been to the BKK motor show many times but as I have recently purchased an EV for my wife (BYD M6) and my BYD Seal is only a year or so old,  I can't justify a visit to the show, so I appreciate the report.  

[CLW]

On 3/29/2025 at 11:46 AM, KhunLA said:

That would be annoying if having to disable every time you start.  The ZS isn't like that, disabled once, and stays that way at every start.  

But currently MG 4 is like that

[CLW]

I saw this one at the current Motorshow. 

Geely Geome Xingjuan (Starwish)

No price announced yet, but could be under 400k THB. 

Interesting car for city use but with full size and specs (definitely not a microcar). 

However, the motor, battery and top speed is much lower than his competitors BYD Dolphin and Aion UT. 

 

Regarding Aion UT, I think it's a fantastic car. The higher trim version comes with every possible gimmick and has a whopping 238 HP. For my situation (we are only two person household), I would buy it instantly if we wouldn't have the MG 4 already.