Electric Vehicles in Thailand

[JAS21]

Friend has just ordered an XPeng G6. It comes with a 7kW charger … his elect meter is 100/30 and supplier is MEA.

 

It seems that the 'car company'  will arrange to run a separate supply from his electric meter just for the charger.

 

He, like me doesn’t have a very high max demand so should be no problem that way. Also, he doesn’t normally do a lot of km each day.

 

He is asking me if he should have TOU. But neither of us know the tariff. So am wondering if anyone on this forum does.    thanks

[4myr]

Part 2 of my note on extra care needed for AC systems in an EV.

I am still in the learning process as it is a complicated topic. My research is based on reading and watching video's online.

 

Why EVs needs extra care vs ICEVs?

ICEV uses a separate radiator to cool off the engine. If AC condenser loop breaks or deteriorates it does not affect the engine.

 

Most EVs use a shared AC condenser and if components in the cooling loop breaks or deteriorates, it can effect the separate  or combined cooling loop(s) of battery, power electronics and motor, with consequences e.g. battery overheating during DC charging/driving fast or even battery shut off while driving as a precautionary taken by the BMS.

 

There are a few expensive EV models that do not use a shared condenser, like the Lucid Air.

 

Reactive vs preventive maintenance

We often do reactive maintenance of the AC system, if it's not cool enough in the cabin, because it's hard, costly and requires expertise to do AC maintenance. Many EV manufacturers also omit to advise scheduled AC maintenance. However there are a few sources that recommend preventive maintenance:

 

https://voltaic.net.au/protect-your-evs-battery-the-critical-role-of-aircon-servicing/

https://keepincool.com.au/electric-vehicles-ac-system-how-does-it-work/

 

What are the components | how it can deteriorate | how to prevent issues?

• Cabin filter, cabin evaporator | dirt & dust | remedy: replace or clean. Cabin filter replacement is part of scheduled maintenance.
   
• Heat pump incl. compressor, or compressor only | compressor oil leak, refrigerant leak, compressor oil contaminated by humidity | remedy: check leaks or more noise in engine bay, corrective: replace o rings compressor, replace and refill oil and refrigerant 
   
• Condenser | dirt, debris, corrosion, leaks | remedy: clean
   
• Heat exchanger or liquid to liquid evaporator to other coolant loops of battery, power electronics or motor | corrosion, leak | remedy: use glycol coolant, clean
   
• Condenser air inlet | insects sticking to condenser | remedy: add aftermarket insect mesh to prevent bugs enter air inlet. Can be found at Aliexpress for a Chinese EV.

 

Documented maintenance online

 

Note that above maintenance applies to most EVs. However I only found a handful documented AC maintenance on EVs online.  I've collected around 20 Youtube video's. This topic is also hardly discussed on reddit.

 

• Cleaning condenser:
  Tesla USA/Australia/Thailand, BYD Atto 3 & MG4 in Thailand
   
• Fixing leaks of compression oil & refrigerant:
  BYD Atto 3 Thailand. When the user goes to the repair shop complaining about not cool enough AC, in 7 out of 10 Atto 3's leaks are found. 
   
• Fixing battery shut off while driving:
  MG EP Thailand. Older MG EPs uses compression oil type [PAG] that is not recommended for EVs. When contaminated by humidity due to hot climate, it lowers the electrical insulation of the compressor HV cable, leading to BMS shutting off the battery to prevent further damage and danger.  This issue occurs to taxi driven EVs in Bangkok: MG EP, AION ES and MG ZS EV. Average km driven per year by taxi Bangkok is 83k km, and repair shop gives warranty for 6 months after a fix. 

Links:

 

AC preventive maintenance tips:

 

Tip: cleaning condenser Tesla annually

 

Fix MG EP battery shut off:

 

Add insect mesh to BYD Seal air inlet:

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

1 hour ago, JAS21 said:

Friend has just ordered an XPeng G6. It comes with a 7kW charger … his elect meter is 100/30 and supplier is MEA.

 

It seems that the 'car company'  will arrange to run a separate supply from his electric meter just for the charger.

 

He, like me doesn’t have a very high max demand so should be no problem that way. Also, he doesn’t normally do a lot of km each day.

 

He is asking me if he should have TOU. But neither of us know the tariff. So am wondering if anyone on this forum does.    thanks

These are the TOU tariffs from 2023:

 

 

Residential should use the Below 12 kv figures, obviously VAT and FT will be added giving actual charges close to:

Peak 7.0 baht/kWH

Off peak 3.2 baht/kWh

 

 

TOU times:

 

 

No doubt there will be an additional charge for supply and installation of TOU meter.

 

[UWEB]

3 hours ago, JAS21 said:

Friend has just ordered an XPeng G6. It comes with a 7kW charger … his elect meter is 100/30 and supplier is MEA.

 

It seems that the 'car company'  will arrange to run a separate supply from his electric meter just for the charger.

 

He, like me doesn’t have a very high max demand so should be no problem that way. Also, he doesn’t normally do a lot of km each day.

 

He is asking me if he should have TOU. But neither of us know the tariff. So am wondering if anyone on this forum does.    thanks

If he or you are not driving a lot of kilometers a TOU Meter makes no sense to me. If you change to TOU  your complete House will run under TOU as MEA/PEA are not providing an extra second Meter just for EV charging anymore like in the past.

[Pib]

4 hours ago, JAS21 said:

Friend has just ordered an XPeng G6. It comes with a 7kW charger … his elect meter is 100/30 and supplier is MEA.

 

It seems that the 'car company'  will arrange to run a separate supply from his electric meter just for the charger.

 

He, like me doesn’t have a very high max demand so should be no problem that way. Also, he doesn’t normally do a lot of km each day.

 

He is asking me if he should have TOU. But neither of us know the tariff. So am wondering if anyone on this forum does.    thanks

I expect the car company really meant they would arrange to have the charger connected to his "main circuit panel"....that is, where all his current circuit breakers are.   Since he has single phase100A service he meets the electrical requirement to install a line (10mm2 wire) from the charger to the main circuit box where the company would install a 40A circuit breaker to feed the 32A/7KW wall charger.   

 

MEA may not allow installation of a "separate" meter just for the charger as around a year ago PEA said they would no longer do such except in very limited, special cases and MEA may have mirrored the PEA policy (I'm not sure).    Apparently too many bad apples started abusing use of TOU meter for EV charging.

 

If MEA will only allow 1 meter (i..e, the current meter) he should stick with it as I expect it's "not" a TOU meter as TOU meters definitely do not fit everyone's live style in when they use electricity.  Most people only go the TOU meter route if they plan to use the "great majority" of their monthly electricity usage (i.e, A/C, TV, frigs, pumps, etc...etc.) between 10pm and 9am weekdays and all hours Sat & Sun.  A person really needs to have a good grasp of "when...what hours and days" he uses electricity to ensure he makes the most cost effective decision as to whether to use a Standard or TOU meter.   It doesn't sound like he needs to change his current meter which is probably a standard rates meter (i.e., not TOU).

 

 

[Pib]

4 hours ago, TronxII said:

Thanks Pib for providing so much detail, this is really interesting. I wonder if the other chines brands also have such sophisticated cooling options as BYD. I see a lot of complaints about Neta V mechanics and aircon, but nothing about battery cooling. This makes me think, they might just not have it. 

Neta V have liquid battery cooling....i.e., glycol running thru the traction battery cooling plate just like BYD vehicles.

 

[JAS21]

18 minutes ago, Pib said:

I expect the car company really meant they would arrange to have the charger connected to his "main circuit panel"....that is, where all his current circuit breakers are.   Since he has single phase100A service he meets the electrical requirement to install a line (10mm2 wire) from the charger to the main circuit box where the company would install a 40A circuit breaker to feed the 32A/7KW wall charger.   

 

MEA may not allow installation of a "separate" meter just for the charger as around a year ago PEA said they would no longer do such except in very limited, special cases and MEA may have mirrored the PEA policy (I'm not sure).    Apparently too many bad apples started abusing use of TOU meter for EV charging.

 

If MEA will only allow 1 meter (i..e, the current meter) he should stick with it as I expect it's "not" a TOU meter as TOU meters definitely do not fit everyone's live style in when they use electricity.  Most people only go the TOU meter route if they plan to use the "great majority" of their monthly electricity usage (i.e, A/C, TV, frigs, pumps, etc...etc.) between 10pm and 9am weekdays and all hours Sat & Sun.  A person really needs to have a good grasp of "when...what hours and days" he uses electricity to ensure he makes the most cost effective decision as to whether to use a Standard or TOU meter.   It doesn't sound like he needs to change his current meter which is probably a standard rates meter (i.e., not TOU).

 

 

Thanks PIB ….I’ve suggested that he takes a few reading to see where his usage is, but like suggested TOU seems to be out, plus an installation cost of 6000thb. Maybe he misunderstand about the new 10mm cable route … I’m chugging along nicely with my hybrid car and solar system ……seem to be putting 6kWh into it’s battery just about every day.

[Pib]

10 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

Thanks PIB ….I’ve suggested that he takes a few reading to see where his usage is, but like suggested TOU seems to be out, plus an installation cost of 6000thb. Maybe he misunderstand about the new 10mm cable route … I’m chugging along nicely with my hybrid car and solar system ……seem to be putting 6kWh into it’s battery just about every day.

What kind of hybrid car do you have?   Sounds like it's a "PHEV ( a Plug-in HEV) that you charge from solar?     That is the hybrid type with a larger battery that can not usually be fully charged from just running the combustion engine to charge the traction battery and charging by plugging it into a charger is required.

 

The reason I ask is when someone just says "hybrid" (or HEV) that usually means an ICEV with a "small" EV traction battery and electrical motor to assist the ICEV combustion motor and maybe even allow a few kilometers of running only on battery power.....and does "not" have a charging port as the combustion engine takes care of charging the small traction battery.

[JAS21]

Sorry Pib …wrong description …it’s a PHEV, an E350e with a 6kWh battery. Bought it in 2019 along with the MB  eight year extended warranty so that I could sleep at night…lol. It only does about 18kms on the battery alone … enough to get to town and back but not quite enough to get to the golf club and back … I can understand why people like EV’s, so quite, cheap to run and quite

quick.

 

I did once get 30kms out of the battery, but that was on a quite Sunday morning nursing it and no air con.

[Pib]

16 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

Sorry Pib …wrong description …it’s a PHEV, an E350e with a 6kWh battery. Bought it in 2019 along with the MB  eight year extended warranty so that I could sleep at night…lol. It only does about 18kms on the battery alone … enough to get to town and back but not quite enough to get to the golf club and back … I can understand why people like EV’s, so quite, cheap to run and quite

quick.

 

I did once get 30kms out of the battery, but that was on a quite Sunday morning nursing it and no air con.

Thanks for the clarification.  One of my neighbors has a similar Benz PHEV...he said he can get about 20km on battery alone.   

[CLW]

On 4/9/2025 at 6:50 PM, UWEB said:

If he or you are not driving a lot of kilometers a TOU Meter makes no sense to me. If you change to TOU  your complete House will run under TOU as MEA/PEA are not providing an extra second Meter just for EV charging anymore like in the past.

I think a TOU meter makes a lot of sense. We changed it when we bought our EV one year ago and the savings are huge for a normal household. We are both working full time and can take advantage of the the cheap electricity on evenings, weekends and public holidays to run AC and other consumers in the house. I would recommend everyone with an EV to switch the whole house to TOU

[Pib]

1 hour ago, CLW said:

I think a TOU meter makes a lot of sense. We changed it when we bought our EV one year ago and the savings are huge for a normal household. We are both working full time and can take advantage of the the cheap electricity on evenings, weekends and public holidays to run AC and other consumers in the house. I would recommend everyone with an EV to switch the whole house to TOU

"This everyone (i.e., me)" would not benefit because I run one large home A/C 24/7, another large A/C 10/7 (just night use), several other medium A/Cs that get run a just a few hours each month during the day, use a clothes dryer, washing machine, 3 frigs, a couple of water heaters, water pump, several TVs, bunch of other electronics, etc....etc....etc...and I have an EV which I prefer to charge whenever I want vs waiting until nighttime or the weekends. 

 

The wife and I are retired...predominantly at home enjoying the A/C during the hot day vs  being cooled by a work place A/C.   My electricity consumption is around 1,500KWH per month.   Around 16 years ago when first retiring to Thailand and buying our home during that first year I compared/priced-out if I would be better off with a standard rate meter or TOU meter in regards to monthly electric cost.  

 

The standard rate meter won in the cost comparison "in my case".....whether a standard or TOU meter is best for an individual (cost-wise per month) will depend on how much "and" at what times they use the majority of their electricity....each individual will be different even if they own an EV.  

[UWEB]

2 hours ago, CLW said:

I think a TOU meter makes a lot of sense. We changed it when we bought our EV one year ago and the savings are huge for a normal household. We are both working full time and can take advantage of the the cheap electricity on evenings, weekends and public holidays to run AC and other consumers in the house. I would recommend everyone with an EV to switch the whole house to TOU

May be for you it makes sense to have a TOU Meter, but OP said he is not driving a lot. For me I don't want to have a TOU at all, I have Solar and my monthly Power Bill is around 150 THB.

[Bandersnatch]

Solar get's my vote. I have 2 full EVs and I can run the house and the EVs from solar with the EVs V2L (bi-directional charging) acting as backup. I gave my meter back to PEA in 2023

[BKKBike09]

Now must be a great time to buy a second hand EV. With all the continuing discounts probably can't give them away! I'm very happy with my Atto 3, which I've had since Jan 2023, but I'd not recommend someone to buy any EV new right now unless money / resale doesn't matter. Just spent nearly 20K on a new wall charger as the old 'free' Duosida one gave up the ghost last month ... just outside the two-year warranty.

 

Good time to buy second hand cars generally, whether EV or not (confession: I just bought a second hand Volvo - pure ICE - for highway journeys).

 

Now, if the Hyundai Ioniq 5N wasn't 3.7 million ...

 

 

[Pib]

1 hour ago, BKKBike09 said:

..... Just spent nearly 20K on a new wall charger as the old 'free' Duosida one gave up the ghost last month ... just outside the two-year warranty....

Don't you just love how products seem to fail just outside their warranty period.  Can almost make a person think there is some hidden electronic component or firmware coding set to make the product have a fatal heart attack just outside its warranty coverage.  😜   I expect almost everyone has experienced these kind of failures....I know I sure have.

 

Anyway, did the Duosida charger just "completely stop working" or would only work properly on a intermittent basis or did it continue to fire-up but wouldn't allow a charge or ????    And did you leave it turned on pretty much 24/7 (even when not charging for days) or turn it on only when wanting to charge?   

 

The reason I ask about 2nd question is when the BYD charger installation contractor installed my free "Zhida RFID 7KW wall charger) he said it was best from a "charger lifetime" to leave it on 24/7 (i.e., let it stay in standby mode) "if I charge at least once a week."   Now I do charge at least once a week....in fact multiple times....but I only turn the charger on "while charging"....when done charging it gets turned off.   I'm not a fan of leaving "some" electrical equipment turned on and in standby mode 24/7 even if they are supposedly designed for such primarily due to power fluctuations/surges/thunder storms in Thailand.  For me, EV chargers fit in this category of not leaving them turned on all the time.  However, I have no qualms leaving TV set-top boxes, Wifi routers, home water pumps, etc., powered all the time since they are designed for it and it would be a pain in the butt using them otherwise

 

I too have a 2023 Atto 3 that came with a free wall charger (a basic Zhida RFID card 7KW/32A model)  and installation with 2 year warranty....got the car and charger in late Oct 2023.  So, in won't be until around Nov 2025 until my this charger breaks.   😜   

 

BYD has jumped around with the specific free wall charger it provides depending on what promotion was in effect when a person bought their vehicle,  what BYD model they bought, etc.  And in some cases (increasingly it seems)  a free charger is not part of the deal....I guess that was one way for BYD to help maintain profit while lowering the EV price.   But "right now" BYD seems to be back on the band wagon of providing a free wall charger....but gosh knows what the their promotion will bring.

 

During the ongoing EV price war BYD has been jumping around with the free charger models it provides (if provided)....probably depends on which charger manufacturer offers BYD the cheapest deal on charger buys which I'm sure does a LARGE scale basis.  With the "current" Atto promotion they are providing a free Autel wall charger (don't know the specific Autel model)....but come the next promotion the free wall charger may not be offered.  

 

[BKKBike09]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

Don't you just love how products seem to fail just outside their warranty period.  Can almost make a person think there is some hidden electronic component or firmware coding set to make the product have a fatal heart attack just outside its warranty coverage.  😜   I expect almost everyone has experienced these kind of failures....I know I sure have.

 

Anyway, did the Duosida charger just "completely stop working" or would only work properly on a intermittent basis or did it continue to fire-up but wouldn't allow a charge or ????    And did you leave it turned on pretty much 24/7 (even when not charging for days) or turn it on only when wanting to charge?   

 

The reason I ask about 2nd question is when the BYD charger installation contractor installed my free "Zhida RFID 7KW wall charger) he said it was best from a "charger lifetime" to leave it on 24/7 (i.e., let it stay in standby mode) "if I charge at least once a week."   Now I do charge at least once a week....in fact multiple times....but I only turn the charger on "while charging"....when done charging it gets turned off.   I'm not a fan of leaving "some" electrical equipment turned on and in standby mode 24/7 even if they are supposedly designed for such primarily due to power fluctuations/surges/thunder storms in Thailand.  For me, EV chargers fit in this category of not leaving them turned on all the time.  However, I have no qualms leaving TV set-top boxes, Wifi routers, home water pumps, etc., powered all the time since they are designed for it and it would be a pain in the butt using them otherwise

 

I too have a 2023 Atto 3 that came with a free wall charger (a basic Zhida RFID card 7KW/32A model)  and installation with 2 year warranty....got the car and charger in late Oct 2023.  So, in won't be until around Nov 2025 until my this charger breaks.   😜   

 

BYD has jumped around with the specific free wall charger it provides depending on what promotion was in effect when a person bought their vehicle,  what BYD model they bought, etc.  And in some cases (increasingly it seems)  a free charger is not part of the deal....I guess that was one way for BYD to help maintain profit while lowering the EV price.   But "right now" BYD seems to be back on the band wagon of providing a free wall charger....but gosh knows what the their promotion will bring.

 

During the ongoing EV price war BYD has been jumping around with the free charger models it provides (if provided)....probably depends on which charger manufacturer offers BYD the cheapest deal on charger buys which I'm sure does a LARGE scale basis.  With the "current" Atto promotion they are providing a free Autel wall charger (don't know the specific Autel model)....but come the next promotion the free wall charger may not be offered.  

 

 

My charger would switch on okay but, as soon as plugged in to car, would flash an error message about current leakage and would not charge (the car would charge fine at PTT and using granny charger, so I figured it was the wall charger, not the car). It was not installed for me by BYD because back in Jan 2023 there was a queue of a month or so for the free install. I paid another firm to install (WallBox). They also supplied / installed the replacement charger.

 

Like you I would turn the charger off at the breaker when not in use, since generally I was only charging the car once a week. The WallBox guy has now advised that it is best to leave switched on all the time.

 

I wanted to try and repair the Duosida unit but the WallBox people said there are no spares for it. Anyway, I've given it to a Thai friend who likes fiddling with electronics and said that if he can fix it, he can have it.

 

The new charger is a Zencar WPRO - the 7.4 kW version of this:

 

https://www.zencar.net/product/zencar-ev-charging-station-wpro-11kw-22kw/

 

[BKKBike09]

I'm not sure how I feel about the faux engine noise but the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is a beast. But GBP 65,000 in UK and I think THB 3.7 million here ... if money was no object, sign me up.

 

 

[scorpion11]

11 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

Solar get's my vote. I have 2 full EVs and I can run the house and the EVs from solar with the EVs V2L (bi-directional charging) acting as backup. I gave my meter back to PEA in 2023

I have a Sealion 7 and a 20 solar panel installation, 3 phase. Now I would like to charge the car with solar, obviously while, while also aliment the house with the ev battery.

 

You're using the V2L connection. Is this while you have the charger connected, or do you need to switch it in the evening?

 

Do you know of any bi-directional charger that could to both at the same time?

[Bandersnatch]

35 minutes ago, scorpion11 said:

Do you know of any bi-directional charger that could to both at the same time?

 

If your EV has V2H like the Ford F-150 Lightning then it will come with a bi-directional charger that can both charge and discharge.

 

I have 2x7kW EV chargers powered by my main home solar system 

 

 

But on the posts next to each of my EVs I have 2x3kW chargers powered by a smaller backup solar system, together with a V2L adapter which connects to one of the two solar systems.

 

 

 

 

[scorpion11]

2 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

 

If your EV has V2H like the Ford F-150 Lightning then it will come with a bi-directional charger that can both charge and discharge.

 

I have 2x7kW EV chargers powered by my main home solar system 

 

 

But on the posts next to each of my EVs I have 2x3kW chargers powered by a smaller backup solar system, together with a V2L adapter which connects to one of the two solar systems.

 

 

 

 

I saw your videos, very cool.

 

Are the charger and the V2L connected at the same time, charging when there is enough solar power and discharging, when needed?

 

What kind of V2L adapter is this?

[Bandersnatch]

4 minutes ago, scorpion11 said:

I saw your videos, very cool

 

Thanks

 

5 minutes ago, scorpion11 said:

Are the charger and the V2L connected at the same time,

 

No. The cars recognise when a V2L adapter is connected and start sending out power.

 

22 minutes ago, scorpion11 said:

What kind of V2L adapter is this?

The ones that come with my cars: BYD Seal and BYD M6. 

 

8 minutes ago, scorpion11 said:

charging when there is enough solar power and discharging, when needed?

 

I contacted myenergi in the UK to enquire about buying one of their zappi chargers which can be set to only charge the car when there is excess solar, but it turns out the way it does that is by using a CT clamp to record any power being exported to the grid and diverting into the car, which is no use to me being off-grid.

 

My sytem is pretty dumb and manual apart from my smart wifi breakers:

 

 

I have Solar Assistant connected to my main solar system and once I get the MQTT integration working I will have access to the information in Home Assistant and might be able activate/deactivate my smart wifi breaker in my chargers depending on the level of solar production.