1 hour ago, matchar said:

Jeez, THB 50k in maintenance costs over 4 years for an EV seems a bit steep!

I don't about Zeekr, but MG tells you up front, what estimated cost will be, while under warranty, which is about ฿9k over 5 year, or ฿16k over 8 yr battery warranty. And if you replace the interior air filter yourself, you eliminate ฿2 or 3k of that by doing so.

The 10k kms check up is a bit of a scam, about as silly as the 10k kms oil changes for ICEV, if require to maintain warranty.

1 hour ago, matchar said:

Jeez, THB 50k in maintenance costs over 4 years for an EV seems a bit steep!

Yeap....I feel the same way but "it is what it is." That's one of several cons I have against Zeekr.

For the Zeekr "7X" models the periodic maintenance is every 24 months/40,000km. No 3 month/5,000km or 12 month/20,000km checkups like some brands have. Zeekr is basically buy the car, see you every 24 months/40,000km for a periodic maintenance checkup.

The 4 yr/80k km (2 periodic checkups) totals Bt51,467 for the 7X AWD model .......7X Long Range Model is Bt37,535....and the 7X Standard model is Bt35,385. Different cost for the Zeekr X and 009.

Below are the Zeekr 7X models periodic maintenance schedule and associated costs. Since most folks think along the lines of "annual" costs to maintain something if amortizing to an "annual" approximate cost a person needs to plan on around Bt9K to Bt13K per year depending on the 7X model.

As you will see in the sub-cost breakout their "cost for spare parts maintenance" cost (orange highlighted row that is just above the VAT (7%) row) is very steep and is what makes the total checkup cost high. Oh the high price of maintaining a "premium/luxury" vehicle....Zeekr seem to have the Benz, Volvo, BMW maintenance cost pricing mentality.

For a comparison to Zeekr 7X maintenance costs shown in above post, below are the "BYD Sealion 7" maintenance schedule/costs....over 4 years/80k Km cost would come to Bt16,661.....or amortized on a annual basis a little over Bt4K.

BYD Sealion 7 Premium Model Periodic Maintenance Schedule and Cost

Sealion 7 Premium and AWD Models Detailed Costs

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

I don't about Zeekr, but MG tells you up front, what estimated cost will be, while under warranty, which is about ฿9k over 5 year, or ฿16k over 8 yr battery warranty. And if you replace the interior air filter yourself, you eliminate ฿2 or 3k of that by doing so.

The 10k kms check up is a bit of a scam, about as silly as the 10k kms oil changes for ICEV, if require to maintain warranty.

So in my case - for 7 years and 11 months or 159,999 km, the total maintenance expense would be THB 19,784.30...... operative is 'would' because I doubt I will have the car that long. Moreover, the warranty expires by year 8, which makes the maintenance by a dealer superfluous.

Of course all of the above is not really correct - tires, wiper-blades, possibly even brake pads, etc, are added expenses - especially the 265/40 R21 x 4 tires will add a big junk to the driving expenses.

1 hour ago, mistral53 said:

So in my case - for 7 years and 11 months or 159,999 km, the total maintenance expense would be THB 19,784.30...... operative is 'would' because I doubt I will have the car that long. Moreover, the warranty expires by year 8, which makes the maintenance by a dealer superfluous.

Of course all of the above is not really correct - tires, wiper-blades, possibly even brake pads, etc, are added expenses - especially the 265/40 R21 x 4 tires will add a big junk to the driving expenses.

Not sure how you got that number. For our MG ZS ...

9000 / 5 = 1800 per year X 8 yr = 14,400 THB

58k kms on ours, and have not replaced, tires, wipers, brake pads. Since we rarely touch the brakes, letting regen do most of that, don't expect to replace pads for a really long time. If I used cruise control around town, I'd probably never touch the brakes, unless for emergency.

No oil changes is a big plus for me, as about 2000 baht a pop with the ICEV, every 10k kms till warranty expires. That alone would have added 12k baht come end of this month, or sooner, less than 4 years owning.

BEV maintenance is cheaper than ICEV. Don't think anyone can argue that.

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

58k kms on ours, and have not replaced, tires, wipers, brake pads. Since we rarely touch the brakes, letting regen do most of that, don't expect to replace pads for a really long time. If I used cruise control around town, I'd probably never touch the brakes, unless for emergency.

On my BYD Atto 3 OBD data/info will show actual "Brake Master Cylinder Hydraulic Pressure in PSI" real time. Basically when driving along doing your normal driving with no aggressive braking there is "zero" hydraulic brake pressure used when braking down to approx 15kmh....that is, the brake pads never get pressed into contact with the brake rotors.....the regen braking did all the braking down to 15kmh by varying the amount of regen braking generated by the motor when changed from being a "drive motor" to a "braking motor."

There is no need for the physical brakes to engage if the regen braking of the motor can properly brake the vehicle. Only when a person's speed drops to approx 15kmh where the regen braking no longer works does the hydraulic braking system start working....increasing braking PSI to make the brake pads press against the brake rotors.

Now if "aggressive braking" needs to come into play like you are zipping around at high speed and need to stop VERY quickly, slam on the brakes, etc., then the hydraulic braking "and" regen braking both work at the same time to maximize braking ability.

It wasn't until I discovered/watched this braking OBD data real time did I fully understand how rarely in "normal driving, non aggressive braking" that the brake pads get used. Therefore, the pads and rotors can last a long, long time.....much longer than on an ICE vehicle. And the EV braking is better than ICE vehicle since an EV has regen motor braking "and" physical braking to bring the vehicle to a stop.

Preaching to the choir I know....this is just for those thinking about getting an EV....learning about EVs.

On 3/31/2026 at 10:13 AM, The Fall Guy said:

I'm thinking of buying a BYD Dolphin as the current promotion looks pretty good. 509,000 bt for the standard model. BYD are offering a Zhida charger with installation "worth 25,000bt". But that is only if you take delivery before 30 April. I'll be out of Thailand mid April to mid May & don't want to receive car until I get back. I've noticed much cheaper chargers on Lazada. What's special about that Zhida model compared to the cheaper ones?

On 3/31/2026 at 10:13 AM, The Fall Guy said:

I'm thinking of buying a BYD Dolphin as the current promotion looks pretty good. 509,000 bt for the standard model. BYD are offering a Zhida charger with installation "worth 25,000bt". But that is only if you take delivery before 30 April. I'll be out of Thailand mid April to mid May & don't want to receive car until I get back. I've noticed much cheaper chargers on Lazada. What's special about that Zhida model compared to the cheaper ones?

I went to BYD this morning to book the Dolphin, & get more info about the charger installation.

I have 30(100)A meter. Salesman says the free home charger installation covers only IEC01 No. 10 wiring, THW low-voltage wire (line, neutral, and ground) up to 10 meters in length, along with electrical protection devices including: one 40 Amp single-pole breaker, one 40 Amp two-pole Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB) type A, 20 mm conduit up to 10 meters in length, one breaker box and RCCB enclosure, and

one set of conduit accessories.

He then said my 30(100)A set up needs extra wiring running from the meter to the wall charger. This will cost 9000 baht, plus extras if over 10m. My meter is about 26m from the car port.

I'm no electrician but googling gives me this:

Using a 7kW (32A) EV charger on a 30(100)A meter is technically feasible and generally safe, provided the installation is done correctly by a professional. A 30(100)A meter means the system is designed for a base load of 30A but can handle up to 100A peak.

However, because a 32A charger is considered a continuous load, it will place significant demand on your home's electrical capacity.

Key Considerations

Capacity Assessment: While the meter can handle 100A, the crucial factor is the total power consumption of your house while the car is charging. If you run multiple heavy appliances (air conditioners, electric stove, dryer) at the same time, you may exceed the 100A peak.

Installation Requirements: A 32A charger must be connected to a dedicated 40A or 50A breaker using at least 6.0 sq.mm cable, wired directly from the main consumer unit to ensure safety.

Load Management: It is highly recommended to charge your EV at night or during low-usage hours to avoid overloading your home's main breaker.

Potential Risks and Solutions

Breaker Tripping: If the house load + 32A charger exceeds 100A for a prolonged period, the main breaker will trip.

Voltage Drop: Using low-quality or undersized wiring can lead to a voltage drop (e.g., from 230V to 180V), which can cause the charger to shut down or operate inefficiently.

Solution - Smart Charging: Use a smart EV charger with load management (also known as dynamic power management) that can automatically lower the charging speed if your house consumption increases.

So it looks like it's OK, as long as I take care not to overload the circuit, or lower the charging rate either in the Dolphins settings or on the charger using an app. I don't understand why we need this new cable from the meter that might cost me around 13,000 baht. Largest electrical loads in house are 3.5kW shower, used only when solar tanks are cold, oven & 1.5hp water pump. 2 aircons get limited use at night & not all year round here in northern Thailand.

I would prefer to use the free charger, with load management, than buy a 16 A 3.5kW charger & pay a third party electrician to install.

Or maybe, just get by with the "granny charger". My daily drive is about 80km a day.

Your thoughts please.

1 hour ago, The Fall Guy said:

I went to BYD this morning to book the Dolphin, & get more info about the charger installation.

I have 30(100)A meter. Salesman says the free home charger installation covers only IEC01 No. 10 wiring, THW low-voltage wire (line, neutral, and ground) up to 10 meters in length, along with electrical protection devices including: one 40 Amp single-pole breaker, one 40 Amp two-pole Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB) type A, 20 mm conduit up to 10 meters in length, one breaker box and RCCB enclosure, and

one set of conduit accessories.

He then said my 30(100)A set up needs extra wiring running from the meter to the wall charger. This will cost 9000 baht, plus extras if over 10m. My meter is about 26m from the car port.

I'm no electrician but googling gives me this:

Using a 7kW (32A) EV charger on a 30(100)A meter is technically feasible and generally safe, provided the installation is done correctly by a professional. A 30(100)A meter means the system is designed for a base load of 30A but can handle up to 100A peak.

However, because a 32A charger is considered a continuous load, it will place significant demand on your home's electrical capacity.

Key Considerations

Capacity Assessment: While the meter can handle 100A, the crucial factor is the total power consumption of your house while the car is charging. If you run multiple heavy appliances (air conditioners, electric stove, dryer) at the same time, you may exceed the 100A peak.

Installation Requirements: A 32A charger must be connected to a dedicated 40A or 50A breaker using at least 6.0 sq.mm cable, wired directly from the main consumer unit to ensure safety.

Load Management: It is highly recommended to charge your EV at night or during low-usage hours to avoid overloading your home's main breaker.

Potential Risks and Solutions

Breaker Tripping: If the house load + 32A charger exceeds 100A for a prolonged period, the main breaker will trip.

Voltage Drop: Using low-quality or undersized wiring can lead to a voltage drop (e.g., from 230V to 180V), which can cause the charger to shut down or operate inefficiently.

Solution - Smart Charging: Use a smart EV charger with load management (also known as dynamic power management) that can automatically lower the charging speed if your house consumption increases.

So it looks like it's OK, as long as I take care not to overload the circuit, or lower the charging rate either in the Dolphins settings or on the charger using an app. I don't understand why we need this new cable from the meter that might cost me around 13,000 baht. Largest electrical loads in house are 3.5kW shower, used only when solar tanks are cold, oven & 1.5hp water pump. 2 aircons get limited use at night & not all year round here in northern Thailand.

I would prefer to use the free charger, with load management, than buy a 16 A 3.5kW charger & pay a third party electrician to install.

Or maybe, just get by with the "granny charger". My daily drive is about 80km a day.

Your thoughts please.

The company that installs your charger want to make money as BYD don’t pay them much, they may lose money unless you top up their fee.

Everything they and everyone else suggests is reasonable but it may be over the top.

It’s hard to say without seeing the house.

On 4/1/2026 at 5:43 PM, Pib said:

When I bought my Atto in Oct 2023 it came with a free Zhida charger and free installation. The electrical contractor installed the wiring and charger approx 3 weeks later in mid Nov 2023....this is the professional electrical contractor company that had the contract with BYD to install chargers in my area and some areas of Thailand.

"No ground round installed at the charger" because the grounding of my home electrical system is adequate....i.e., it already has a main grounding rod. The 6mm2 ground wire for the charger runs back approx 12 meters to the main circuit panel grounding point which is tied to the main ground rod. And the live and neutral wires running between the main circuit panel charger are 6mm2 also.

Having multiple grounding can possibly create ground loops if they are not properly grounded/linked to the main ground rod for the home. It will vary from home to home as to if another grounding rod is required.

And a technical note, in my Bangkok moobaan of around 500 single family houses all the houses use the "TT Earthing System" where the neutral and ground are "not" linked. In TN-C, TN-S, and TN-C-S Earthing Systems the neutral and ground are linked. Different earthing systems are used in Thailand....and the TT Earthing system is very common and one of the earthing systems used....not only in Thailand but other countries also.

My Zhida 32A single phase charger....no ground rod at charger.

I need to correct my above earlier post. Where I said 6mm2 live, neutral, and ground wire ran from the "charger to the main panel box", I should have said 10mm2 wire, repeat, 10mm2 wire. And that is what the electrical contractor used when installing the charger.

I figure I made this mental mistake because just a few days earlier I completed construction of a new 15 meters long "charger to EV charging gun cable" which consisted of 6mm2 wires. I simply had 6mm2 wire on the brain from my recent project.

To construct this new 7KW/32A charging cable to have more flexibility and distance capability from my charger I did not use the "typical" EV charger wire which consists of three 6mm2 wires for the live, neutral, and ground plus a 0.5mm2 wire for the CP (Communications Pilot wire) which the charger and EV use to communicate to each other over....and the typical EV charging cable also use a TPU insulation sheath which is thin and light. This type of typical 7KW/32 charging cable wire costs around Bt450 per meter....pretty pricey...and that's why I didn't use the typical charging gun cable wiring. What I did instead to construct my new 15 meter long cable was to use VCT 4 wire 6mm2 cable....that is, all four wires being 6mm2 and also having the thicker, heavier PCV insulation.....I got this VCT cable for Bt146 per meter which is one-third the cost of typical EV charging gun cable.

Yeap, I had 6mm2 wire on the brain. Wire size between a charger and the main panel box needs to be 10mm2 wire.

1 hour ago, The Fall Guy said:

I went to BYD this morning to book the Dolphin, & get more info about the charger installation.

I have 30(100)A meter. Salesman says the free home charger installation covers only IEC01 No. 10 wiring, THW low-voltage wire (line, neutral, and ground) up to 10 meters in length, along with electrical protection devices including: one 40 Amp single-pole breaker, one 40 Amp two-pole Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB) type A, 20 mm conduit up to 10 meters in length, one breaker box and RCCB enclosure, and

one set of conduit accessories.

He then said my 30(100)A set up needs extra wiring running from the meter to the wall charger. This will cost 9000 baht, plus extras if over 10m. My meter is about 26m from the car port.

I'm no electrician but googling gives me this:

Using a 7kW (32A) EV charger on a 30(100)A meter is technically feasible and generally safe, provided the installation is done correctly by a professional. A 30(100)A meter means the system is designed for a base load of 30A but can handle up to 100A peak.

However, because a 32A charger is considered a continuous load, it will place significant demand on your home's electrical capacity.

Key Considerations

Capacity Assessment: While the meter can handle 100A, the crucial factor is the total power consumption of your house while the car is charging. If you run multiple heavy appliances (air conditioners, electric stove, dryer) at the same time, you may exceed the 100A peak.

Installation Requirements: A 32A charger must be connected to a dedicated 40A or 50A breaker using at least 6.0 sq.mm cable, wired directly from the main consumer unit to ensure safety.

Load Management: It is highly recommended to charge your EV at night or during low-usage hours to avoid overloading your home's main breaker.

Potential Risks and Solutions

Breaker Tripping: If the house load + 32A charger exceeds 100A for a prolonged period, the main breaker will trip.

Voltage Drop: Using low-quality or undersized wiring can lead to a voltage drop (e.g., from 230V to 180V), which can cause the charger to shut down or operate inefficiently.

Solution - Smart Charging: Use a smart EV charger with load management (also known as dynamic power management) that can automatically lower the charging speed if your house consumption increases.

So it looks like it's OK, as long as I take care not to overload the circuit, or lower the charging rate either in the Dolphins settings or on the charger using an app. I don't understand why we need this new cable from the meter that might cost me around 13,000 baht. Largest electrical loads in house are 3.5kW shower, used only when solar tanks are cold, oven & 1.5hp water pump. 2 aircons get limited use at night & not all year round here in northern Thailand.

I would prefer to use the free charger, with load management, than buy a 16 A 3.5kW charger & pay a third party electrician to install.

Or maybe, just get by with the "granny charger". My daily drive is about 80km a day.

Your thoughts please.

I had similar issue. The main issue is that your current 1st circuit wiring is not large enough. For me it was a cost and esthetics issue, as the wall charger conduit would be visible for 20 meters. A granny charger would also need some extra precautions like that the grounding should be excellent and you would also like to have some dc leakage protection [RCD type B].

I have decided to install a so called dynamic load balanced [DLB] charger. I found 2 brands, Feyree and EV Easy Thailand. I went for the more appealing charger from EV Easy [ https://youtube.com/shorts/QMN6Lf2Bi8o?si=MmgHQK6G7pDfPISP ].

The conduit runs from the home consumer unit through the attic to the charger. I asked the installer to add a circuit breaker and connect the dc leak protection also to a wall socket. In case the wall charger needs repair I can connect a granny charger to the wall socket with proper grounding and dc leak protection.

With this charger you can set a max house load and a max charger load. As I am charging during the day, when my solar panels produce energy, the total house load is offset by the solar energy. I managed to sell the free charger on facebook within a week. The total cost was less than with the free charger, a 2nd circuit and 20m of ugly conduit along the front of my house.

1 hour ago, The Fall Guy said:

I went to BYD this morning to book the Dolphin, & get more info about the charger installation.

I have 30(100)A meter. Salesman says the free home charger installation covers only IEC01 No. 10 wiring, THW low-voltage wire (line, neutral, and ground) up to 10 meters in length, along with electrical protection devices including: one 40 Amp single-pole breaker, one 40 Amp two-pole Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB) type A, 20 mm conduit up to 10 meters in length, one breaker box and RCCB enclosure, and

one set of conduit accessories.

He then said my 30(100)A set up needs extra wiring running from the meter to the wall charger. This will cost 9000 baht, plus extras if over 10m. My meter is about 26m from the car port.

The BYD salesman is correct that 10mm2 live, neutral, & ground wires is required between the residence main panel box and charger RCBO for a 7KW/32A charger. Assuming you have a 100A main panel box and one open circuit breaker slot in the panel for the required charger 40A breaker you should be OK....no need for any additional wiring from main panel box back to the meter.

Now I know you said you have a 30/100 meter which should mean you have a 100A main panel box if your resident electrical system was installed properly. If you have a 100A main panel box it will have either 80A or 100A "main" breaker in it....does it have such a breaker? If it a smaller size you may not have 100A service. And the main panel box may even have lettering on it saying it's a 100A panel but many times they don't...or it can't be seen after installation. Now I'm not talking the other subcircuit breakers in the box which will be of various sizes like 20A, 32A, etc., which feed various subcircuit around the residence...I'm talking the main breaker in the panel.

Where the salesman said 10mm2 wire will be needed from the main circuit panel back to the meter that does not sound correct and I don't think would even be acceptable under PEA/MEA regulations....not because 10mm2 is not adequate to carry 32A (as it is) but because of connecting multiple meter-to-resident wires on the output of the meter. Maybe there was some miscommunications/misunderstandings in that conversation.

What would happen in the past if a person did not have 100A service (we a talking single phase vs 3 phase) PEA/MEA would allow a "2nd meter" dedicated to the EV charger to be installed. This 2nd meter required 16mm2 (sixteen) wiring from the 2nd meter to the charger circuit breaker. But PEA/MEA no longer allows a 2nd meter installation dedicated for the EV charger as too much abuse occurred. But hey, maybe after PEA/MEA did away with allowing a 2nd meter dedicated to EV charging is now allowed a wire run directly between the charger RCBO and the current meter.

So, if your residence has a 30/100 meter along with a 100A main circuit panel where a 40A circuit breaker can be installed which then uses a 10mm2 wire run to the charger RCBO this you should be OK. That's how my charger is wired...and it was installed by the professional contractor BYD hired to install chargers.

There are so many residences with different electrical services and wiring it can be hard for the layman (and a salesman) to know if a 32/7KW charger can be installed with your "current" electrical service/wiring or you'll end-up needing "pricey" additional upgrade to the home electrical service.

2 hours ago, Pib said:

The BYD salesman is correct that 10mm2 live, neutral, & ground wires is required between the residence main panel box and charger RCBO for a 7KW/32A charger. Assuming you have a 100A main panel box and one open circuit breaker slot in the panel for the required charger 40A breaker you should be OK....no need for any additional wiring from main panel box back to the meter.

Now I know you said you have a 30/100 meter which should mean you have a 100A main panel box if your resident electrical system was installed properly. If you have a 100A main panel box it will have either 80A or 100A "main" breaker in it....does it have such a breaker? If it a smaller size you may not have 100A service. And the main panel box may even have lettering on it saying it's a 100A panel but many times they don't...or it can't be seen after installation. Now I'm not talking the other subcircuit breakers in the box which will be of various sizes like 20A, 32A, etc., which feed various subcircuit around the residence...I'm talking the main breaker in the panel.

Where the salesman said 10mm2 wire will be needed from the main circuit panel back to the meter that does not sound correct and I don't think would even be acceptable under PEA/MEA regulations....not because 10mm2 is not adequate to carry 32A (as it is) but because of connecting multiple meter-to-resident wires on the output of the meter. Maybe there was some miscommunications/misunderstandings in that conversation.

What would happen in the past if a person did not have 100A service (we a talking single phase vs 3 phase) PEA/MEA would allow a "2nd meter" dedicated to the EV charger to be installed. This 2nd meter required 16mm2 (sixteen) wiring from the 2nd meter to the charger circuit breaker. But PEA/MEA no longer allows a 2nd meter installation dedicated for the EV charger as too much abuse occurred. But hey, maybe after PEA/MEA did away with allowing a 2nd meter dedicated to EV charging is now allowed a wire run directly between the charger RCBO and the current meter.

So, if your residence has a 30/100 meter along with a 100A main circuit panel where a 40A circuit breaker can be installed which then uses a 10mm2 wire run to the charger RCBO this you should be OK. That's how my charger is wired...and it was installed by the professional contractor BYD hired to install chargers.

There are so many residences with different electrical services and wiring it can be hard for the layman (and a salesman) to know if a 32/7KW charger can be installed with your "current" electrical service/wiring or you'll end-up needing "pricey" additional upgrade to the home electrical service.

Just looked, and the main breaker is 63A

12 minutes ago, The Fall Guy said:

Just looked, and the main breaker is 63A

Which means the service panel is probably not a 100A service panel, but a 63A service panel "and/or" the main circuit wires (meter to panel) are not rated/large enough for 100A service. No shortage of strange electrical wiring in Thailand.

On 4/2/2026 at 7:08 AM, Pib said:

Good lord....now my Bt41/liter of diesel number from last night has been OBE'ed because as of 2 Apr 2026 @ 5am (today...this morning) the price of diesel went up Bt3.5. Diesel B7 is now Bt44.24/liter...for discussion purposes lets just round down to Bt44 as that hurts a little less when talking about it.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3228800/thai-diesel-prices-rise-another-350-baht

Regular diesel is now up to 50.54 baht/litre today. Premium diesel at 70.94 baht. Yikes!

4 hours ago, The Fall Guy said:

I went to BYD this morning to book the Dolphin, & get more info about the charger installation.

I have 30(100)A meter. Salesman says the free home charger installation covers only IEC01 No. 10 wiring, THW low-voltage wire (line, neutral, and ground) up to 10 meters in length, along with electrical protection devices including: one 40 Amp single-pole breaker, one 40 Amp two-pole Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB) type A, 20 mm conduit up to 10 meters in length, one breaker box and RCCB enclosure, and

one set of conduit accessories.

He then said my 30(100)A set up needs extra wiring running from the meter to the wall charger. This will cost 9000 baht, plus extras if over 10m. My meter is about 26m from the car port.

I'm no electrician but googling gives me this:

Using a 7kW (32A) EV charger on a 30(100)A meter is technically feasible and generally safe, provided the installation is done correctly by a professional. A 30(100)A meter means the system is designed for a base load of 30A but can handle up to 100A peak.

However, because a 32A charger is considered a continuous load, it will place significant demand on your home's electrical capacity.

Key Considerations

Capacity Assessment: While the meter can handle 100A, the crucial factor is the total power consumption of your house while the car is charging. If you run multiple heavy appliances (air conditioners, electric stove, dryer) at the same time, you may exceed the 100A peak.

Installation Requirements: A 32A charger must be connected to a dedicated 40A or 50A breaker using at least 6.0 sq.mm cable, wired directly from the main consumer unit to ensure safety.

Load Management: It is highly recommended to charge your EV at night or during low-usage hours to avoid overloading your home's main breaker.

Potential Risks and Solutions

Breaker Tripping: If the house load + 32A charger exceeds 100A for a prolonged period, the main breaker will trip.

Voltage Drop: Using low-quality or undersized wiring can lead to a voltage drop (e.g., from 230V to 180V), which can cause the charger to shut down or operate inefficiently.

Solution - Smart Charging: Use a smart EV charger with load management (also known as dynamic power management) that can automatically lower the charging speed if your house consumption increases.

So it looks like it's OK, as long as I take care not to overload the circuit, or lower the charging rate either in the Dolphins settings or on the charger using an app. I don't understand why we need this new cable from the meter that might cost me around 13,000 baht. Largest electrical loads in house are 3.5kW shower, used only when solar tanks are cold, oven & 1.5hp water pump. 2 aircons get limited use at night & not all year round here in northern Thailand.

I would prefer to use the free charger, with load management, than buy a 16 A 3.5kW charger & pay a third party electrician to install.

Or maybe, just get by with the "granny charger". My daily drive is about 80km a day.

Your thoughts please.

Why would you choose to forevermore need to juggle the demand of the household in order to charge your car ?

There will be times when you will need to “fuel up” and go.

Would you buy an ice vehicle that you can only refuel at 3lt/hr ?

Spend what you need to in order to be able to charge when and as you need.

And regarding whether to have a separate ground for the charger or not as discussed earlier it can depend on the type of "Earthing System" your home has such as TN-CS system (neutral & ground wires linked together) or TT system (neutral & ground wires not linked together).

With varying Earthing Systems used in homes throughout Thailand (and many countries) it can result in a electrical contractor running only a live and neutral wire from the main panel to the charger with a separate ground rod installed right at the charger in the case of a home TN-CS electrical system.....OR that charger is on a separate main line. OR, at another residence using a TT Electrical Earthing System it could result in "no" separate ground rod and a live, neutral, & ground wires run from the the main panel to charger....that's the case for my home/charger since my home has a TT Earthing System.

It can make a person think why did the wall charger installed in my friends house have a ground rod installed just for the charger, but at another friends house who lives in a different moobaan not have separate ground rod. Is one installed incorrectly? Well, the answer is both could be installed correctly depending on the Earthing System installed at the home or whether the charger has a dedicated main line.

See below weblink and partial quote for more info regarding does an EV charger require a separate ground rod?

https://www.changfi.com/fix/2026/01/01/ev-grounding/#

8 minutes ago, HighPriority said:

Why would you choose to forevermore need to juggle the demand of the household in order to charge your car ?

There will be times when you will need to “fuel up” and go.

Would you buy an ice vehicle that you can only refuel at 3lt/hr ?

Spend what you need to in order to be able to charge when and as you need.

I would think many people charge up overnight, and topped up for the next day. Most have two options, ~2.3kWh +/- or 7.4kWh +/-. Those are the 2 options MG gave us.

If having and wanting to use solar, like us, then 2.3kWh may be their only option. Or 7.4kWh if wanting to use the grid. 99.9% of our charging is with solar. Retired, so home during sunlight hours, with E-MC if car charging and I want to go somewhere, without interrupting charging.

34 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

Regular diesel is now up to 50.54 baht/litre today. Premium diesel at 70.94 baht. Yikes!

Yeap....been going up several baht every few days...each time the price of oil spikes up...thanks to Donald.

My Thai wife said the Thai people chatter on social media (i.e., Facebook, Youtube, etc) about high fuel prices and interest in buying of EVs has been VERY HIGH for the past few weeks.

And with today/5 Apr/Sunday for the Motor Show 2026 I expect we'll see complete bookings numbers starting tomorrow that reflect EV bookings for "all vehicle brands" since quite a few brands (like BYD, Denza, Volvo, BMW, etc...around a dozen brands) are only reporting bookings (EV, ICE, or hybrid) at the end of the motor show; not day-by-day like they did a few months ago during the Motor Expo 2025.

Motor show final booking numbers will be interesting. And a month or two from now seeing "registrations" (i.e., finalized sale and blue book issued) will also be interesting to see how many bookings went on to result in a final sale since many people change their mind after booking, can't get financing approved, etc.

Yesterday I was at motor show. Nothing too exciting. Except one Porsche Cayenne copy from a brand I've never heard of.

And some details of the DMAX EV. It seems Isuzu has outsourced the EV technology to European companies.

7 hours ago, The Fall Guy said:

I went to BYD this morning to book the Dolphin, & get more info about the charger installation.

I have 30(100)A meter. Salesman says the free home charger installation covers only IEC01 No. 10 wiring, THW low-voltage wire (line, neutral, and ground) up to 10 meters in length, along with electrical protection devices including: one 40 Amp single-pole breaker, one 40 Amp two-pole Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB) type A, 20 mm conduit up to 10 meters in length, one breaker box and RCCB enclosure, and

one set of conduit accessories.

He then said my 30(100)A set up needs extra wiring running from the meter to the wall charger. This will cost 9000 baht, plus extras if over 10m. My meter is about 26m from the car port.

I'm no electrician but googling gives me this:

Using a 7kW (32A) EV charger on a 30(100)A meter is technically feasible and generally safe, provided the installation is done correctly by a professional. A 30(100)A meter means the system is designed for a base load of 30A but can handle up to 100A peak.

However, because a 32A charger is considered a continuous load, it will place significant demand on your home's electrical capacity.

Key Considerations

Capacity Assessment: While the meter can handle 100A, the crucial factor is the total power consumption of your house while the car is charging. If you run multiple heavy appliances (air conditioners, electric stove, dryer) at the same time, you may exceed the 100A peak.

Installation Requirements: A 32A charger must be connected to a dedicated 40A or 50A breaker using at least 6.0 sq.mm cable, wired directly from the main consumer unit to ensure safety.

Load Management: It is highly recommended to charge your EV at night or during low-usage hours to avoid overloading your home's main breaker.

Potential Risks and Solutions

Breaker Tripping: If the house load + 32A charger exceeds 100A for a prolonged period, the main breaker will trip.

Voltage Drop: Using low-quality or undersized wiring can lead to a voltage drop (e.g., from 230V to 180V), which can cause the charger to shut down or operate inefficiently.

Solution - Smart Charging: Use a smart EV charger with load management (also known as dynamic power management) that can automatically lower the charging speed if your house consumption increases.

So it looks like it's OK, as long as I take care not to overload the circuit, or lower the charging rate either in the Dolphins settings or on the charger using an app. I don't understand why we need this new cable from the meter that might cost me around 13,000 baht. Largest electrical loads in house are 3.5kW shower, used only when solar tanks are cold, oven & 1.5hp water pump. 2 aircons get limited use at night & not all year round here in northern Thailand.

I would prefer to use the free charger, with load management, than buy a 16 A 3.5kW charger & pay a third party electrician to install.

Or maybe, just get by with the "granny charger". My daily drive is about 80km a day.

Your thoughts please.

Maybe you should take a step back and look at all your options - one of which is no wall charger. Of course it depends on where you live and what you want to use the car for, but with public charging places popping up all over, that could be a very viable option. Take BKK and all the EV owners that live in condos, most of which do not have EV chargers on their premises.

My point is - buying an EV should not be predicated on your own wall charger alone, but a lot of other needs and preferences. Over time you will find what works best, and the wall charger installation becomes a 'nice to have' as opposed to absolute necessity - to wit, the installation expenses vs. savings of your own fill station might not compute.

The flip side is of course you suddenly realize you want to go full commando and even install solar.......... watch your step, it's a slippery slope.

17 hours ago, 4myr said:

I had similar issue. The main issue is that your current 1st circuit wiring is not large enough. For me it was a cost and esthetics issue, as the wall charger conduit would be visible for 20 meters. A granny charger would also need some extra precautions like that the grounding should be excellent and you would also like to have some dc leakage protection [RCD type B].

I have decided to install a so called dynamic load balanced [DLB] charger. I found 2 brands, Feyree and EV Easy Thailand. I went for the more appealing charger from EV Easy [ https://youtube.com/shorts/QMN6Lf2Bi8o?si=MmgHQK6G7pDfPISP ].

The conduit runs from the home consumer unit through the attic to the charger. I asked the installer to add a circuit breaker and connect the dc leak protection also to a wall socket. In case the wall charger needs repair I can connect a granny charger to the wall socket with proper grounding and dc leak protection.

With this charger you can set a max house load and a max charger load. As I am charging during the day, when my solar panels produce energy, the total house load is offset by the solar energy. I managed to sell the free charger on facebook within a week. The total cost was less than with the free charger, a 2nd circuit and 20m of ugly conduit along the front of my house.

I have the Feyree charger with Dynamic Load Balancing. I waited for the new version with the 4.2” screen from AliExpress.

We have 18Kw of solar inverters, single phase and a weak PEA supply.

It works a treat, changing and even stop/starting charging on the fly minimizing any PEA charges.

We have a 15/45 meter with oversized underground copper to the house and 2 of 63 amp main panels (one for each floor) together with a 15KVA automatic voltage stabilizer.

I have set the maximum PEA load at 20 amps, we have 4 EV’s and we have another 3.6Kw charger too which means we can regulate from 3.6Kw to 10.8 Kw and charge 2 cars at a time.

As of late 5 Apr 2026 some updated/interim Motor Show 2026 bookings results are being reported on the car250.com website. The Motor Show ended 5 April. See below car250 5 Apr 2026 weblink for more details and I included a few snapshots from the weblink.

Looks like BYD/Denza had VERY HIGH bookings with the Atto 3 being their best seller. See weblink for the whole story....just remember these are interim results until all the brands report their total bookings...like Toyota and other brands bookings are not in yet.

Total for "14" brands reporting so far...other brands to come like Toyota

BYD Bookings

14 minutes ago, Pib said:

As of early morning 5 Apr 2026 some updated/interim Motor Show 2026 bookings results are being reported on the car250.com website. See below car250 weblink for more details and I included a few snapshots from the weblink. Looks like BYD had VERY HIGH bookings with the Atto 3 being their best seller. See weblink for the whole story....just remember these are interim results until all the brands report their total bookings...like Toyota numbers are not in yet.

Total for "14" brands reporting so far...other brands to come like Toyota

BYD Bookings

Really - BYD sold over 300 'Seal' models?

Is this the 2026 model or still their old 2023 stock?

Also - in all fairness, with BYD lumping Denza into their report, Geely should add Zeekr in their tally, too......... and Changan and Avatr?

1 minute ago, mistral53 said:

Really - BYD sold over 300 'Seal' models?

Is this the 2026 model or still their old 2023 stock?

I'm guessing it's the older Seal model year and predominately (or totally) the Standard (Dynamic) RWD model vs also including the Premium RWD Long Range and AWD models since DLT registration stats show very few Premium or AWD models being sold/registered Jan-Mar 2026. I just went to one BYD Dealership website and they only listed the Standard/Dynamic for sale....no listing for the Premium or AWD model.

DLT Registration Stats for Jan, Feb, and Mar 2026

Another snapshot, if correct, is a real eyeopener: check the bottom of the chart - + 71.8% over 2025

2 hours ago, Pib said:

As of late 5 Apr 2026 some updated/interim Motor Show 2026 bookings results are being reported on the car250.com website. The Motor Show ended 5 April. See below car250 5 Apr 2026 weblink for more details and I included a few snapshots from the weblink.

Looks like BYD/Denza had VERY HIGH bookings with the Atto 3 being their best seller. See weblink for the whole story....just remember these are interim results until all the brands report their total bookings...like Toyota and other brands bookings are not in yet.

Total for "14" brands reporting so far...other brands to come like Toyota

BYD Bookings

Unfortunately we don't have the individual car bookings of the various below 600k budget segments. Looking at the published numbers, this is my take:

1) The real winner is Chery Automobile, Omoda Jaecoo [15,750] + Chery [7,509] = 23,259 bookings

2) The BYD bookings of the new lower budget cars [Atto 1, Atto 2] are disappointing. BYD still relies on older models. I assume Geely [EX2] and Chery [Jaecoo 5 Max+] have outperformed BYD in these segments.

24 minutes ago, mistral53 said:

Another snapshot, if correct, is a real eyeopener: check the bottom of the chart - + 71.8% over 2025

Donald will probably take credit for the increase...thanks to war which pumped-up oil and fuel prices. I expect the much higher fuel prices, more ICE vehicle owners feeling more comfortable in moving to EV vehicles, and pent-up demand since the Dec 2025 Motor Expo has resulted in these record setting bookings where Chinese manufacturers are taking big market share from Japanese/European/US vehicle manufacturers. The Chinese manufacturers numerous model offerings and pricing is hard to pass-up.

1 hour ago, 4myr said:

Unfortunately we don't have the individual car bookings of the various below 600k budget segments. Looking at the published numbers, this is my take:

1) The real winner is Chery Automobile, Omoda Jaecoo [15,750] + Chery [7,509] = 23,259 bookings

2) The BYD bookings of the new lower budget cars [Atto 1, Atto 2] are disappointing. BYD still relies on older models. I assume Geely [EX2] and Chery [Jaecoo 5 Max+] have outperformed BYD in these segments.

I don't know why anyone would buy an Atto 2 when it's basically the same price as an Atto 3.

3 hours ago, mistral53 said:

Really - BYD sold over 300 'Seal' models?

Is this the 2026 model or still their old 2023 stock?

Also - in all fairness, with BYD lumping Denza into their report, Geely should add Zeekr in their tally, too......... and Changan and Avatr?

The staff at the BYD Booth told me the Seal is out of stock at the moment. No word on new deliveries. Meanwhile she proposed the Seal 6 but it's a different car...

1 hour ago, mistral53 said:

Another snapshot, if correct, is a real eyeopener: check the bottom of the chart - + 71.8% over 2025

That would be first time in history Toyota is not #1 😬😬😬