I think it’s not a good idea to sit on the car with aircon running while DC charging, it’s got to reduce battery cooling capability and possibly reduce the longevity of the battery.

That said, I am guilty of doing that in the past.

A few times I plugged the Seal in at BYD and only got 25kw charging for a while. On one of those occasions a guy with an Atto 3 complained the same and left. He told me it was because there was some kind of throttling on the charger when the grid was weak in that area, I’m leaning that way rather than it being a hot battery.

The BYD Atto and Dolphin have a very, very similar front end assembly. See what it takes to reach...to begin cleaning of the radiator and AC condenser. It can make you long for the days of super easy access to an ICE vehicle radiator/condenser where you could be spraying it with your water hose within seconds.

And here's one showing the very thorough cleaning of an Atto radiator/condenser after the bumper assembly has already been removed. The video should start at the point showing the plastic cover/shroud with air inlet at bottom that I talked about earlier which blocks cleaning of the radiator/condenser until the front bumper assembly is removed.

You guys are certainly pro doing this coil washing, I might consider doing it myself later.

It really can make a difference in the crazy summer heat.

I paid byd service to do a full wash just At last January, at the 3 year maintenance. It's was not cheap either but i can't remember the price.

What tires are you guys running on?

Just curious.

I'm on a 235/45 profile, Dunlop sportmax060+ made in Japan. Atto3. The tires are amazing.

The 235/50 that comes factory installed is too wide for the rim and probably too big for it and affect range.

I think 225/50 is the sweetest spot.

I went for 235/45 for more sport handling in the mountains and highways here. My odometer is also slower now.

Just now, brfsa2 said:

What tires are you guys running on?

Just curious.

2022 MG ZS EV ... Michelin Primacy 3 ST 215/55R17

Shy of 60k kms, and expect another 20k before thinking about replacing. Drive rather conservative, and within speed limit on highway < 100 or ~110 if post 120 kph allowed.

Will definitely replace with the same.

Edited May 3May 3 by KhunLA

Just now, KhunLA said:

2022 MG ZS EV ... Michelin Primacy 3 ST 215/55R17

Shy of 60k kms, and expect another 20k before thinking about replacing. Drive rather conservative, and within speed limit on highway < 100 or ~110 if post 120 kph allowed.

Will definitely replace with the same.

I've had these on my mg zs ev as well. They're really good, but they are 2 generations old, have the risk to get an old tire. Must always check manufactured dates and should be within 6 months.

If you love them, the latest generation is the Primacy SUV+ which are another Level completely. A bit more expensive though but they last really long at least 100k km

You could try even the 225/50 for a sporty feeling.

Just now, brfsa2 said:

I've had these on my mg zs ev as well. They're really good, but they are 2 generations old, have the risk to get an old tire. Must always check manufactured dates and should be within 6 months.

If you love them, the latest generation is the Primacy SUV+ which are another Level completely. A bit more expensive though but they last really long at least 100k km

You could try even the 225/50 for a sporty feeling.

I guess this explains why still used in 2022 at CN ...

Just now, brfsa2 said:

What tires are you guys running on?

Just curious.

I'm on a 235/45 profile, Dunlop sportmax060+ made in Japan. Atto3. The tires are amazing.

The 235/50 that comes factory installed is too wide for the rim and probably too big for it and affect range.

I think 225/50 is the sweetest spot.

I went for 235/45 for more sport handling in the mountains and highways here. My odometer is also slower now.

The Continental that comes with the Seal are okay but at 45k they are in need of a change, that says more about my driving than the actual tyres.

There are a few options for the Seal, Otani and Giti if you want something cheap and cheerful ( these two seem popular with the majority of Thai Seal owners ) but i think i will keep the Seal a while longer so will look at Michelin Primacy.

On 4/11/2026 at 8:13 PM, Pib said:

The VCT-G 2x6/6 you mentioned is only 3 wire with one of the 3 being the Ground wire which is colored with green & yellow stripes. Because of this "special" coloring (i.e., specifically identifying the Ground wire as green-yellow) it typically cost more than a standard VCT 3 wire which does not have the special coloring to signify a ground wire; instead when using the wire you choose which wire/which color you will use as the ground wire. But once again a 3 wire cable will not work; must be a 4 wire cable for an EV 7KW/32A charging cable.

You need a 4 wire cable for a 7KW charging cable....a Live wire, a Neutral wire, a Protective Earth (Ground) Wire....all of which must be 6mm2 wire...and also a 4th wire for the Control Pilot (CP) wire which only needs to be 0.5mm2 (being larger is fine) to carry the 24V/very low amperage communications between the EV and wall charger. An EV charging cable will also use TPU sheathing vs PVC sheathing "only because" the TPU sheathing is much thinner which will make the cable smaller in diameter, a little easier to handle, a little lighter than using PVC sheathed cable, and can handle UV light better if the cable is used out in the sun all the time. But the core reason TPU sheathing just makes the cable smaller in diameter and lighter. A factory made 7KW charging cable with its 3 big wires and 1 little wire also with its TPU sheathing will be approximately 13mm in diameter whereas a cable made with VCT cable will be around 18mm in diameter due to having 4 big wires and a thicker PVC sheathing. The particular Thai Union multi strand copper VCT cable I used has approximately 107 copper strands per 6mm2 wire....yes I counted the number of tiny strands composing each 6mm2 wire....the more stands the better for flexibility purposes.....and that 107 strands is more than the approx 85 strands a Super Cable VCT cable has per 6mm2 wire. The Thai Union VCT 4 wire 6mm2 wire has an diameter of 18mm....that large diameter made it a little of a challenge to insert thru the end of the charging gun grommet but I got it fitted just fine....see image below of the wire I used.

I bought the VCT 450/750V cable from this Shopee store....this store has very fair prices. I ordered 15 meters but they sent 17.2 meters---that made me happy. Wire made by Thai Union. It's "true" VCT wire vs the "IEC53" VCT wire. IEC53 VCT wire has lower specs than true VCT wire....but the IEC53 VCT wire is still much more than good enough for EV charging cable use....just don't use IEC 53 as buried in the ground cable.

"IEC 53" VCT wire vs true VCT wire. True VCT spec'ed wire has higher voltage ratings, thicker sheath, just a better cable. However, with that being said IEC 53 cable is more than good enough for the purposes of a charging cable and typically cost less...but you can find some shops/stores that sell IEC 53 and true VCT cabling at close to the same price.

Charging Gun I ordered/used. Price on Shopee Feyree Store as of 11 Apr 2026 when I looked, but I got it for Bt768 after the various discounts/vouchers/fee shipping. It will come with all needed screws, Proximity Pilot connector 220 ohm resistor, etc. I've seen this charging gun in the Feyee store on both Shopee and Lazada vary week to week from around Bt1000 to around Bt2500 before discounts. Feyree sells various charging guns...I recommend the one below as it's latest generation...extremely well built and pretty easy to assemble. Ditto on how Feyree prices most of it's "wall chargers" on its Shopee and Lazada stores....prices can go up and down by big amounts from week to week, day to day, sale to sale.

Price I paid a month or so ago when I ordered

My Feyree charging gun and VCT 4 wire cable

I came up with another solution which also fixes another problem.

I bought the extension cable pictured below, I paid ฿1000 more for a 10m length.

I keep it in the car (it comes in a nice bag) and now I can charge where the cable doesn’t reach the car, eg if someone has ICE’d the charging spot.

The cable latches onto the existing charging head so it can’t be accidentally pulled out.

On 4/12/2026 at 6:36 AM, Pib said:

Shopee links for VCT cable and Feyree charging gun shown in my post above....links as of 12 Apr 2026.

Remember, some Feyree store products (like their charging guns and chargers) in their Shopee and Lazada official stores can vary "widely" in pricing from day to day, week to week, sale to sale, etc. I've seen pricing on many of their products sometimes change by over a 100%...like a charging gun be priced at around Bt1,000 before various discounts 8and the next day the exact same gun jump up to around Bt2000 and then a few days later or a week later jump way down in price....like a yoyo. So, watch for their best/lowest pricing as it varies...much more on some products than at a typical Shopee/Lazada store

VCT 4 wire 6mm2 Thai Union cable

https://th.shp.ee/uAbGHJku

32A/7KW Feyree charging gun. Feyree sells various charging guns but this one is the best IMO.

https://th.shp.ee/ohuKZsFJ

Just now, JBChiangRai said:

I came up with another solution which also fixes another problem.

I bought the extension cable pictured below, I paid ฿1000 more for a 10m length.

I keep it in the car (it comes in a nice bag) and now I can charge where the cable doesn’t reach the car, eg if someone has ICE’d the charging spot.

The cable latches onto the existing charging head so it can’t be accidentally pulled out.

Yea, back in Aug 2025 I bought a 5M version extension cable like above off Shopee for Bt2,360 total. That 5M extension when connected to my wall charger 5M cable gave me 10 meters which "at the time" I figured would provide enough reach based on my "next EV buy and my carport layout."

HOWEVER, my "next EV buy" (I was seriously considering a BYD Sealion 7) at the time had its charge port on the right rear panel and a 10 meter cable would have been more than enough. BUT when I fell out of love with my next EV buy being a Sealion 7 and instead fell in love with another EV that has its charging port on the "left rear panel" (i.e., a Zeekr 7x) then even 10 meters would not be enough unless I would park the car in my carport in a way I didn't really want to park it.

What I really needed was "at least" a 12 meter cable length to satisfy my needs based on whatever my "next EV buy" turns out to be...regardless of its charging port being on the rear, front, left, right, etc. So, I decided to build my 15 meter cable which is working great.

End result: I don't need the 5 meter extension cable anymore, but I could use it like you use it---that is, in those cases where the DC Charger cable ain't quite long enough usually because of some A-hole hogging too much space in front of the charger or the charger being in a location that just naturally makes it hard for the 2nd EV using the charger to get good & close to the charger.

Oh yea, I still haven't bought "my next EV" but the Zeekr 7x Long Range is on top of my list. I've been holding off buying it because late this year the "updated" 7x will probably arrive Thailand which upgrades the 800V charging system to a 900V system, more powerful motor(s), and some other stuff...and I'm guessing the price will stay about the same as the current version. However, I don't know if I'm going to be able to continue to restrain myself to year's end....on some days I almost throw-in the "waiting towel" by wanting to run to the Zeekr dealership to start the buy. 😁

Edited May 4May 4 by Pib

7 hours ago, Pib said:

Oh yea, I still haven't bought "my next EV" but the Zeekr 7x Long Range is on top of my list. I've been holding off buying it because late this year the "updated" 7x will probably arrive Thailand which upgrades the 800V charging system to a 900V system, more powerful motor(s), and some other stuff...and I'm guessing the price will stay about the same as the current version. However, I don't know if I'm going to be able to continue to restrain myself to year's end....on some days I almost throw-in the "waiting towel" by wanting to run to the Zeekr dealership to start the buy. 😁

I know the feeling, and being the lesser man than you, I succumbed to temptation - damn you Zeekr!

Just now, mistral53 said:

I know the feeling, and being the lesser man than you, I succumbed to temptation - damn you Zeekr!

And my local Zeekr dealership (only a 10 minute drive away) continues to tempt me...continues to try to snag me.

As you know Zeekr's marketing/sales approach is generally not based on price-cut promotions. Instead they use slick catch phrases to the nth degree, play on emotions/customs/beliefs, play the "we be a premium, luxury car" game.

Today's slick Zeekr⁸ advertising is a LINE message I got just a few minutes ago suggesting an auspicious date "for a new beginning"...that is the best date in May to buy a Zeekr.

i heard that the zeekr 007gt is coming to australia ... which could mean thailand might be next on the list.

this could be a good (and potentially more premium) alternative to the zeekr 7x ...

https://autostation.com/cars/zeekr-007-gt-officially-launched-in-china/

Yea, I've watched several Youtube reviews on the Zeekr 007GT. It's definitely a sharp looking "sedan/shooting brake" type car....but I'm generally not a sedan type of guy....I'm more of the SUV type. A couple major negatives IMO is the rear seating and no sunshade for the panoramic sunroof. I watched below review just last night.

Just a general comment on EV advertising in Thailand "for 2026" (and to a large extent even for ICE/Hybrid).....have you noticed how the advertisements/press releases on key vehicle websites like car250.com and autolifethailand.tv use to show tons of "price-cuts/truly good promotions" in 2024 and especially in 2025 for EVs sold in Thailand, but so far in 2026 such advertising/promotions have basically dried-up. Now they still have plenty of press releases/promotions but the promotions are not really offering any major price reductions...in fact, price increases are frequently seen instead.

Now websites like car250.com and autolifethailand.tv mostly talk new car releases "in China" and many times try to infer (make a wild guess) that new model release so-in-so might come to Thailand.

Yeap, it seems 2024 and 2025 may be remembered as golden years to buy an EV when there were higher subsidies and a serious price war were underway. Memories, memories.....

I’ve been looking at some ads and the comments below them, and a lot of customers are asking, “When will my car be delivered?”—especially those who ordered during the motor show.

With ICE cars, if yours gets old and you want a new one, you can usually buy and receive it within a week. But with EVs, it seems to take months—at least for brands like Geely or BYD.

This situation doesn’t really encourage sellers to offer promotions, and it doesn’t motivate customers to place orders for EVs either.

Is anyone else here waiting months for their car delivery?

Just now, Pib said:

And my local Zeekr dealership (only a 10 minute drive away) continues to tempt me...continues to try to snag me.

As you know Zeekr's marketing/sales approach is generally not based on price-cut promotions. Instead they use slick catch phrases to the nth degree, play on emotions/customs/beliefs, play the "we be a premium, luxury car" game.

Today's slick Zeekr⁸ advertising is a LINE message I got just a few minutes ago suggesting an auspicious date "for a new beginning"...that is the best date in May to buy a Zeekr.

Then what are you waiting for!? 🤣

the 7x is a masterpiece, for that price, compared to everything else it's at the top.

That it can Fast charge at 420kW tells a lot, and how it matter for Thailand.

Anything decent like Zeekr/Xpeng/Tesla are at least 200+km away except for MG or BYD.

I'm holding off to not make the same mistake again like we did with the BYD ATTO 3, a very bad and rushed purchase we made.

I made a comparison of the cars I'm considering, Gemini cant get things right, so I had to do it manually 🥱

Just now, Pib said:

Yeap, it seems 2024 and 2025 may be remembered as golden years to buy an EV when there were higher subsidies and a serious price war were underway. Memories, memories.....

Indeed. I can't remember a deal as good as the Seal Performance for under a million in my lifetime.

On the other hand, advances in battery tech is truly exciting. Same with FSD if you are into that.

And we continue to see better prices than Australia/NZ, Europe and the UK.

meanwhile, those living in the US have a dual tax system. The first tax is paid out of the pay packet. Then there's a "We are too inefficient to compete tax" paid directly to the car company on purchase of each new car.

Saw a Zeekr 7X in a matte black ( wrap presumably ) the other day, looked really cool.

Then i saw a Zeekr X in white shortly after, looked nice but what is going on with the back end and that weird colour scheme ??

Has a nice choice of colours to choose from but once again spoilt by the black and paintwork jumble.

Unless it is the Jackson Pollack edition ??

Just now, brfsa2 said:

Then what are you waiting for!? 🤣

the 7x is a masterpiece, for that price, compared to everything else it's at the top.

That it can Fast charge at 420kW tells a lot, and how it matter for Thailand.

Anything decent like Zeekr/Xpeng/Tesla are at least 200+km away except for MG or BYD.

I'm holding off to not make the same mistake again like we did with the BYD ATTO 3, a very bad and rushed purchase we made.

I made a comparison of the cars I'm considering, Gemini cant get things right, so I had to do it manually 🥱

Indeed - it is wise not to trust any LLM on EV tech specs.

That said, be wary to take any specs from Chinese sites - export versions of Chines cars are always de-contented, case in point, the Zeekr 7X ADAS chip is a much more pedestrian dual Mobileye chip. It was almost a deal-breaker for me, until I realized we simply never get the goodies they have in China, my temper-tantrum notwithstanding.

As far as I know, the same holds true for Lidar - I have yet to see any Chinese brand exporting models with Lidar.

Edited May 5May 5 by mistral53

more 'good' news for those with nothing to hide.

https://theautowire.com/2026/04/20/every-new-car-could-become-a-surveillance-machine/

By 2027, every new car sold in the United States could be required to actively monitor the person behind the wheel. That means watching your eyes, tracking your behavior, and constantly evaluating whether you’re alert enough to drive. For a lot of drivers, that starts to feel less like safety and more like surveillance.

48 minutes ago, johng said:

more 'good' news for those with nothing to hide.

https://theautowire.com/2026/04/20/every-new-car-could-become-a-surveillance-machine/

By 2027, every new car sold in the United States could be required to actively monitor the person behind the wheel. That means watching your eyes, tracking your behavior, and constantly evaluating whether you’re alert enough to drive. For a lot of drivers, that starts to feel less like safety and more like surveillance.

If it saves lives through people nodding off, then it's absolutely worthwhile. We have it already.

Some good April 2026 "registration" stats in below 7 May 2026 car250.com article. See article for full details, but I did cut & paste some stats/charts from the article related to EVs....see below.

https://www.car250.com/2569-04-th-new.html

Total Number of Top 19 Registered "BEV and PHEV" brands for April 2026

On 5/5/2026 at 5:37 PM, Pib said:

Yea, I've watched several Youtube reviews on the Zeekr 007GT. It's definitely a sharp looking "sedan/shooting brake" type car....but I'm generally not a sedan type of guy....I'm more of the SUV type. A couple major negatives IMO is the rear seating and no sunshade for the panoramic sunroof. I watched below review just last night.

And I really don't like SUVs so this car looks amazing to me. But I don't need AWD and 1,000 hp. RWD and decent hp for relaxed cruising would do it for me. Btw, what happened to the Zeekr 001 and the shooting brake version?

35 minutes ago, CLW said:

And I really don't like SUVs so this car looks amazing to me. But I don't need AWD and 1,000 hp. RWD and decent hp for relaxed cruising would do it for me. Btw, what happened to the Zeekr 001 and the shooting brake version?

The IM5 is RWD with decent HP, only 402 HP. 😉

https://autolifethailand.tv/photo-mg-im5-ev-bev-thailand/

it looks stunning in Red and with all those smooth curves it is going to be easy for me to wash it. I really hate all that fugly plastic decorations the japanese love to add to the front of the cars that makes them so hard to wash and fugly as hell.

Tesla is the best in simplicity. give me a Chinese 900V platform with the body of the Tesla model 3, stamp it with a decent price, and I'm sold on it right now!

When it comes to handling, the ability for rear wheel to turn: https://carnewschina.com/2024/05/11/im-l6-breaks-25-year-old-moose-test-speed-record/

Edited May 7May 7 by brfsa2
added images

Red cars go faster. :)

On 3/20/2026 at 12:21 PM, JBChiangRai said:

I paid for a new BYD Sealion AWD yesterday, it’s coming on Monday or Tuesday.

How is the Sealion 7 AWD working out for you? How do you feel about it now assuming you followed thru with the buy?

Tomorrow morning/Saturday my local BYD dealership is bringing an AWD to my house for a test drive. The wife and I was at the dealership today and did a lot of "setting" in an AWD, touching & smelling the car, etc.

Right now a AWD is priced a hair less than Bt1.3M and the lifetime battery/motor warranty is free (not the usual Bt5K cost) and a Zhida 7Kw wall charger with installation is also free (not the usual Bt10k cost).

Also did a test drive of a Zeekr 7x Long Range today but it was low speed, heavy Bangkok morning traffic driving.

Appreciate any feedback you can provide.

3 minutes ago, Pib said:

Also did a test drive of a Zeekr 7x Long Range today but it was low speed, heavy Bangkok

How was the test drive and feel of the car . We still do not have a dealership in chiangmai yet. Soon .

And to any and all BYD Sealion 7 RWD or AWD owners how do you feel about the car after driving it for X-amount of time? Thanks.