Electric Vehicles in Thailand

[Andrew Dwyer]

1 hour ago, Gweiloman said:

Good job. You get the added benefit of V2L with the Dolphin which GWM cars sorely lack.

 

 I convinced my other half to settle for the Dolphin as well with the promise of a trip to Japan and Hong Kong in the not too distant future. Put down the 5,000 baht booking fee already, expected waiting time of about 2 months. So with the Haval PHEV and BYD Dolphin, I expect my transportation needs to be fully met for the next 5 years at least.

I joined the FB BYD Dolphin group ( Thailand ) it’s early days as yet and the admin is posting furiously , but nothing Dolphin related !

I find these FB groups are great for info regarding issues, accessories and mods etc, gave me a lot of insight into the Atto 3 and MG4. Some of the Thai sites, when using Google translate, appear gibberish but you get the general idea.

I joined a Haval Jolion group about a year ago and I’m sure by joining that group it led to me being inundated by the various ads from showrooms selling their “ Activity “ cars off . With this in mind i popped into my local showroom and …. long story short …. got a new (ish) car with all the warranties, roadside assistance and freebies ( film, insurance, mats ) etc for 154k below normal price , that’s going to buy me a lot of gas .

 

Bil has always said he wants my ZS ICE so hopefully i can pass it on to him and then take a look at the Dolphin.

Might even go for the purple, more of a lilac colour in my eyes but i don’t mind it at all, will have to put my foot down if Hello Kitty stickers are mentioned though !

 

My last trip before retirement was to Japan, been 5 or 6 times, and always said I would love to return as a tourist, better not tell the little lady this just yet though .

[Bandersnatch]

6 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Unfortunately, I already have a solar power installation with batteries, but can't help wondering how 869,000 baht for an entry level MG4 compares to a 50 Kw LFP Battery, Charger & Inverter bought separately for Emergency Power, with the bonus you can go out & about in it!  Also. the battery comes with an 8 year warranty,

V2L is a key feature that I’m looking for in my next EV. Like you I have solar and batteries. I can’t justify buying anymore batteries that I might only use twice a year, but having an EV with V2L would be ideal. 

[Bandersnatch]

Neta will be made in Thailand soon and the model that most impressed me at this year’s motor show was the Neta S.

 

 

 

 

 

Front and Rear mounted motors

91kWh battery 

650km CLTC (Chinese) range

0-100km/h 3.9 seconds 

 

 

I am a fan of the “EV Girls” channel but it’s in Thai so just a link to their video if you want to check it out.

https://youtu.be/owFtGc0sI6g

 

[gomangosteen]

Re my earlier post, partner's company bought a Neta V in December, to date it's been faultless, more kms than your average domestic vehicle as it's in use six days a week by engineers visiting work sites within Chanthaburi province and up to Rayong and south to Trat, often 150-200km per day plus around town for office staff. 

Left on charger overnight and away again in the morning.

 
https://aseannow.com/topic/1257405-electric-vehicles-in-thailand/?do=findComment&comment=17817235

[Andrew Dwyer]

The Neta V is the cheapest EV right now and as I have dropped my sights from the Atto 3 ( 1.2 mil ) to the Dolphin ( 800k ) for city driving it could be classed as justifiable to take a look at the Neta V, had previously seen it at a local mini motor show and wasn’t impressed.

But now I have deemed my EV will be local use only I might have another look, although from a quick glance at a YouTube video the gap between Neta V and Dolphin is vast, despite the 250k price gap ( am not that pushed for money, if I was skint i’d be looking at a Celerio !! ).
From what I see it’s a good looking car, albeit not very wide so probably a 4 seater in reality, and is lacking some basics.

Add a 60/40 split seat ( that cannot be expensive can it ?), connecting that centre armrest to the minuscule centre console ( what were they thinking ? ) would make a world of difference, bring that instrument cluster forward ( so binoculars are no longer required ), improve the trim level, bang a spoiler on the back, add 100k to the price and call it limited edition !!

 

The Neta V has sold quite a few here and has potential but it’s a big jump to the Neta S or U Pro so they either need to slot another in between or make some cosmetic changes if they want to compete with BYD.

 

[Bandersnatch]

Lot's of EV options from MG and Fast DC charging at dealerships

 

 

 

[JBChiangRai]

MG advertise that they have SuperChargers every 150km

 

They also say non-MG's can use them, but you need an MG iShare card and it doesn't seem possible to get one to register if you don't have an MG.  I did try my non-MG car on the fast DC charger at the MG dealership using my daughter's iShare RFID card and it was fine (much to the MG salesperson's surprise).

[GroveHillWanderer]

On 5/21/2023 at 12:33 PM, Bandersnatch said:

Neta will be made in Thailand soon and the model that most impressed me at this year’s motor show was the Neta S.

 

 

 

 

 

Front and Rear mounted motors

91kWh battery 

650km CLTC (Chinese) range

0-100km/h 3.9 seconds 

 

 

I am a fan of the “EV Girls” channel but it’s in Thai so just a link to their video if you want to check it out.

https://youtu.be/owFtGc0sI6g

 

I don't imagine it's the cheapest EV around but at least the range-extended versions with a 1,100 km range would allay a lot of people's range anxiety. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

Following in the footsteps of GWM looks like MG might be selling off some of their showroom cars. Anyone interested should make some enquiries.

Here’s the VS HEV with a healthy discount :

 

[JBChiangRai]

I ordered this body kit from my local MG dealer, 13,500 baht installed.  I haven't ordered new wheels and tyres though.

 

 

[KhunLA]

28 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

I ordered this body kit from my local MG dealer, 13,500 baht installed.  I haven't ordered new wheels and tyres though.

 

 

I'm not a fan of the ZS's wheels, and thinking of changing when comes time for new tires.

[Yellowtail]

On 5/24/2023 at 8:03 AM, KhunLA said:

I'm not a fan of the ZS's wheels, and thinking of changing when comes time for new tires.

Yeah, they look pretty cheesy. Put some  Nutek twenties on it. 

[Bandersnatch]

BYD Seal Champion Edition gets lower prices, new specs and new colours in China. Still hasn't arrived in Thailand - but I was told at the BKK motor show that it is coming here.

 

 

 

 

In addition, the Seal Champion Edition 650km four-wheel drive performance version comes standard with a light-sensitive panoramic sunroof (optional for the 700km range  model)

 

I'm not sure what's a "light-sensitive panoramic sunroof"  - maybe a solar roof? or translation issues from Chinese 

 

 

[macahoom]

7 minutes ago, Bandersnatch said:

I'm not sure what's a "light-sensitive panoramic sunroof"  - maybe a solar roof?

I guess it’s the same as glasses with photochromic lenses. The roof will darken the more bright the sun is. 

[Yellowtail]

1 hour ago, Bandersnatch said:

BYD Seal Champion Edition gets lower prices, new specs and new colours in China. Still hasn't arrived in Thailand - but I was told at the BKK motor show that it is coming here.

 

 

 

 

In addition, the Seal Champion Edition 650km four-wheel drive performance version comes standard with a light-sensitive panoramic sunroof (optional for the 700km range  model)

 

I'm not sure what's a "light-sensitive panoramic sunroof"  - maybe a solar roof? or translation issues from Chinese 

 

 

Nice! Looks like a Hyundai. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

As is the norm here we had to pay a visit to my wife’s hometown Wat for the head monk to stick some gold leaf, wrap some coloured ribbons, draw some symbol on the bonnet in powder and splash plenty of “ holy “ water over the car , and us ????, on the occasion of a new car !!

( keeps the little lady happy )

 

Head monk “ Ajarn “ ( teacher ) was in a particularly good mood as one of his faithful followers had had a bit of good luck on the lottery and proudly presented him with a gift .

 

 

Quite an upgrade from his previous electric vehicle which was a little limited ????

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

31 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

That's cool ... want one ????

[KhunLA]

51 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

That's cool ... want one ????

https://www.dtmotor.co.th/  or not ????

[matchar]

10 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

As is the norm here we had to pay a visit to my wife’s hometown Wat for the head monk to stick some gold leaf, wrap some coloured ribbons, draw some symbol on the bonnet in powder and splash plenty of “ holy “ water over the car , and us ????, on the occasion of a new car !!

( keeps the little lady happy )

 

Head monk “ Ajarn “ ( teacher ) was in a particularly good mood as one of his faithful followers had had a bit of good luck on the lottery and proudly presented him with a gift .

 

 

Quite an upgrade from his previous electric vehicle which was a little limited ????

 

 

 

And here I thought monks weren't allowed to drive ????

[Andrew Dwyer]

9 hours ago, matchar said:

And here I thought monks weren't allowed to drive ????

Apparently not but this is small town rural Nakhon Sawan.
My bil , who lives in the same town, was a monk for 9 years but allowed to drive on medical grounds . Having kidney failure and needing dialysis several times a week he could drive himself to a local or Nakhon Sawan hospital.

On longer trips, to Bangkok for example, he would get a friend to drive him or pay someone. 

[Bandersnatch]

The new BMW iX1 is getting good reviews in Europe priced at ฿2.1m but when I asked BMW staff at the BKK motor show about it coming to Thailand they didn’t know when it was coming here. 

BMWs are always much more expensive here in Thailand so I am not expecting it to be Tesla money.

 

However there is news of Plug-in Hybrids coming to Thailand.

 

xDrive25e

TwinPower Turbo 3-cylinder petrol engine, 1.5 liter

Acceleration 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds
 

xDrive30e - ฿2.8m
Acceleration 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds

 

Both plug-in hybrid models are equipped with 14.2 kWh batteries and electric motor that gives 89 km of EV only range.

 

https://www.bmw.co.th/th/all-models/x-series/X1/2022/bmw-x1-overview.html

 

 

[tomkenet]

I believe the very overpriced European car brands will have to normalize their prices with Tesla and many soon coming premium Chinese car models from China entering Thailand.

[gomangosteen]

On 5/21/2023 at 4:15 PM, gomangosteen said:

Re my earlier post, partner's company bought a Neta V in December, to date it's been faultless, more kms than your average domestic vehicle as it's in use six days a week by engineers visiting work sites within Chanthaburi province and up to Rayong and south to Trat, often 150-200km per day plus around town for office staff. 

Left on charger overnight and away again in the morning.

 
https://aseannow.com/topic/1257405-electric-vehicles-in-thailand/?do=findComment&comment=17817235

Despite the negative comments earlier in posts here . . . difference is this vehicle used in a commercial business where perhaps owner 'comforts' are less essential, but at an average of over 1000km every week that's well higher than your average 'about town' driver.

 

The business has reviewed the costs/economics and reliability of the Neta V as a company car after six months - and bought a second one on the weekend; roading engineers don't really need a D-Max after all.

 

Limited colour choice? - it's identical to the first one.

[JBChiangRai]

36 minutes ago, tomkenet said:

I believe the very overpriced European car brands will have to normalize their prices with Tesla and many soon coming premium Chinese car models from China entering Thailand.

I would change that statement a little "I believe the very overpriced Tesla & European car brands will have to normalize their prices with the many coming premium Chinese car models from China entering Thailand."

 

Whilst I am sure Tesla will drop their prices massively, I am less certain about other premium brands like Audi, Porsche, BMW & Mercedes who target a different kind of buyer.

 

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

19 minutes ago, gomangosteen said:

Despite the negative comments earlier in posts here . . . difference is this vehicle used in a commercial business where perhaps owner 'comforts' are less essential, but at an average of over 1000km every week that's well higher than your average 'about town' driver.

 

The business has reviewed the costs/economics and reliability of the Neta V as a company car after six months - and bought a second one on the weekend; roading engineers don't really need a D-Max after all.

 

Limited colour choice? - it's identical to the first one.

I took a look at one yesterday at my local mall, marketing the new Mint Green colour , that makes 6 colours in all, more than most.

I stick with my earlier comments that it is not for me and would like to see some more “ stuff “ inside for another 100k or so but agree that it is a good looking car externally.

 The price is unbeatable imho and as a company car makes perfect sense.

For anyone looking for an EV for local use on a budget it’s a perfect buy.

I haven’t discounted it totally as my 2nd car , at around 220k/250k ( MG EP and Dolphin ) less than it’s nearest rivals it’s a bargain.

Plus , recently discovered that my car port is not very good for 2 cars so the slimmer body of the Neta V might just seal the deal.

[tomkenet]

Tesla is currently the most-selling car in the world and the prices in Thailand are quite well aligned with the prices in Europe. (Maybe +10%) With the other brands you mention (+Volvo) the prices in Thailand are much higher than Europe. I am surprised so many Thai customers are willing to pay this huge premium to get the right logo on the car.  Bmw ix3 is 85% more expensive than Tesla Y (2 wheel drive) in Thailand, in Sweden it is less than 30%. Volvo xc40 recharge is  cheaper than tesla Y (4 wheel drive) in Sweden, In Thailand+20%.

[Bandersnatch]

China's Great Wall Motor plans EV battery assembly and research center in Thailand

 

 

GWM plans to invest up to $30 million to set up a new battery pack assembly plant in Thailand, where it will start making a compact electric car next year, according to a company official.

 

GWM is also considering establishing a research and development centre in Thailand that could work on battery powered pickup trucks (pickup trucks accounting for more than half of sales last year in Thailand)

 

Thailand, the world's tenth-largest auto manufacturing economy, aims to use tax cuts and subsidies to help convert about 30% of the country's annual production of 2.5 million vehicles into EVs by 2030, according to a government plan.

 

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/chinas-great-wall-motor-plans-ev-battery-assembly-research-thailand-2023-05-30/

 

 

[Yellowtail]

30 minutes ago, tomkenet said:

Tesla is currently the most-selling car in the world....

This is almost as funny as the phrase "premium Chinese brands" 

 

Did you mean to say the most selling EV?

[tomkenet]

You might want to update your knowledge.

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/china-was-top-market-tesla-model-y-worlds-best-selling-car-q1-2023-05-30/

[Bandersnatch]

31 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

This is almost as funny as the phrase "premium Chinese brands" 

 

Did you mean to say the most selling EV?

 

Tesla Model Y was the 4th best selling model world wide last year and all indications are that it will be number one this year.