Durability of Chinese EVs

[Maybole]

A Thai relative is contemplating replacing her nearly 20 years old Toyota with a new Chinese made Electric car. I have advised caution because of the lack of information on how long they last. They have only been on the road in Thailand for just over 2 years.

Has any member experience of them and can advise me further?

[KhunLA]

We own 2022 MG ZS, and quite enjoy it.   If totaled or stolen, I would replace it with another with no reservation.

[Rampant Rabbit]

1 hour ago, Maybole said:

A Thai relative is contemplating replacing her nearly 20 years old Toyota with a new Chinese made Electric car. I have advised caution because of the lack of information on how long they last. They have only been on the road in Thailand for just over 2 years.

Has any member experience of them and can advise me further?

come back in 20 years and  let us  know they havent been here  long enough, personally I wouldnt buy one now, id  wait at least another 5  years to see how it pans out until there is more  real world  data on them especially Chinese made ones I wouldnt be sure on how  well theyd  honour  warranties and I tend to keep cars 10 years or so. Im still not convinced theyre  the be all and  end  all or even close. They have some advantages  but for me  too many disadvantages  currently. If they can dramatically increase range  and charging times maybe 1000km also it makes no sense to lug around a  ton plus of battery weight continually they need to make them lighter.

and before anyone starts  telling me how great they are Im not interested I dont need  stats for " most trips are just 40km a  day etc" or  "I charge free  from solar" or " new  battery tech is here now" when it  isnt.

I do like the  design of the electric cars but the touch screens are  often their  biggest flaw, dont want to wade thru 10 menus to adjust things.

Toyota have a good  reputation I dont think the Chinese  have had a long  enough track record yet.

I dont have an electric  car so this may be of no use to you, youd  be better off  asking people who have had one what they DISLIKE but  many tend to be way to "evangelistic" ...............just wait and see in this thread. Ask people who bought one then went back to an ICE as  well.

[Kinnock]

I don't have an electric car, but I do have experience of an electric scooter that has put me off an EV.

 

While it's convenient, quiet and fun, it's range has reduced significantly over one year of ownership.

 

It has a lithium battery and a smart charger, and at first an overnight charge would give me about 30km range (claimed range was 40km).

 

After 12 months the range has dropped to about 15km.  And the battery behaviour has also changed .... it shows full charge for about 14km, then suddenly drops into the red and stops.

 

It may take longer for an electric car to have the same issue, but my experience with other battery devices such as phones and cameras makes me believe that current battery tech has longevity issues.

[Celsius]

1 hour ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

I wouldnt buy one now, id  wait at least another 5  years to see how it pans out

 

yea wait 5 10 years when half of the forum posters are dead

[Rampant Rabbit]

2 hours ago, Celsius said:

 

yea wait 5 10 years when half of the forum posters are dead

I  think 510 years wont be necessary

[HighPriority]

You’ve had 1 owner respond.

You've had 3 and now me who don’t own an ev, let alone a Chinese one.

The owners I’ve read comments from have been very happy with their vehicles, most seem pretty open minded and not evangelical.

 

Scooter and mobile phone batteries are not used in ev, different chemistry, different performance.

I did own a Toyota Prado that could do 1000km on a tank (actually, main and aux tanks but factory standard) of diesel, 180lts, no other vehicle I’ve owned goes remotely close to 1000km.

My 2021 diesel HiAce can get 650km fully loaded if I drive gently though.

 

Something above that I do agree with is that we won’t really know how long they last until they don’t… that said I’d expect 3-5 yrs of trouble free motoring.

 

Personally, I’d buy.

[JBChiangRai]

Happy owner of 4 BEV’s and 1 PHEV here.  No issues ever on the BEV’s.

[Henryford]

VW just been taken to court for the loss of $500 million after the EV fire on the carrier ship Felicity Ace - 'nuff said.

[sammieuk1]

No one knows yet but ...🤔

 

[JBChiangRai]

34 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Happy owner of 4 BEV’s and 1 PHEV here.  No issues ever on the BEV’s.

I should have said, No issues ever on the 3 BEV’s from China. 
 

A German BEV was trailered  back to the main dealer in Bangkok 2 times for air conditioning failures.

 

The German PHEV was trailered back to the main dealer in Chiang Mai once for a failed infotainment system.

[UWEB]

5 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

I should have said, No issues ever on the 3 BEV’s from China. 
 

A German BEV was trailered  back to the main dealer in Bangkok 2 times for air conditioning failures.

 

The German PHEV was trailered back to the main dealer in Chiang Mai once for a failed infotainment system.

Better not to buy anything from the German Auto Mafia.

[Bandersnatch]

I own 2 Chinese made EVs  the first one I purchased 3 years ago and would never go back to an ICE car. Never had any problems.

 

8 Years warranty on the car and battery 

 

@Maybole I would you suggest ignore the “EV experts” who have never actually owned one, everything that claim to know is secondhand at best.

 

The EVs in Thailand discussion has lots of news and real world experiences from EV owners in Thailand.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1257405-electric-vehicles-in-thailand

 

 

 

[Gweiloman]

7 hours ago, Kinnock said:

I don't have an electric car, but I do have experience of an electric scooter that has put me off an EV.

 

While it's convenient, quiet and fun, it's range has reduced significantly over one year of ownership.

 

It has a lithium battery and a smart charger, and at first an overnight charge would give me about 30km range (claimed range was 40km).

 

After 12 months the range has dropped to about 15km.  And the battery behaviour has also changed .... it shows full charge for about 14km, then suddenly drops into the red and stops.

 

It may take longer for an electric car to have the same issue, but my experience with other battery devices such as phones and cameras makes me believe that current battery tech has longevity issues.

Comparing an electric scooter to an EV is like comparing well, an electric scooter to an EV. You might as well compare an apple to an orange.

[Gweiloman]

This is going to be a fun thread. Hearing arguments from people who have never owned or even test driven an EV, knows nothing about the chemistry of modern EV batteries and battery management systems, possibly China haters, folks who can drive 600 kms on Thai roads without needing a toilet break, folks who have to do a 400 km trip at a moment’s notice etc vs actual owners.

 

@Maybole, does your relative have access to home charging? If she lives in an apartment without being able to charge, I would advise against it. Does she do frequent long trips or even have to do long trips over a festive period like during Songkran? If so, an EV might not be the best choice. However, if she’s like most regular commuters with access to home charging, she will save a lot of money on fuel alone.

[Fruit Trader]

OP, until a lot more water has passed under the bridge you are no going to get solid answers about the durability of Chinese EV's or other important factors to consider when purchasing a new vehicle. 

Our house masters sister has recently moved from Honda Jazz to MG4 and I know for sure her decision was based more on the cars looks and electronic trinkets rather than its ability to replace her Jazz. A YouTube influencer provided the killer sales pitch.

 

She likes the car a lot but being a worrier admits the thought of not having enough charge to complete a journey and being unable to find a charger might never go away. Her stress levels were not helped when owner of the excavator sales and service next door to us jokingly asked her to park it on the other side of our compound away from his stock. The brother in law then went in for the kill by saying it would be best left in the street well away from our masters wooden house. All those nasty Tube videos putting ideas into people heads.

An EV service industry is already developing outside of the main dealers which might be good news for those concerned about affordable support for ageing EV's. We need to see more tear-downs and feedback from those repairing these Chinese masterpieces.

 

 

 

Just for fun …

 

[vinny41]

14 hours ago, Maybole said:

A Thai relative is contemplating replacing her nearly 20 years old Toyota with a new Chinese made Electric car. I have advised caution because of the lack of information on how long they last. They have only been on the road in Thailand for just over 2 years.

Has any member experience of them and can advise me further?

What is the Toyota model she is driving, how many km is her nearest EV dealer, will she be charging from home, how many km does she travel in a single trip, which EV model is she looking at 

you should ignore the EV fanboys on this forum and she should check out the facebook groups for the model she is interested in

also ask why she is thinking about EV if it discount we started see ICE  brands such as Mazda and Suzuki offering major discounts on their models

[Peterphuket]

7 hours ago, HighPriority said:

You’ve had 1 owner respond.

You've had 3 and now me who don’t own an ev, let alone a Chinese one.

The owners I’ve read comments from have been very happy with their vehicles, most seem pretty open minded and not evangelical.

 

Scooter and mobile phone batteries are not used in ev, different chemistry, different performance.

I did own a Toyota Prado that could do 1000km on a tank (actually, main and aux tanks but factory standard) of diesel, 180lts, no other vehicle I’ve owned goes remotely close to 1000km.

My 2021 diesel HiAce can get 650km fully loaded if I drive gently though.

 

Something above that I do agree with is that we won’t really know how long they last until they don’t… that said I’d expect 3-5 yrs of trouble free motoring.

 

Personally, I’d buy.

With a Isuzu MUX you can reach 1000 km on 1 tank.

[gravity101]

The OP was asking about Chinese EVs not BEV v Ice. My take is.... who really cares about longevity of a car, especially 20 years. All cars will require TLC after 10. Isn't the prevailing wisdom that 4 years or 60k miles is the optimum time to renew before it becomes uneconomical with maintenence costs? I'm sure BEV stretch that out a bit though regardless of where it was made.

[Peterphuket]

6 hours ago, UWEB said:

Better not to buy anything from the German Auto Mafia.

You are from the USA?

[JBChiangRai]

14 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

…

you should ignore the EV fanboys on this forum and she should check out the facebook groups for the model she is interested in

also ask why she is thinking about EV if it discount we started see ICE  brands such as Mazda and Suzuki offering major discounts on their models

What utter tosh.

 

Who knows EV’s better on this forum than those who drive and own them.

[motdaeng]

5 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

I did own a Toyota Prado that could do 1000km on a tank (actually, main and aux tanks but factory standard) of diesel, 180lts, no other vehicle I’ve owned goes remotely close to 1000km.

My 2021 diesel HiAce can get 650km fully loaded if I drive gently though.

 

therefore for you it seems to be a main criteria how far a car goes with one full tank? seriously, what's wrong with you people ... I don't know anyone who is asking about the size of the gas tank!

[JBChiangRai]

Just now, motdaeng said:

 

therefore for you it seems to be a main criteria how far a car goes with one full tank? seriously, what's wrong with you people ... I don't know anyone who is asking about the size of the gas tank!

Correct.  My EV has a range a lot longer than I am comfortable doing without a break.

[Liverpool Lou]

13 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

I wouldnt be sure on how  well theyd  honour  warranties

 

13 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

I dont have an electric  car so this may be of no use to you, youd  be better off  asking people who have had one

You have no experience of EVs yet you pontifcate about their probably not honouring the warranties...why would you do that?  There is no reliable reported evidence that Chinese EV  warranties are any less solid than any others.

[Liverpool Lou]

6 hours ago, Henryford said:

VW just been taken to court for the loss of $500 million after the EV fire on the carrier ship Felicity Ace - 'nuff said.

Something that has not been ruled on - so not "'nuff said"

[JBChiangRai]

13 hours ago, Kinnock said:

I don't have an electric car, but I do have experience of an electric scooter that has put me off an EV.

 

While it's convenient, quiet and fun, it's range has reduced significantly over one year of ownership.

 

It has a lithium battery and a smart charger, and at first an overnight charge would give me about 30km range (claimed range was 40km).

 

After 12 months the range has dropped to about 15km.  And the battery behaviour has also changed .... it shows full charge for about 14km, then suddenly drops into the red and stops.

 

It may take longer for an electric car to have the same issue, but my experience with other battery devices such as phones and cameras makes me believe that current battery tech has longevity issues.

Which electric scooter do you have?

[Liverpool Lou]

1 minute ago, JBChiangRai said:

Which electric scooter do you have?

It may be the one with four 'AAA' batteries.

[Keep Right]

6 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Comparing an electric scooter to an EV is like comparing well, an electric scooter to an EV. You might as well compare an apple to an orange.

I once had an electric golf cart and the battery went dead right on the green during a tournament. The tournament had to be delayed because of my stupid golf cart. I will never buy an electric car.

[JBChiangRai]

Just now, Keep Right said:

I once had an electric golf cart and the battery went dead right on the green during a tournament. The tournament had to be delayed because of my stupid golf cart. I will never buy an electric car.

Yes, that’s a great reason not to buy an electric car 555

[vinny41]

Terrified M62 driver speaks out following claims Jaguar suffered 'electrical fault' as he was 'unable to brake'

 

Drama unfolded after the Jaguar I-PACE vehicle, according to police, malfunctioned on the eastbound carriageway of the motorway towards Eccles yesterday afternoon (Wednesday). The vehicle, it is claimed, reached speeds of 90mph before police used specialist tactics to ram it and bring it to a halt.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/m62-driver-electric-jaguar-brakes-28770576

There was a similar case a few months ago with a MG ZS EV also unable to brake