Electric vehicles, particularly those from leading Chinese brands, are sparking interest among car enthusiasts and very much stealing the spotlight at the 45th Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS).

 

This year’s event marks a significant return of the exhibition to pre-pandemic levels.

 

The lively BIMS is bringing together 49 brands from major global automakers across Europe, the United States, Japan, Korea, India, China and Vietnam. Notably, Vietnam’s VinFast is showcasing its electric cars, the VF7 SUV and the concept pickup truck VF wild, but won’t be conducting sales activities at the show. Visitors can expect at least 20 exciting new model launches throughout the event.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-03-26

 

- Discover how Cigna Insurance can protect you with a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment. For more information on expat health insurance click here.

 

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I've owned a Tesla for over 5 years now.

I installed a charger at home but if you go on a trip say over 2 hours, it's a drag.

I'm over it. Not worth the hassle of waiting around to juice it up.

Sometimes I'd have to wait over 15 minutes just to start charging.

I'm looking to buy a hybrid next, less hassles and great milage......

Yawn...........................EVs are so boring.

I can't see Thais waiting around for charging they are so impatient and the vehicles 2nd hand aren't worth anything we will see

I see quite a few BYD's on the road now.

6 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

I've owned a Tesla for over 5 years now.

I installed a charger at home but if you go on a trip say over 2 hours, it's a drag.

I'm over it. Not worth the hassle of waiting around to juice it up.

Sometimes I'd have to wait over 15 minutes just to start charging.

I'm looking to buy a hybrid next, less hassles and great milage......

Didn’t you previously say you’d sold it as you moved up country?

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Electric vehicles, particularly those from leading Chinese brands, are sparking interest among car enthusiasts and very much stealing the spotlight at the 45th Bangkok International Motor Show

Japan is going to be very unhappy... Cheap Chinese EV sales up, their sales down

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Japan is going to be very unhappy... Cheap Chinese EV sales up, their sales down

I am the last guy to defend Chinese products, but in China you can buy a solid EV for 10k USD. Japanese and American EV are better quality, but they are too damn expensive for what you get. they tried to justify the price with all these hi-tech gadgets you don't really need. until the mileage range on EV increase, more charging stations become available, and prices come down to reasonable levels, I won't entertain the idea of buying one.  

9 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

I've owned a Tesla for over 5 years now.

I installed a charger at home but if you go on a trip say over 2 hours, it's a drag.

I'm over it. Not worth the hassle of waiting around to juice it up.

Sometimes I'd have to wait over 15 minutes just to start charging.

I'm looking to buy a hybrid next, less hassles and great milage......

 

Agree. I have a Camry Hybrid and I get over 1000 kms on a tank. No charging required. Best of both worlds. I'll still buy a Diesel truck for the farm though as the roads sometimes flood and a colleague of mine had loads of problems with her Hybrid after driving through a flooded area, never could get it right and ended up selling it. 

 

I wouldn't entertain the idea of 100% EV. Especially one made in China. 

1 hour ago, BayArea said:

. ..until the mileage range on EV increase, more charging stations become available, and prices come down to reasonable levels, I won't entertain the idea of buying one.  

What range do you need?

 

Thailand already has an oversupply of charging stations.

 

If you charge at home, and have one of the cheaper EV’s the nearest charging station you will ever need is 150km from your home. And with a larger EV and driving a long way perhaps 500km from your home, but you will find them every 30km on highways.

Electric Vehicles ..   They are the kiss of death    Never buy one   

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Japan is going to be very unhappy... Cheap Chinese EV sales up, their sales down

Toyota 2024 sales are up so they don't seem to be unhappy

31 minutes ago, sirwilly said:

Electric Vehicles ..   They are the kiss of death    Never buy one   

What a well thought out post, and qualified with such impeccable sources.

 

28 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

Toyota 2024 sales are up so they don't seem to be unhappy

 

Let’s see what happens this year, total auto sales are not growing, but EV sales are, so somebody is losing somewhere.

2 hours ago, BayArea said:

I am the last guy to defend Chinese products, but in China you can buy a solid EV for 10k USD. Japanese and American EV are better quality, but they are too damn expensive for what you get. they tried to justify the price with all these hi-tech gadgets you don't really need. until the mileage range on EV increase, more charging stations become available, and prices come down to reasonable levels, I won't entertain the idea of buying one.  

You obviously don't live in TH.  EV cost the same as ICEVs.  500k to 1.6M & UP.

 

As stated, how much more range do you need ?  BYD Seal will get you 5 hrs of driving on Thai roads (WLTP 460 kms/5 hrs of 70 kph on average), and 70 kph is about average over 5 hrs, with a nice reserve or 100+ kms.  I'm happy if I can manage 80 kph, and that's only possible on a few stretches of road, and only a few hours.  I think the Seal only cost 1.6M, same as any quality ICE Import from JP, but performs so much better for less operating cost.

 

Are you away from home that much during any week or month.  Extensive charging network in TH, and few if any areas are now without.  I've done the whole country (N, NE, E, S), almost, in our EV, w/low range, 250-275 kms/3+ hrs of driving usually, before charging, and no issues yet with charging station availability.

4 hours ago, vinny41 said:

Toyota 2024 sales are up so they don't seem to be unhappy

I think they are showing their EV Revo at the motor show. 

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Vietnam’s VinFast is showcasing its electric cars, the VF7 SUV and the concept pickup truck VF wild

 

Vinfast are dugsh*t.

 

 

8 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You obviously don't live in TH.  EV cost the same as ICEVs.  500k to 1.6M & UP.

 

As stated, how much more range do you need ?  BYD Seal will get you 5 hrs of driving on Thai roads (WLTP 460 kms/5 hrs of 70 kph on average), and 70 kph is about average over 5 hrs, with a nice reserve or 100+ kms.  I'm happy if I can manage 80 kph, and that's only possible on a few stretches of road, and only a few hours.  I think the Seal only cost 1.6M, same as any quality ICE Import from JP, but performs so much better for less operating cost.

 

Are you away from home that much during any week or month.  Extensive charging network in TH, and few if any areas are now without.  I've done the whole country (N, NE, E, S), almost, in our EV, w/low range, 250-275 kms/3+ hrs of driving usually, before charging, and no issues yet with charging station availability.

you are right, I don't live in Thailand. everything else you posted has nothing to do with my lifestyle. I'm glad it works out for you. 

10 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

What range do you need?

 

Thailand already has an oversupply of charging stations.

 

If you charge at home, and have one of the cheaper EV’s the nearest charging station you will ever need is 150km from your home. And with a larger EV and driving a long way perhaps 500km from your home, but you will find them every 30km on highways.

I think some posters assumed I live in Thailand with my response to this OP. I should have clarified that my home is in California and my lifestyle is different than the ex-pats in LOS. 

I'm happy for those who have EV in Thailand and it's working out for them. 

2 hours ago, BayArea said:

I think some posters assumed I live in Thailand with my response to this OP. I should have clarified that my home is in California and my lifestyle is different than the ex-pats in LOS. 

I'm happy for those who have EV in Thailand and it's working out for them. 

Aside from the very affordable EVs, solar systems are a fraction of the cost in the USA, so makes having an EV even more advantageous.   We are basically off grid, with more than enough excess to keep the EVs charged up.

 

And ... basically NO RE Taxes to speak of.   That's a lot of extra pocket money every month;

No RE tax

no petrol cost

no electric bill

water bill less than $10 a month, more like $5

None of my Thai relatives plan on getting an EV any time soon. They do not even trust the hybrids.

  Most of my relative have either a Honda, Izuzu or Toyota and plan to keep them 8 to 10 years.

     The charging stations are not easy to find in the smaller places in Thailand, The same goes for western Canada.

The large cities in Canada have some charging stations, but in smaller towns, it is hard to find a lot of charging

stations. Granted there will be more and more charging stations built in Canada, but for now I would only be interested in a hybrid

as it will get me to my destination for sure.

Harvey

23 minutes ago, Stargeezr said:

None of my Thai relatives plan on getting an EV any time soon. They do not even trust the hybrids.

  Most of my relative have either a Honda, Izuzu or Toyota and plan to keep them 8 to 10 years.

     The charging stations are not easy to find in the smaller places in Thailand, The same goes for western Canada.

The large cities in Canada have some charging stations, but in smaller towns, it is hard to find a lot of charging

stations. Granted there will be more and more charging stations built in Canada, but for now I would only be interested in a hybrid

as it will get me to my destination for sure.

Harvey

It take some time to wrap your head around the concept that if you have charging at your house, you don’t need any charging stations within 150 km of your home and if you’re going on a long distance journey, maybe not even within 500 km.

 

When everyone is driving an electric car, we will need less than 1 in 20 of the existing petrol stations to have charging facilities, most of them will just close or be repurposed into something else.

On 3/28/2024 at 11:56 AM, JBChiangRai said:

It take some time to wrap your head around the concept that if you have charging at your house, you don’t need any charging stations within 150 km of your home and if you’re going on a long distance journey, maybe not even within 500 km.

 

When everyone is driving an electric car, we will need less than 1 in 20 of the existing petrol stations to have charging facilities, most of them will just close or be repurposed into something else.

There are still some practical considerations that need to be taken into account. Not everyone has access to charging at home, which can make relying solely on home charging a challenge. While it's possible to plan long-distance trips with an electric vehicle, relying solely on public charging stations can add extra time and stress to the journey, especially if charging stations are not readily available. In countries with limited charging infrastructure, like Thailand, it can be difficult to rely solely on public charging stations.

10 minutes ago, Digitalbanana said:

There are still some practical considerations that need to be taken into account. Not everyone has access to charging at home, which can make relying solely on home charging a challenge. While it's possible to plan long-distance trips with an electric vehicle, relying solely on public charging stations can add extra time and stress to the journey, especially if charging stations are not readily available. In countries with limited charging infrastructure, like Thailand, it can be difficult to rely solely on public charging stations.

Not my experience, the past 1.5 yrs of O&A traveling and TH has an extensive charging infrastructure.

 

Of course that depends on one's driving style.  If driving 4-6 hrs at a stretch, and have to be there ASAP with no breaks, they yes, an EV probably isn't for you.

My father was a Caterham and Lotus importer in Milan for many years.

I grew up in these shows' circle. 

 

I can assure you that Bangkok Motor Show is not a motors show, it's a selling show.

Just now, zhounan said:

My father was a Caterham and Lotus importer in Milan for many years.

I grew up in these shows' circle. 

 

I can assure you that Bangkok Motor Show is not a motors show, it's a selling show.

 

Semantics - its an event where cars are both shown and sold....

 

 

On 3/27/2024 at 10:41 AM, JBChiangRai said:

What range do you need?

 

Thailand already has an oversupply of charging stations.

 

If you charge at home, and have one of the cheaper EV’s the nearest charging station you will ever need is 150km from your home. And with a larger EV and driving a long way perhaps 500km from your home, but you will find them every 30km on highways.

Thailand may have an oversupply of public charging stations in the big cities and on the main highways, but the charging stations OFF highway and big cities in the majority of rural Thailand that I know of, are rare.

 

The nearest public charging station to me is 60 km away.

21 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Thailand may have an oversupply of public charging stations in the big cities and on the main highways, but the charging stations OFF highway and big cities in the majority of rural Thailand that I know of, are rare.

 

The nearest public charging station to me is 60 km away.

However, for the provinces with the lowest number of EV vehicle registrations last year, Mae Hong Son Province, 1 vehicle

and not much better in other provinces

Number 4 is Songkhla Province with 1,614 cars, Khon Kaen 1,409 cars, Rayong 1,283 cars, Ubon Ratchathani 1,190 cars, Surat Thani 1,177 cars, Phuket 1,039 cars and Udon Thani 965 cars.

https://www.newsdirectory3.com/analysis-of-electric-vehicle-registrations-in-thailand-and-expansion-of-charging-stations/

EV charging stations and EV's are a rare sight in many provinces once you remove the EV that are travelling from the big cities

8 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

However, for the provinces with the lowest number of EV vehicle registrations last year, Mae Hong Son Province, 1 vehicle

and not much better in other provinces

Number 4 is Songkhla Province with 1,614 cars, Khon Kaen 1,409 cars, Rayong 1,283 cars, Ubon Ratchathani 1,190 cars, Surat Thani 1,177 cars, Phuket 1,039 cars and Udon Thani 965 cars.

https://www.newsdirectory3.com/analysis-of-electric-vehicle-registrations-in-thailand-and-expansion-of-charging-stations/

EV charging stations and EV's are a rare sight in many provinces once you remove the EV that are travelling from the big cities

There's a few here, locally, PKK, municipality & Amphur Muang, though population is only 27k & 90k.   Most probably at Hua Hin & Pranburi.

When it comes time to replace the batteries, what's the cost?  When it's time to sell, how much are people willing to pay for a used EV?  I've seen a number of news reports about buying batteries costing quite a bit of money, as well as resale markets for EV's basically in the crapper. Parts, how much are spare parts and panels?  I've seen some outrageous prices on fixing vehicles after an accident. 

 

Interesting that one of the big car rental companies in the US went all in on EV's for rental cars, and the public aren't wanting them.  Now said company has a lot of unused inventory that they are taking a huge loss on.

1 hour ago, dhupverg said:

When it comes time to replace the batteries, what's the cost?  When it's time to sell, how much are people willing to pay for a used EV?  I've seen a number of news reports about buying batteries costing quite a bit of money, as well as resale markets for EV's basically in the crapper. Parts, how much are spare parts and panels?  I've seen some outrageous prices on fixing vehicles after an accident. 

Only the 197th time these questions have come up in these threads, and always from anti-Evers, it is never a genuine question. (Not saying that's true of you but it is true of everyone else who has asked).

 

Quote

Interesting that one of the big car rental companies in the US went all in on EV's for rental cars, and the public aren't wanting them.  Now said company has a lot of unused inventory that they are taking a huge loss on.

 

Hertz, and it was an incredibly stupid business decision to buy 100,000 Teslas. They are a rental company, people generally rent in towns they are visiting and don't live in. If you're staying in hotels or travelling it is likely you don't have your own charger so an EV is an inconvenience. When you're renting you just want to take off and go where you want to go.

As said a gazillion times, EV's work if you have home charging. If you don't have home charging then they are not really fit for you. EV rentals just don't make sense for most people.