Specific EV Questions

[KhunLA]

6 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

Finally is it crazy to buy an EV if charging at home is not possible? Anyone do it?

As stated a few times, depends how much driving one does daily, if using granny charger.  If charging overnight, 10 ish hours, that about half one's battery capacity, for us, MG ZS, so at least 150 kms a day.

 

If plan things properly or simply patient, the 30-45 mins at CS and you're topped up again.  Location dependent on how convenient that is, and can do while shopping, munching, or just having a coffee & Danish.

 

We live kind of rural, but there 3 or 4 CS nearby, within 5 kms.

[Pib]

8 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

Finally is it crazy to buy an EV if charging at home is not possible? Anyone do it?

It's not crazy if you have easy and quick access to a charger and willing to expend time setting at a charger.  But charging at home makes charging a LOT easier and cheaper...about as easy as keeping your smartphone charged.

 

But let's see a picture of your electric meter along with the wires running to and from the meter.

[JBChiangRai]

9 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

Finally is it crazy to buy an EV if charging at home is not possible? Anyone do it?

 

I have a lady friend 76 years old who has MG4 X-Power and she only charges at PTT/Amazon about once a week.  She enjoys a coffee whilst she charges and reads the news.

 

Whilst it costs double charging at home, it's still half the cost of petrol/diesel.

[BKKBike09]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

10 hours ago, Yodarapper said:

Finally is it crazy to buy an EV if charging at home is not possible? Anyone do it?

It's not crazy if you have easy and quick access to a charger and willing to expend time setting at a charger.  But charging at home makes charging a LOT easier and cheaper...about as easy as keeping your smartphone charged.

 

But let's see a picture of your electric meter along with the wires running to and from the meter.

 

I wouldn't have bought an EV (an Atto) if home charging wasn't possible. It's certainly possible to make it work without but, as PIB says, it's not very convenient. I live in Bangkok.

 

I couldn't be bothered to wait for BYD to install the free charger so I paid for someone to come and do it. Cost THB 3500 + another THB 2500 for the 40A Type B breaker that you need. This was included in the BYD free stuff but they didn't have them in stock at that time (Jan 2023).

 

The guys who did my install did a good job (a firm called Wallbox wallbox.in.th). They simply spliced a separate line and circuit breaker from the main supply into the house - running another circuit off the existing house breaker board or the main breaker would have been a pain, given where they are located relative to where I wanted charger.

 

Here are some pics - the meter we all want to see is the one on the pole usually outside your house. In a mooban I'd still think it would be outside your house. 

 

 

 

[BKKBike09]

I also live in a rented house. My landlord is very easy going - I just told him I wanted to install a charger and he said fine.

 

Since it was free I'll likely just leave it if/when I move. 

 

[Yodarapper]

29 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

 

I wouldn't have bought an EV (an Atto) if home charging wasn't possible. It's certainly possible to make it work without but, as PIB says, it's not very convenient. I live in Bangkok.

 

I couldn't be bothered to wait for BYD to install the free charger so I paid for someone to come and do it. Cost THB 3500 + another THB 2500 for the 40A Type B breaker that you need. This was included in the BYD free stuff but they didn't have them in stock at that time (Jan 2023).

 

The guys who did my install did a good job (a firm called Wallbox wallbox.in.th). They simply spliced a separate line and circuit breaker from the main supply into the house - running another circuit off the existing house breaker board or the main breaker would have been a pain, given where they are located relative to where I wanted charger.

 

Here are some pics - the meter we all want to see is the one on the pole usually outside your house. In a mooban I'd still think it would be outside your house. 

 

 

 

Thanks this is very helpful. I’ll try when I get home or tomorrow to find it.

 

they only needed the main breaker in my house, they saw the 60A and said a second circuit would be needed.

 

these are the byd charger sales people - they have quoted 42k all in

[JBChiangRai]

4 minutes ago, Yodarapper said:

Thanks this is very helpful. I’ll try when I get home or tomorrow to find it.

 

they only needed the main breaker in my house, they saw the 60A and said a second circuit would be needed.

 

these are the byd charger sales people - they have quoted 42k all in

 

42K is way too much. 

 

If you're doing less than 100km / day use the supplied granny charger

If you're doing 100-200km/day go with the plug in 16amp/3.6kw charger at 6,800 baht or less

If you're doing 200km+ in a day followed by long journey next day budget 12-20,000 baht and get an electrician to fit a 40a breaker in your existing panel and a 32 amp socket in your parking area and buy a 7Kw portable floor/wall box I showed the picture of.

 

There is no way on this earth I would spend 42,000 baht on a wall box.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Regarding the 2nd circuit. ( if TOU meters are still being fitted as a 2nd circuit, if not as reported back in July then forget the following information )

 

I live in a moobahn and the existing meter ( 15/45 I think from memory ) wouldn’t accept an EV wall charger addition so a 2nd circuit with a TOU meter was required.

First step to visit PEA who audited and approved the new TOU meter at a cost of 4,800 baht, they required the car information ( just an online brochure showing charging speed was adequate ) and the Wall charger information ( free ABB charger from BYD , dealer sent an information sheet ), plus receipt for car booking.

 

Wall charger fit by BYD, despite being a “ free installation “ as a second circuit a standard charge of 9k baht was charged ( plus 300 baht for additional cable ). Operation check from original circuit undertaken.

 

Inform PEA and they come to audit charger installation and fit TOU meter and connect to wall charger.

 

So roughly 14k ( TOU meter and BYD 7 kw wall charger ), i roughly estimated with cheaper tariff would ROI at 9k km driven.

 

42k seems very high, presumably including the price of Wall charger ?

 

NOTE: The 2nd circuit TOU meter is only to be used for charging the EV and no additional sockets allowed.

 

NOTE: Due to reports that new 2nd circuit TOU meters are now not being authorised you should check this primarily with PEA before proceeding.

 

 

[richard_smith237]

19 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Incidentally I paid 2,500 baht labour plus a few hundred baht for parts to the electrician to install a 32 amp socket at our landlord's home.  The socket was only a cable run of about 2M from the breaker panel and these plug in chargers charge at the same speed as a wall box.

 

Do they ?

I maybe getting my wires crossed (sorry - bad pun) - but, I thought......

 

Plug in Charger / Granny Charger (Standard 3-Pin Plug)

Charges at 2-3 kW

Takes about 24+ hours to fully charge an EV battery.

 

Type 2 Wall mounted Home Charger

Charges at: AC 7.4 kW (single-phase) or 22 kW (three-phase), depending on the setup.

Takes about 6-8 hours to fully charge an LFP battery.

[richard_smith237]

Note: Our 'power' is rated at 15/45 A

 

This was deemed sufficient for the dedicated Type 2 wall charger (Juice box) to be installed, wired directly from our 'in house' mains circuit breaker. 

 

The electric meter itself is actually down the road at the front of the moo-baan (somewhere - I've never seen it) and all the wiring to each house is run underground.

Edited 47 minutes ago by richard_smith237

[JBChiangRai]

26 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Do they ?

I maybe getting my wires crossed (sorry - bad pun) - but, I thought......

 

Plug in Charger / Granny Charger (Standard 3-Pin Plug)

Charges at 2-3 kW

Takes about 24+ hours to fully charge an EV battery.

 

Type 2 Wall mounted Home Charger

Charges at: AC 7.4 kW (single-phase) or 22 kW (three-phase), depending on the setup.

Takes about 6-8 hours to fully charge an LFP battery.

 

You can get chargers that look like a granny charger but are fitted with a 32 amp industrial single phase plug, they charge at exactly the same speed as the fastest single phase wall box (7.4Kw at 230v).  All that's then needed is for an electrician to fit a 40amp breaker in the OP's consumer circuit breaker panel and cable it to a 32 amp socket where he parks his car.

 

For the OP who rents and may at some point move houses, it's a better option for him because he can take it with him (you can put a screw in the wall and hook it on the wall and it's then a portable wall box).  It's also much cheaper.