General EV Discussion

[moa999]

No comment on the Sealion 7, other than noting it's generally got good reviews, but perfect use case for an EV particularly if the car is home during excess solar hours.

You might not ever need to visit a public charger

 

[openseat]

We get our MG4 Urban 54kWh this week. I was pleasantly surprised how well it drove. It replaces a 20 year old Yaris as our runabout and occasionally longer journeys.

 

[DeKa]

BYD Sealion 7

Something to be aware of with the Sealion 7 is it has a fairly low payload (which includes passengers and luggage) of 410kg. Most passenger cars are more like 500-600kg - Model Y is 515kg for example.
Depending on your family, 410kg may not cut it.

 

[AuSammy]

Something to be aware of with the Sealion 7 is it has a fairly low payload (which includes passengers and luggage) of 410kg. Most passenger cars are more like 500-600kg - Model Y is 515kg for example.
Depending on your family, 410kg may not cut it.

Thanks. Important and interesting information, hadn't thought of that.

We are a couple, no kids in the later stages of life We, including luggage, would be less than 220. So unlikely to be a concern.

Out of interest, would the "performance" model have an improved payload with dual engines? (approx $10K more)

 

[exceladdict]

We get our MG4 Urban 54kWh this week. I was pleasantly surprised how well it drove. It replaces a 20 year old Yaris as our runabout and occasionally longer journeys.

How does it feel size wise compared to the Yaris? Is it closer to a mid size hatch like an i30, or closer to the Yaris?

 

[Quickstatus]

I didn't like the BYD phone app when I tested it last year. Perhaps BYD have improved its offering.

Needed to tap the phone on car to unlock and lock. Tesla is proximity - walk up to car and just open door and walk away auto lock

BYD did not auto select Driver profile based on the user of the phone app. Tesla auto selects correct driver profile. If 2 people with phone apps get into the car at the same time, it recognises the drivers side phone app as the correct driver profile.

The driver profile includes seat position, user selections like climate control, radio settings etc etc.

Anyone with EV should install home charging.
The sea lion can do 11kW charging via 3 phase power. If you have 3 phase power, I would suggest 3 phase charger.

Tare weight is over 2T and is higher in performance due to larger battery and 2nd motor. But both have 410kg payload. The payload is about what you would expect for a midsize SUV. Tesla model Y is a lighter vehicle under 2T, with about 50-100kg more payload.

Just test drive via a BYD showroom near you

 

[Quickstatus]

How does it feel size wise compared to the Yaris?

Bigger than Yaris
Maybe slightly bigger than Corolla

Would suggest looking at BYD Atto 1 as a compelling Yaris replacement. $27k driveaway for a little town run-about

 

[AuSammy]

I didn't like the BYD phone app when I tested it last year. Perhaps BYD have improved its offering.

Needed to tap the phone on car to unlock and lock. Tesla is proximity - walk up to car and just open door and walk away auto lock

BYD did not auto select Driver profile based on the user of the phone app. Tesla auto selects correct driver profile. If 2 people with phone apps get into the car at the same time, it recognises the drivers side phone app as the correct driver profile.

The driver profile includes seat position, user selections like climate control, radio settings etc etc.

Anyone with EV should install home charging.
The sea lion can do 11kW charging via 3 phase power. If you have 3 phase power, I would suggest 3 phase charger.

Tare weight over 2T is higher in performance due to larger battery and 2nd motor. But both have 410kg payload. The payload is about what you would expect for a midsize SUV. Tesla model Y is a lighter vehicle under 2T, with about 50-100kg more payload.

Just test drive via a BYD showroom near you

Thanks.

We are on single phase. Most days our car (only one between two of us) sits in the carport for hours at a time in daylight hours. We have way more solar than we can use during the day. Instead of feeding the grid at 4ć FIT we can charge the car most of the day if required.

Intending to novate lease and have a charger included in the package

 

[TheRealTMA]

I didn't like the BYD phone app when I tested it last year. Perhaps BYD have improved its offering.

Needed to tap the phone on car to unlock and lock. Tesla is proximity - walk up to car and just open door and walk away auto lock

BYD did not auto select Driver profile based on the user of the phone app. Tesla auto selects correct driver profile. If 2 people with phone apps get into the car at the same time, it recognises the drivers side phone app as the correct driver profile.

The driver profile includes seat position, user selections like climate control, radio settings etc etc.

Anyone with EV should install home charging.
The sea lion can do 11kW charging via 3 phase power. If you have 3 phase power, I would suggest 3 phase charger.

Tare weight over 2T is higher in performance due to larger battery and 2nd motor. But both have 410kg payload. The payload is about what you would expect for a midsize SUV. Tesla model Y is a lighter vehicle under 2T, with about 50-100kg more payload.

Just test drive via a BYD showroom near you

410kg. Americans are “heavier” than asians.

Tesla needs a HUD. Very distracting to have to change focus from road to mid car screen to read speed.

 

[Quickstatus]

The other aspect of digital keys common in some EVs is that you don't ever need car keys anymore.

You can also share a digital key with someone.
Say you are stuck at work and you want someone to move your car. Just remotely share a digital key with them and they can drive the car.

Car keys and car fobs are ancient technology

 

[Quickstatus]

We are on single phase

On single phase the charging rate for Sealion is up to 7kW. But beware that requires a 32A dedicated circuit. A 32A circuit might be too much for the house depending on the other loads in the house running at the same time as charging the car. Many single phase houses have 63A service fuse.

Less of a problem if charging with excess solar.

Tesla needs a HUD

Tesla just needs to get on with making the car self driving. It is almost there .

 

[blackcat20]

I'm actually surprised how many don't have HUD as standard, most seem to only have it on the upper models.

 

[Quickstatus]

Anyone who is interested in a Tesla car can DM me for a referral link for $350 discount for you and I get $150 in credits

 

[ayebee]

We get our MG4 Urban 54kWh this week. I was pleasantly surprised how well it drove. It replaces a 20 year old Yaris as our runabout and occasionally longer journeys.

we are a year into our MG4 Essence 64.
I believe our model is superseded by the new urban.

We like it a lot.
No doubt fun to drive and its form factor suits us well for the city driving & saving a lot on what we replaced (Merc turbo diesel coupe)

The downsides ?
The "driver assist" functions are somewhat intrusive. Our local roads are fairly rural and we get "beeps" suggesting the roadside is too close, or whatever. & The speed limit sign detection is worse than useless.
I have found the MG app pretty flaky. I mainly use it to start / stop charging when our solar is producing (along with scheduled charging overnight on offpeak rates when needed), but I am never sure the car has executed what the app suggests. I don't bother using the app for anything else.

 

[AuSammy]

Started a steep learning curve today following my earlier post and reply comments above.

After a couple of hours interacting with googleAI i have received “advice” the best choice for a Sealion 7 and my single phase + solar panel setup including warrantee, reliability, programming features, location and other factors to have a evnex wall charger with included 8m tethered cable, Type A RCBO, physical isolation switch and provision for a CT clamp and hard wired data cable to the main service line. I think I understand most of it.

Is googleAI “on the money”?

 

[kookaburra75]

Started a steep learning curve today following my earlier post and reply comments above.

After a couple of hours interacting with googleAI i have received “advice” the best choice for a Sealion 7 and my single phase + solar panel setup including warrantee, reliability, programming features, location and other factors to have a evnex wall charger with included 8m tethered cable, Type A RCBO, physical isolation switch and provision for a CT clamp and hard wired data cable to the main service line. I think I understand most of it.

Is googleAI “on the money”?

Does that include a V2H charger? That is the route I'm planning to go down later this year. I think the BYDs are capable of that

Bidirectional EV Charging Australia: V2G, V2H & V2L (Explained)

Everything about bidirectional EV charging in Australia. Explore V2G, V2H, V2L technology, compatible cars, chargers, costs, and benefits for Aussie homes.

energysolutioncentre.com.au

 

[AuSammy]

Does that include a V2H charger? That is the route I'm planning to go down later this year. I think the BYDs are capable of that

Bidirectional EV Charging Australia: V2G, V2H & V2L (Explained)

Everything about bidirectional EV charging in Australia. Explore V2G, V2H, V2L technology, compatible cars, chargers, costs, and benefits for Aussie homes.

energysolutioncentre.com.au

Yes the BYDs are capable of being the power source for whole of house load shift uses but there are a lot of ifs and buts according to googleAI

The full automated bidirectional setup to load shift and use the car when the sun goes down would currently cost something north of $10k IF you can get it approved - unfortunately unlikely with Energex in SEQ where we live even if I wanted to spend the money. (I can buy power from the grid for my needs for >10years for less than install costs).

Next BYD doesn’t have an approved setup as yet for Australia and you may void your warrantee on the car.

My intended use would not be so much to cycle solar through the car and load shift but more to mitigate power outages in a cyclone or other event.

The minimalist approach (called V2L) that costs relative peanuts is a high quality extension cable and powerboard and plug in your essentials (fridge, router, lighting airfryer) for a power outage.

Next level up is to get an electrician to rewire the power board for you to be able to switch between grid or car similarly as if you owned a 15a petrol generator.

 

[moa999]

Agreed. Warranty is important.
BYD have agreed for a bunch of Atto 3s to be part of a trial and will honour warranty for the trial but nothing for other cars.

I've seen some arguments that V2L is gentler on the battery than driving, so it shouldn't count but use is use, and in some scenarios a high proportion of use might be as V2L.

And frankly how you charge is more important. Someone using their car battery mostly for V2L but then ultra-fast charging every night to top it up is probably net net far worse than someone only using the car for driving and only charging via AC.

 

[kookaburra75]

Yes the BYDs are capable of being the power source for whole of house load shift uses but there are a lot of ifs and buts according to googleAI

The full automated bidirectional setup to load shift and use the car when the sun goes down would cost something north of $10k IF you can get it approved - unfortunately unlikely with Energex in SEQ where we live even if I wanted to spend the money.

Next BYD doesn’t have an approved setup as yet for Australia and you may void your warrantee on the car.

My intended use would not be so much to cycle solar through the car and load shift but more to mitigate power outages in a cyclone or other event.

The minimalist approach that costs relative peanuts is a high quality extension cable and powerboard and plug in your essentials (fridge, router, lighting airfryer) for a power outage.

Next level up is to get an electrician to rewire the power board for you to be able to switch between grid or car similarly as if you owned a 15a petrol generator.

All good points, which I'm working through at the moment. We have solar panels, but not a battery. I've just retired, as is my wife, so we run virtually all our appliances during the day and that's why the V2H is attractive. We can charge up the car during the day off the solar, and draw back from it in the evening. We do need to get some rewiring done on the house, so I can include it in that work. We're going to drop back to one car next month, my wife's Honda Jazz, and potentially buy a second hand Atto3 later this year - we've hired them several times through Sixt and found it good to drive around cities and out on the open road. And in the ACT, the electricity distributors are ok to deal with.

 

[Quickstatus]

evnex wall charger

The problem with using a charger that can solar divert independent of a solar/battery setup is that there will be are 2 CT clamps on the grid side of the meter box - 1 to charger, the other to inverter/energy controller of battery. R. Which one takes priority? Or maybe both do not know the other is there.

Example: excess solar and system starts to export 5kW. The CT clamp to charger and CT clamp to house battery detects that excess. Both would use 5kW by itself. What happens if both turn on at the same time. Both would then detect zero export then turn off. Rinse and repeat.

I suggest having a EV charging solar divert system that is integrated with the gateway of the Solar/battery or at least can communicate with the solar/battery inverter

Alternatively use a 3rd party app like ChargeHQ which communicates with the charger EV and the solar/battery via their respective API to control solar diversion.