MG5 EV Poor Range

[mj224]

I assume the Ioniq has radar braking, and that you can set the distance accordingly...

 

[Petriix]

'Slipstreaming' is both incredibly dangerous and incredibly efficient. You need to weigh up the risks yourself, much like when you choose whether or not to overtake someone - how much is the increased risk worth vs the benefit to you? I wouldn't closely follow a lorry with my kids in the car, but I might if I'm on my own because it's mostly my own life I'm risking. Just remember that an empty lorry still retains the braking force required to stop it when fully loaded so they can probably stop far quicker than you!

 

[Richie]

My tip for hypermiling on the motorway, (assuming you have autonomous emergency braking so that you can brake faster than the vehicle in front) is to slipstream behind a lorry. That's driving several feet behind to reduce wind resistance. It also means you're doing 55-60mph.
If a faster lorry overtakes, slot in behind them.
If a coach overtakes, slot in behind that. A coach is the best option because it has a speed limit of 70.
I'd go at 60 without a vehicle in front or around 70 with a coach in front.
I don't use cruise control because it tries to stay a fixed distance behind the vehicle too aggressively, whereas having some flexibility to get slightly closer and further away means less accelerating and braking.
I made a video about slipstreaming two years ago.

Stuart, sounds like tailgating, very illegal and dangerous. Brings into doubt your driving abilities.

 

[Kithmo]

Slipstreaming, the ultimate way to ruin the paintwork on your bonnet. What (£) you save in petrol/electricity you pay in paint repairs.

 

[Amun]

'Slipstreaming' is both incredibly dangerous and incredibly efficient. You need to weigh up the risks yourself, much like when you choose whether or not to overtake someone - how much is the increased risk worth vs the benefit to you? I wouldn't closely follow a lorry with my kids in the car, but I might if I'm on my own because it's mostly my own life I'm risking. Just remember that an empty lorry still retains the braking force required to stop it when fully loaded so they can probably stop far quicker than you!

Exactly.... Personally, I consider driving above the legal limit far, far, safer than taking this sort of risk. Why would you risk your life just to get a bit more range out of your EV?

 

[Jocko]

I slipstream behind HGVs but not close behind. I have a ScanGauge E fitted to my ICE Jazz, and it shows instantaneous mpg, and it is amazing the improvement in mpg there is running 2 seconds behind a large HGV as against 5 seconds behind him, though even that is better than running in open air. Some trucks are better than others. Tankers are particularly good, as are low loaders with large loads.
I only do that on dry roads though and position myself to see down the side of the heavy.

 

[Richie]

I slipstream behind HGVs but not close behind. I have a ScanGauge E fitted to my ICE Jazz, and it shows instantaneous mpg, and it is amazing the improvement in mpg there is running 2 seconds behind a large HGV as against 5 seconds behind him, though even that is better than running in open air. Some trucks are better than others. Tankers are particularly good, as are low loaders with large loads.
I only do that on dry roads though and position myself to see down the side of the heavy.

I can assure you attending an RTA and seeing people in or under the back of a lorry is not a nice experience. So at 65mph and 5 seconds your already hit the vehicle in front!

People who recommend the practice should have their licence revoked or go on a driving awareness course. This is the result from many accidents and speeding fines.

Just an easy info note from Google:
Braking distance is the distance it takes to stop your vehicle once you apply the brakes. At 65 mph, it takes an additional 5.5 seconds or about 525 feet of actual brake application to stop your vehicle.

 

[AdamMGEV]

My tip for hypermiling on the motorway, (assuming you have autonomous emergency braking so that you can brake faster than the vehicle in front) is to slipstream behind a lorry. That's driving several feet behind to reduce wind resistance. It also means you're doing 55-60mph.
If a faster lorry overtakes, slot in behind them.
If a coach overtakes, slot in behind that. A coach is the best option because it has a speed limit of 70.
I'd go at 60 without a vehicle in front or around 70 with a coach in front.
I don't use cruise control because it tries to stay a fixed distance behind the vehicle too aggressively, whereas having some flexibility to get slightly closer and further away means less accelerating and braking.
I made a video about slipstreaming two years ago.

That's quite a dangerous thing to do and illegal no?

 

[Petriix]

I can assure you attending an RTA and seeing people in or under the back of a lorry is not a nice experience. So at 65mph and 5 seconds your already hit the vehicle in front!

People who recommend the practice should have their licence revoked or go on a driving awareness course. This is the result from many accidents and speeding fines.

Just an easy info note from Google:
Braking distance is the distance it takes to stop your vehicle once you apply the brakes. At 65 mph, it takes an additional 5.5 seconds or about 525 feet of actual brake application to stop your vehicle.

That's not quite how it works. Unless the lorry crashes into a concrete bridge support and (somehow) doesn't crumple, it can't stop instantly. Even if it slams the brakes on and stops as quickly as possible, it's stopping distance won't be massively shorter than yours. So you need to leave your reaction time plus a buffer, which is where the 'three second rule' comes from. The faster you're going, the longer the distance you'll cover in that three seconds; that's why a constant time works just fine whereas a a constant distance doesn't.

Now, I personally think a 2 second reaction time is long, certainly for someone with good eyesight who's paying attention. But 2 seconds is the assumption because you have to set such things at the lowest common denominator. If you have the car set at KERS level 3 then you'll begin slowing as soon as you lift your foot from the accelerator, even while you're transferring it to the brake pedal. So I'm happy at somewhere around the 2 seconds point, if I'm on my own.

The actual distance to stop at 55mph is just over 40m with the thinking distance another 16m. 2 seconds at 55mph is just under 50m or around 12 car lengths. That's the sort of distance I feel comfortable at.

 

[Paulie68]

My tip for hypermiling on the motorway, (assuming you have autonomous emergency braking so that you can brake faster than the vehicle in front) is to slipstream behind a lorry. That's driving several feet behind to reduce wind resistance. It also means you're doing 55-60mph.
If a faster lorry overtakes, slot in behind them.
If a coach overtakes, slot in behind that. A coach is the best option because it has a speed limit of 70.
I'd go at 60 without a vehicle in front or around 70 with a coach in front.
I don't use cruise control because it tries to stay a fixed distance behind the vehicle too aggressively, whereas having some flexibility to get slightly closer and further away means less accelerating and braking.
I made a video about slipstreaming two years ago.

Please don't do this if you like keeping your paintwork or glass nice though... especially at this time of year, you're literally driving through a constant cloud of dust and grit picked up in the wake of the truck. My advice is the opposite of the above, to give any large trucks and buses as wide a berth as possible.

 

[Paulie68]

Slipstreaming, the ultimate way to ruin the paintwork on your bonnet. What (£) you save in petrol/electricity you pay in paint repairs.

... and wings, front bumper panel, windscreen, headlights. A very expensive way to increase range by a few miles.

 

[Richie]

That's not quite how it works. Unless the lorry crashes into a concrete bridge support and (somehow) doesn't crumple, it can't stop instantly. Even if it slams the brakes on and stops as quickly as possible, it's stopping distance won't be massively shorter than yours. So you need to leave your reaction time plus a buffer, which is where the 'three second rule' comes from. The faster you're going, the longer the distance you'll cover in that three seconds; that's why a constant time works just fine whereas a a constant distance doesn't.

Now, I personally think a 2 second reaction time is long, certainly for someone with good eyesight who's paying attention. But 2 seconds is the assumption because you have to set such things at the lowest common denominator. If you have the car set at KERS level 3 then you'll begin slowing as soon as you lift your foot from the accelerator, even while you're transferring it to the brake pedal. So I'm happy at somewhere around the 2 seconds point, if I'm on my own.

The actual distance to stop at 55mph is just over 40m with the thinking distance another 16m. 2 seconds at 55mph is just under 50m or around 12 car lengths. That's the sort of distance I feel comfortable at.

Really! A mathematicians view taking in all scenarios. BS & RIP Petriix

 

[Les burrows]

Thanks for the reply, Les. I was never told about the roof bars, I pretty much ordered after looking at a couple of reviews. No test drives allowed etc. due to lockdown. No brochure given either. But such a big issue I'd expect a bit of professional integrity (surely duty bound if not morally) and to tell me about that. My brother told me after coming across something online, after I'd mentioned looking for some roof bars etc. I had seen pictures with bikes on the roof but not sure if they were from MG (unlikely, I'm sure they'd have pulled them by then). I'm sure the pressure being applied will force their hand at somepoint. One way or another. If it turns out they are not usable, they MUST be removed as someone somewhere will use them unknowingly and unsafely.

Re: battery range. Just disappointing. The whole industry and companies in general to be honest, so not just an MG issue. If a company offered a car and gave ironclad honest range etc. I'd buy one. I don't really have the care or time to check up and confirm the data; even if they offered a minimum to maximum range it would be something; but even the lowest figures I've seen are by now way achieveable with what I consider normal driving.

Some of these responses are quite funny though haha.

Hi Dean first off I apologise for spelling you name wrongly when I first mailed you was a bit late in the day or maybe the odd g&t I had consumed that evening but thank you for your reply the only thing you didn’t say was when you ordered the vehicle and actually got your hands upon it that could be helpful to know.

With regard to your comments about integrity and morally this is the way of life for a good percentage of the motor trade always has and will be in my opinion, if you read back you will see in most of my correspondence with MG motors and the DVSA I have said to both each time I’ve written to them Fix or removed them now, up to now I think we have been very lucky and I have told them that as well

As far as range on the car goes I can’t comment much on that as my 5 is still at the dealers and as been since mid December because I refused to take delivery until MG come up with answer for the issue

I have seen there as now been lots of post on this thread and as you have noted some are a little bit funny some not so, but on the whole members are trying to help, I don’t think you done the wrong thing it just quite a large and lengthy learning carve when you become an EV owner, anyhow good luck I’m sure you be alright
Les

 

[Les burrows]

I agree with you point about speed, it was only last year that I found out that MPG on ICE cars are always completed in tests of speeds of 65 MPH, why not 70 MPH which is our true motorway limit....

Hi mark from what I remember MPG figures where all ways listed at 56/62/75 mph on new cars but I may be wrong.

 

[Jocko]

The Highways Agency advises the two-second rule on the gov.uk website. Both the Highway Code and Roadcraft (the police drivers’ handbook) correctly advise a gap of at least 2 seconds in dry conditions, which is the advice I follow. So I take it they are all wrong then?

 

[BillyWhizz]

Remember only a fool breaks the two second rule

 

[BillyWhizz]

When you do CPC training and you watch videos of cars stuck under wagons and cyclists with flattened heads you learn to respect the HGV

 

[greentangerine]

A colleague of mine stuck his car under the back of a lorry some years back.

It nearly killed him and left him with significant life changing injuries. Not worth it.

 

[RossN]

Man...talk about straying from the original point of this tab.....

 

[Richie]

Man...talk about straying from the original point of this tab.....

If people want to drive as they will then let them live or die. Who was it told us to tailgate?

Of course your quite right RossN lets get back to the original thread.