Seeking Advice on ZS Hybrid Plus Fuel Efficiency and Electric Motor Usage

Jockster said:
Turn Air Con off. Then see what happens.
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I did... turned the whole system off and drove with steamed up windows and it still did the exact same thing... I tried Eco mode rather than normal - no difference. I'll see tomorrow if the system update makes a difference.
 
No. EV just for tottering around wee streets. If you now you are gonna hit the next road go to sport then back to normal
Regen 3 on motorways car will still roll, regen 1 on downhills regen 3 on down mountains at speed.

KAG said:
I did... turn the whole system off and drove with steamed up windows and it still did the exact same thing... I tried Eco mode rather than normal - no difference. I'll see tomorrow if the system update makes a difference.
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Would be very interested in that. Where's your dealer?
 
Jockster said:
No. EV just for tottering around wee streets. If you now you are gonna hit the next road go to sport then back to normal
Regen 3 on motorways car will still roll, regen 1 on downhills regen 3 on down mountains at speed.
Click to expand...
Lots of my driving is around 20mph streets... I just meant the battery is generally full enough after a motorway drive, so its not as if its due to low battery... just really disappointing! I was looking forward to driving it and now I miss my old Mini (ha!)

Busman said:
It should go into EV mode at high speeds too.
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I have noticed this once but it lasted all of 2-3mins and it was never to be seen again!

Jockster said:
Would be very interested in that. Where's your dealer?
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Glyn Hopkin, Mill Hill (London) - will keep you updated!
 
KAG said:
My car does the exact same thing - took it back to the dealer and they had it for 2 days, said there is nothing wrong with it, they took it for a drive and didnt experience anything I described! Although they did a system update and said that might help, so lets see. However, it is horrible when it revs excessively. I can be driving at 13-16 mph (flat 20mph street) and the revs jump to 2 with very little pressure on the acceleration, it feels like it dropping and driving in neutral. On the motorway it can struggle to get speed and the revs go all the way up to 3.7!

It barely shifts into ev mode, even after a motorway drive, when I'm back at low speeds. It's not been the most enjoyable month of driving.
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I've been wondering to what extent the issues users report are real problems and to what extent they might be a bit of paranoia (no offense to anyone). I understand that high RPM can be a concern when we're talking about 4500-5000 RPM. I understand that power loss could be also called a problem. However, when I read that the engine revved to 2000 RPM or 3700 RPM and people call it "over-revving," it seems somewhat exaggerated to me.


First of all, in my current internal combustion engine car with a manual transmission (not a hybrid), I often see RPM levels like this—or even higher—all the time. Of course, the RPM increase profile is different because the driving dynamics are different. Such or even higher RPMs appear momentarily before shifting gears while accelerating. Similarly, when driving uphill, I often have to downshift and increase RPM.


In a hybrid, however, these RPM levels can occur automatically, regardless of the driver's input, especially when the battery charge is low—for example, while driving uphill, even on a slight incline. This can create the impression of a "slipping" clutch. Additionally, the RPMs tend to stay elevated longer because they are often linked to battery recharging, which takes more time.


Secondly, let's not forget that hybrid engines typically use the Atkinson cycle, which is more fuel-efficient at low RPMs (even more so than traditional Otto-cycle engines) but generally weaker, requiring higher RPMs to deliver more power when needed.


A quick internet search combining any hybrid car manufacturer's name with the term "over-revving" brings up plenty of discussions on this topic.


I'm not saying this isn't an issue or that MG shouldn't be pushed to release further updates and optimizations for the engine, transmission, and battery management software. MG stands out from other hybrid systems due to its significantly larger electric motor. On one hand, this provides strong acceleration and the ability to drive at high speeds purely in electric mode. On the other hand, it demands a much higher energy supply. In most other hybrids, the electric motor is relatively small and primarily serves as a support for the combustion engine. In MG's case, however, the electric motor plays the main role over a wide range of speeds. MG can optimize the system’s behavior to some extent, but there are inherent limitations that cannot simply be bypassed.


Perhaps part of the issue is that MG includes a tachometer—something not present in all hybrids.


So, to MG hybrid owners: try looking at this differently. Try driving without focusing too much on the engine’s RPM, let the car decide, and share your experiences while providing more details about the car's behavior with these factors in mind.
 
Jam said:
Thanks for your reply!

The temperature has been below zero since I got the car, only warming up in the past day. I understand cold weather can affect performance and fuel efficiency, though I thought I would have noticed a better MPG than it’s currently recording. The high rev count worries me—it’s strange how the revs jump from 1.3k to 2.2k RPM on a 30mph flat road without any harsh acceleration.

I’m also nervous about driving at 70mph as it shows 3.3k rpm, which exceeds the 900-mile run-in limit.
As this is my first hybrid, I’m unsure if this is normal or something I should be concerned about. I could potentially return the car within the next couple of days, but I don’t want to keep it past that if it sounds like there is a fault.
Any advice would be appreciated!
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Well, I thought this site was for MGEVs, which hybrid cars are not. If you can return it, I would, and buy an EV instead. For comparison, yesterday it was ~4deg I drove 105km, about 60% on motorways and major roads, and achieved 4.4miles/kWh which is equivalent of 180mpg. My highest revs were 13krpm, which did absolutely no damage to the sealed electric motor.
 
PVperson said:
Well, I thought this site was for MGEVs, which hybrid cars are not. If you can return it, I would, and buy an EV instead. For comparison, yesterday it was ~4deg I drove 105km, about 60% on motorways and major roads, and achieved 4.4miles/kWh which is equivalent of 180mpg. My highest revs were 13krpm, which did absolutely no damage to the sealed electric motor.
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You say that you thought this site was for MG EV’s, which it isn’t, so why are you advising members?
 
Jockster said:
Check out Robert1957 he had his updated.
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Found articles from Australia just posted them.

www.drive.com.au

2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ update announced to fix 'poor' performance

MG is rolling out an update for the new ZS hybrid following criticism it can leave the car low on power.
www.drive.com.au www.drive.com.au

A Must Read.....hit it.

Jockster said:
www.drive.com.au

2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ update announced to fix 'poor' performance

MG is rolling out an update for the new ZS hybrid following criticism it can leave the car low on power.
www.drive.com.au www.drive.com.au

A Must Read.....hit it.
Click to expand...
From Australia.
 
Busman said:
It should go into EV mode at high speeds too.
Click to expand...
Bizarrely I drove around today. First 50 mins AC off. Got to where i was going. 51mpg including all speeds and some motorway. Warmer afternoon decided to hit it on way back, had AC and Heating on . A few stops and traffic jams not many and I couldn't believe that the car behaved so well. But it had warmed up. The day had warmed up. So I had a cuppa at home then decided to gun it up our low gradient hill area and back on all systems on. I couldn't even empty the battery so on the way home I hit a steep hill for fun and yes got the battery down a bit and heard the accompanying rev orchestra but it took me up and home again. Bizarre it has also broken its first 2,300mls which I think also makes a difference. And it was on Eco. However read my other posts from Australia we are not alone.
 

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diwat123 said:
I've been wondering to what extent the issues users report are real problems and to what extent they might be a bit of paranoia (no offense to anyone). I understand that high RPM can be a concern when we're talking about 4500-5000 RPM. I understand that power loss could be also called a problem. However, when I read that the engine revved to 2000 RPM or 3700 RPM and people call it "over-revving," it seems somewhat exaggerated to me.


First of all, in my current internal combustion engine car with a manual transmission (not a hybrid), I often see RPM levels like this—or even higher—all the time. Of course, the RPM increase profile is different because the driving dynamics are different. Such or even higher RPMs appear momentarily before shifting gears while accelerating. Similarly, when driving uphill, I often have to downshift and increase RPM.


In a hybrid, however, these RPM levels can occur automatically, regardless of the driver's input, especially when the battery charge is low—for example, while driving uphill, even on a slight incline. This can create the impression of a "slipping" clutch. Additionally, the RPMs tend to stay elevated longer because they are often linked to battery recharging, which takes more time.


Secondly, let's not forget that hybrid engines typically use the Atkinson cycle, which is more fuel-efficient at low RPMs (even more so than traditional Otto-cycle engines) but generally weaker, requiring higher RPMs to deliver more power when needed.


A quick internet search combining any hybrid car manufacturer's name with the term "over-revving" brings up plenty of discussions on this topic.


I'm not saying this isn't an issue or that MG shouldn't be pushed to release further updates and optimizations for the engine, transmission, and battery management software. MG stands out from other hybrid systems due to its significantly larger electric motor. On one hand, this provides strong acceleration and the ability to drive at high speeds purely in electric mode. On the other hand, it demands a much higher energy supply. In most other hybrids, the electric motor is relatively small and primarily serves as a support for the combustion engine. In MG's case, however, the electric motor plays the main role over a wide range of speeds. MG can optimize the system’s behavior to some extent, but there are inherent limitations that cannot simply be bypassed.


Perhaps part of the issue is that MG includes a tachometer—something not present in all hybrids.


So, to MG hybrid owners: try looking at this differently. Try driving without focusing too much on the engine’s RPM, let the car decide, and share your experiences while providing more details about the car's behavior with these factors in mind.
Click to expand...
To confirm this is absolutely not an exaggeration.... a car driving at a low speeds e.g. 13mph should not be revving beyond 2300-2500rpm, it should be shifting up a gear.... it shouldn't feel like the car it is accelerating in neutral.

In any case, I took the car back to the dealership today, took the technician for a test drive and he agreed that the revs should not exceed 2000mph at speeds lower than 40mph or 3000rpm when at 50mph plus, so have kept the car for further investigation.

@Jockster the system update didn't help the revving but it did help EV mode, it was noticeably more active today.
 

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KAG said:
To confirm this is absolutely not an exaggeration.... a car driving at a low speeds e.g. 13mph should not be revving beyond 2300-2500rpm, it should be shifting up a gear.... it shouldn't feel like the car it is accelerating in neutral.

In any case, I took the car back to the dealership today, took the technician for a test drive and he agreed that the revs should not exceed 2000mph at speeds lower than 40mph or 3000rpm when at 50mph plus, so have kept the car for further investigation.

@Jockster the system update didn't help the revving but it did help EV mode, it was noticeably more active today.
Click to expand...
Warmer day?

KAG said:
To confirm this is absolutely not an exaggeration.... a car driving at a low speeds e.g. 13mph should not be revving beyond 2300-2500rpm, it should be shifting up a gear.... it shouldn't feel like the car it is accelerating in neutral.

In any case, I took the car back to the dealership today, took the technician for a test drive and he agreed that the revs should not exceed 2000mph at speeds lower than 40mph or 3000rpm when at 50mph plus, so have kept the car for further investigation.

@Jockster the system update didn't help the revving but it did help EV mode, it was noticeably more active today.
Click to expand...
How many miles on the car and reg date?
 
KAG said:
What was the issue with your car? The same as me?
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Well as I can best configure it and I've been to three MG dealers today. It is what the AA man reckoned. Not enough of the special oil in sealed gear selector unit which when sorted didn't fix the issue as the hydraulic electric selector may have dried out and needed replacing too.
Interestingly I have also found an Australian drive expert in Drive magazine, who found that when driving the engine hard even up a slight gradient when the Hybrid battery is low an audibible growl of revving is heard as the engine tries to fuel the battery and the Air Con . In other words other hybrid manufacturers do not allow their hybrid batteries go that low as it aids the petrol engine and AC.
 
Thank you for all your advice and input. I now have a much better understanding of the EV mode. As some have already mentioned, turning off the heating/AC does have an effect, which I have now noticed as well.

However, the high revs are still a concern. While I understand the general advice to "ignore and just drive," I find that, without any harsh acceleration—such as simply pulling away from traffic lights, on a flat road — the revs can suddenly jump to 2,000 RPM at a speed of 15mph (see below image) and seem to stick until the car comes to a stop. This doesn’t happen all the time, but it does make me wonder if an update will address this issue.

Thanks again for all the insights and discussions
IMG_20250220_122525.jpg
 

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