MG ZS EV charging FAQ
This guide mainly applies to the 44kWh 1st generation MG ZS EV
(Can apply to other cars but figures quoted might not be the same, as battery packs & charging rates maybe larger or hopefully not smaller)
Charging categories:
Charging speed can be defined into these three categories:
For AC charging you will use the Type 2 (also known as Mennekes) connector.
For DC charging you will use the CCS (officially called SAE Combo 2 but CCS is it’s common name) connector.
Remember – the bigger the connector, the bigger the power!
AC Charging:
Hang on? How come the 11kW charger takes longer than a 7kW charger and 22kW takes the same time as a 7kW? Well, the ZS EV only has an onboard single phase charger, so the car can’t use the other two phases can’t be used, and 11 divided by 3 is 3.6 & 22 divided by 3 is 7. If you see a 44kW AC outlet, you can still only pull 7kW from it!
The miles per kWh (mi/kWh) is the mpg (miles per gallon) in the EV world. The ZS EV has been seen to achieve up to 5.3mi/kWh but as low as 1.5mi/kWh ("drove it like you stole it", with heating on max and very cold outside temperature limiting battery output). This depends on how you drive, if you run the heaters at max and other factors. In summer 3mi/kWh is achivable in nearly all cases, unless your a boy racer doing more than legal. Winter can affact range due to heater being on and battery need to be heated to get the most out of it. Again 2.5m/kw is achivable in most cases in winter if your not too crazy with speed and heater (not on max but not permanently off). If you drive slow with no heat and it's 20°C outside, and going down hill, 5mi/kWh is achievable. The WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) range for ZS EV is 163miles, and that's based on 3.7mi/kWh. My fiesta was sold to me based on 60mpg, did it achive that when doing 70mph down the M4, hell no......
The lowest charge (any EV) can accept is 1.4kW or 6amp. Don’t ask me why, it’s the standard. If you are lucky with solar panels and a Zappi EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment or Home charger, I’ll be using EVSE from now on, as it’s shorter), but the panels is outputting only 1kW, you can either pause charge (eco+ mode) or pull the 0.4kW difference from the grid (Eco mode) to bring the charge rate to the required 1.4kW minimum.
The onboard charger is rated at 6.6kW, however add heat loss on the cable and mains voltage fluctuations, 7.2kW can seen as the maximum draw from the EVSE. Rounding the number to 7kW is often the norm.
Once the car reaches 100%, the car will go into a mode called balancing. The ZS EV battery pack is made up of hundreds of smaller individual battery cells. Best way to describe it, you just filled up your ice cub tray with water from the tap very quickly. Most of the cubes are full (they are the individual battery cells) but a few are not. What you do now is with a very slow trickle from the tap, you top up each of the empty cubes until they are all level and full with each over. You can unplug if you want but it’s best to leave the car to balance if you can, it helps with battery health. When balancing, its using 300-500W of power. Balancing can take a while, either once the car reaches 8 hours or it’s perfectly balanced it will shut down, whichever is first. A misbalanced battery can take multiple full charges to get back to balance. The ZS EV will warn you if you need to do a balance charge, saying "Please Slow-Charge the Vechicle". Any AC will do this, but make sure you leave it once its got to 100% to do it's balance. How do I know it's balancing when I don't have a fancy smart EVSE, you may ask? Well the MG badge at the front will be solid on (not pulsing) when balancing. Once done, the badge will turn off.
What is the perfect EVSE for you? Click HERE to read another article about it.
Lets move onto…
DC Charging:
With DC charging, the charge convertor (inverter) for the battery is located in the unit and not the car. This means faster charging than AC. The ZS EV can accept up to a maximum rate of 80kW. However this charging rate is dictated by many variables: outside temperature, battery temperature, SoC (State of Charge %), Max kW of DC charger, How many of DC chargers in use and many more.
The fastest speeds are obtained when below 30% SoC with temps around 20°C. The charging rates drop off a cliff when over 80%, and its always better to unplug and drive onto the next rapid after 80%. 45 mins in ideal conditions should see 0% to 80%, even though it’s unlikely you will arrive at 0%. It can take same amount of time or more to go from 80% to 100%, that’s why its better to unplug and get to another charger a few miles down the road as you will save time.
The newest BMS update, released around 15th January 2021 has changed the upper and lower limits of the voltage of the battery pack. Early reports is that rate drop off has been moved to 87% from 82%. Once the rate does drop off, the advise of move still stands as it does still take ages to get to 100% still applies, even if the 45mins to 80%-100% maybe less now.
DC Charging does not do balancing, even if it reaches 100%. With the ice cube tray example, think of DC charging is filling up the small tray with a large bucket of water with no handle and no spout (the small lip which makes it easier to pour) while wearing thick, slippery oven gloves. And you not allowed to spill or overflow any of the water over the edges of the tray or cubes. It’s best left to the slower AC charge.
And remember, if it’s a Tesla supercharger, it might plug in to your ZS EV but it will not work. Dam you Elon Musk. 2022 edit: There are a select few Tesla superchargers in NL that support charging other cars via their app. Its a trial at moment, so watch this space. 2024 edit: Many more Tesla superchargers are open to all vehicles, but your car might need a firmware update first, or even a hardware update. See other threads for details.
More detailed info about rapid charging FAQ & etiquette is located HERE.
Cables – what’s included or not?
Included (for UK EVs) – one 10amp cable with 3-Pin (BS 1363) plug with a type 2 connector on the other end. This is commonly called 13amp charger (13amp peak output is the max the British standard 1363 allows on the plugs and fused at 13amp, however the charger pulls 10amp continuous load) or granny charger (based on the urban myth that all grannies are slow…).
Included (for EU and Costa Rican EVs) – one 10amp cable with Schuko plug with a type 2 connector on the other end.
Included (for Australian EVs) – one 8amp cable with home plug with a type 2 connector on the other end.
Type 2 cable is NOT included as standard. If you have a nice dealer, they may add it as part of the deal, and occasionally MG can push a deal which in the past included a home EVSE and type 2 cable. Most type 2 EVSE (expect for a tethered home EVSE) you will need to bring your own lead.
You do not need a CCS DC lead – they are attached to the rapid charger. If the lead is missing, the charger is broke, move on.
Buying a type 2 cable
ThreeFour things that matter for type 2 cable: Length, Amp Rating, Colour and Number of Phases.
Hopefully that answers a few questions.
This guide mainly applies to the 44kWh 1st generation MG ZS EV
(Can apply to other cars but figures quoted might not be the same, as battery packs & charging rates maybe larger or hopefully not smaller)
Charging categories:
Charging speed can be defined into these three categories:
- Slow (below 3.6kW)
- Fast (From 3.7kW upto 22kW)
- Rapid (over 22kW)
For AC charging you will use the Type 2 (also known as Mennekes) connector.
For DC charging you will use the CCS (officially called SAE Combo 2 but CCS is it’s common name) connector.
Remember – the bigger the connector, the bigger the power!
AC Charging:
| Speed | Current (amps) | Time to 0% to 100% | Approx Miles added per hour based on 3mi/kWh |
| 1.4kW | 6 | Over 32 hours | 4 |
| 2.2kW (UK “granny lead”) | 10 | Approx 20 hours | 6 |
| 3.6kW | 16 | Approx 12hours | 10 |
| 7kW (Typical home unit/EVSE) | 32 | Approx 6.5hours | 20 |
| 11kW 3 phase | 16 per phase | Approx 12 hours | 10 |
| 22kW 3 phase | 32 per phase | Approx 6.5 hours | 20 |
| 44kW 3 phase | 64 per phase | Approx 6.5 hours | 20 |
Hang on? How come the 11kW charger takes longer than a 7kW charger and 22kW takes the same time as a 7kW? Well, the ZS EV only has an onboard single phase charger, so the car can’t use the other two phases can’t be used, and 11 divided by 3 is 3.6 & 22 divided by 3 is 7. If you see a 44kW AC outlet, you can still only pull 7kW from it!
The miles per kWh (mi/kWh) is the mpg (miles per gallon) in the EV world. The ZS EV has been seen to achieve up to 5.3mi/kWh but as low as 1.5mi/kWh ("drove it like you stole it", with heating on max and very cold outside temperature limiting battery output). This depends on how you drive, if you run the heaters at max and other factors. In summer 3mi/kWh is achivable in nearly all cases, unless your a boy racer doing more than legal. Winter can affact range due to heater being on and battery need to be heated to get the most out of it. Again 2.5m/kw is achivable in most cases in winter if your not too crazy with speed and heater (not on max but not permanently off). If you drive slow with no heat and it's 20°C outside, and going down hill, 5mi/kWh is achievable. The WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) range for ZS EV is 163miles, and that's based on 3.7mi/kWh. My fiesta was sold to me based on 60mpg, did it achive that when doing 70mph down the M4, hell no......
The lowest charge (any EV) can accept is 1.4kW or 6amp. Don’t ask me why, it’s the standard. If you are lucky with solar panels and a Zappi EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment or Home charger, I’ll be using EVSE from now on, as it’s shorter), but the panels is outputting only 1kW, you can either pause charge (eco+ mode) or pull the 0.4kW difference from the grid (Eco mode) to bring the charge rate to the required 1.4kW minimum.
The onboard charger is rated at 6.6kW, however add heat loss on the cable and mains voltage fluctuations, 7.2kW can seen as the maximum draw from the EVSE. Rounding the number to 7kW is often the norm.
Once the car reaches 100%, the car will go into a mode called balancing. The ZS EV battery pack is made up of hundreds of smaller individual battery cells. Best way to describe it, you just filled up your ice cub tray with water from the tap very quickly. Most of the cubes are full (they are the individual battery cells) but a few are not. What you do now is with a very slow trickle from the tap, you top up each of the empty cubes until they are all level and full with each over. You can unplug if you want but it’s best to leave the car to balance if you can, it helps with battery health. When balancing, its using 300-500W of power. Balancing can take a while, either once the car reaches 8 hours or it’s perfectly balanced it will shut down, whichever is first. A misbalanced battery can take multiple full charges to get back to balance. The ZS EV will warn you if you need to do a balance charge, saying "Please Slow-Charge the Vechicle". Any AC will do this, but make sure you leave it once its got to 100% to do it's balance. How do I know it's balancing when I don't have a fancy smart EVSE, you may ask? Well the MG badge at the front will be solid on (not pulsing) when balancing. Once done, the badge will turn off.
What is the perfect EVSE for you? Click HERE to read another article about it.
Lets move onto…
DC Charging:
With DC charging, the charge convertor (inverter) for the battery is located in the unit and not the car. This means faster charging than AC. The ZS EV can accept up to a maximum rate of 80kW. However this charging rate is dictated by many variables: outside temperature, battery temperature, SoC (State of Charge %), Max kW of DC charger, How many of DC chargers in use and many more.
The fastest speeds are obtained when below 30% SoC with temps around 20°C. The charging rates drop off a cliff when over 80%, and its always better to unplug and drive onto the next rapid after 80%. 45 mins in ideal conditions should see 0% to 80%, even though it’s unlikely you will arrive at 0%. It can take same amount of time or more to go from 80% to 100%, that’s why its better to unplug and get to another charger a few miles down the road as you will save time.
The newest BMS update, released around 15th January 2021 has changed the upper and lower limits of the voltage of the battery pack. Early reports is that rate drop off has been moved to 87% from 82%. Once the rate does drop off, the advise of move still stands as it does still take ages to get to 100% still applies, even if the 45mins to 80%-100% maybe less now.
DC Charging does not do balancing, even if it reaches 100%. With the ice cube tray example, think of DC charging is filling up the small tray with a large bucket of water with no handle and no spout (the small lip which makes it easier to pour) while wearing thick, slippery oven gloves. And you not allowed to spill or overflow any of the water over the edges of the tray or cubes. It’s best left to the slower AC charge.
And remember, if it’s a Tesla supercharger, it might plug in to your ZS EV but it will not work. Dam you Elon Musk. 2022 edit: There are a select few Tesla superchargers in NL that support charging other cars via their app. Its a trial at moment, so watch this space. 2024 edit: Many more Tesla superchargers are open to all vehicles, but your car might need a firmware update first, or even a hardware update. See other threads for details.
More detailed info about rapid charging FAQ & etiquette is located HERE.
Cables – what’s included or not?
Included (for UK EVs) – one 10amp cable with 3-Pin (BS 1363) plug with a type 2 connector on the other end. This is commonly called 13amp charger (13amp peak output is the max the British standard 1363 allows on the plugs and fused at 13amp, however the charger pulls 10amp continuous load) or granny charger (based on the urban myth that all grannies are slow…).
Included (for EU and Costa Rican EVs) – one 10amp cable with Schuko plug with a type 2 connector on the other end.
Included (for Australian EVs) – one 8amp cable with home plug with a type 2 connector on the other end.
Type 2 cable is NOT included as standard. If you have a nice dealer, they may add it as part of the deal, and occasionally MG can push a deal which in the past included a home EVSE and type 2 cable. Most type 2 EVSE (expect for a tethered home EVSE) you will need to bring your own lead.
You do not need a CCS DC lead – they are attached to the rapid charger. If the lead is missing, the charger is broke, move on.
Buying a type 2 cable
Three
- Length – 5 metre is the common length, but can be anywhere up to 50 metres. 5 metre will cover 98% situations, 10 metre will cover 99.9% situations. If you do go for longer lead – make sure you unravel the cable. Coiled cables produce heat and if the cable gets too hot, bad things will happen.
- Amp rating – How much power can be carried over the cable. 16 amp (3.6kW) or 32amp (7kW) is the choice. Typically a 32 amp (7kW) cable will be about £10 more, but will cut charging times in half. Even if your home EVSE is capped at 3.6kW/16 amp, don’t skimp on the cable as it can be used at other type 2 chargers which may be able to supply 7kW, especially if they are on ‘free vend’, like at Tesco. You will make back that £10 with just 20 hours of free 7kW charging vs capped 3.6kW/16 amp charging (based on 15p per kWh).
Colour- If you got a blue car, get a blue cable.
- Number of Phases – The first MG ZS EV has only got a single phase AC charger, therefore getting a three phase cable is pointless for first generation models unless you are either got a second EV with three phase charging or selling your ZS in the next few years. EU spec models and later models sometimes have three phase, so check with your dealer first.
Hopefully that answers a few questions.
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