MG4 Range

[Rolfe]

Thanks to all three of you. Indeed I am completely new to EVs. Got my MG4 SE SR only ten days ago, still learning a lot!

I have ZapMaps and it was that that alerted me to the fact that my first plan for my drive to Yorkshire is not a runner. I go from just south of Edinburgh to Halifax, which is 196 miles. Obviously I am not mad enough to think that my SR is going to do that without a charge. (Not the way I drive on motorways, for sure.) I thought that Tebay looked like a good place to stop, nice services, and my friend in Halifax said she'd seen a row of nice new chargers being installed there, but ZapMaps tells me they are Tesla-only. No facilities for non-Tesla vehicles on the southbound carriageway.

I could stop early at Southwaite, or go on to Killington Lake. Killington Lake is also very nice and somewhere I used to like to stop in my ICE car when driving south. However, if there's a serious chance they're all either occupied or out of order then as you say a back-up plan is essential. I don't think I would feel comfortable going past Killington Lake, as the next opportunity isn't until Kirkby Lonsdale.

The reason I'm mainly looking at motorway service stations is that there's always somewhere to get a coffee and cake, sit and read for a bit, dry and warm. I don't really want to have to sit in the car for an hour on a windswept moor somewhere and not getting my own R&R in at the same time. Checking these stations now, I'm not seeing congestion. Killington Lake is clear and there are connectors available both sides of Southwaite and the northbound Tebay station (which is not a Tesla franchise). Sunday lunchtime?

I'm thinking about inviting myself for a couple of days next month so I can make the journey in good weather, in daylight, and without rushing. It'll give me a feel for how it all works, before making the obligatory pre-Christmas visit when it will no doubt be a different story and less range on the car in winter. And my friend and her husband want to see the car!

I totally agree about not stressing about the price of rapid chargers if you don't charge away from home very often. This is pretty much the only journey I do regularly where I'll have to charge away from home. I do want somewhere to eat and stretch my legs while the car is charging! Gretna Green is a possible, but ideally I'd like to delay stopping until later than that. I'll see how it goes. Thanks again.

4kwh in 45 minutes Is standard, preheating the battery wouldn't add much at all. You'll only get 6.6kw per hour from a normal type 2, 7kw charger.

It costs around 1kwh to preheat the battery, I believe, so would have been a false economy in your case to preheat for the charge.

Actually, having checked my account, I got 5.612 KWh in 47 minutes. For a whole £1.68. Not bad. I'll try the CSS connection later this week.

Cambridge Street or Concert Square car park? (Both show as having EV charge points. PlugShare shows both as having 6x 7kW Type 2 stations).

Cambridge Street Public Car Park | PlugShare
Concert Square Public Car Park | PlugShare

In both cases you'd be best having a Charge Place Scotland card (although a loaner can be provided).

Now I'm getting confused. Your link says six type 2 connectors, nothing very coherent about price or occupancy. ChargePlace Scotland says four charging stations, each with two connectors, one currently "unknown" status which might be code for "occupied". ZapMaps actually has two charging areas marked on that car park, one with five stations each with two connectors, but every time I look at that it's "unknown status" on all of them. The other has four stations each with two connectors, with three showing "available" right now and one "unknown", exactly what ChargePlace Scotland is reporting. ZapMaps says these are all free to use, but ChargePlace Scotland says 40p per KWh.

I'm beginning to think the five-station one on ZapMaps doesn't exist, and the four-station one is correct. I also believe ChargePlace Scotland about the pricing, because it's their actual charger. They also say four hours maximum, which seems very reasonable.

Although there are two identical connectors at each station, as far as I can make out only one can be in use at one time, so ZapMaps isn't really correct when it says there are eight connectors - if only four can be used at once.

If ChargePlace Scotland is now charging for these then it's not worth my while using one if I don't need it to get home. Which may be the actual point. It's likely that I'll never need it to get home, if I always start with a full charge. I wonder how busy they get though. If only four cars can charge at a time and they can stay for four hours, that seems a bit limited.

I'm going to suss it out on the ground next month, making sure I don't need any more charge to get home, but at least I'll get an idea how it all works.

 

[Les burrows]

Rolfe have a watch of this video from around 3.30 into it he talks about range
Les

 

[drivethru]

Can I ask what it was showing before you did the balancing charge?
I collected my new SE LR from the dealership yesterday and it is only showing 207miles on 100% charge, which seems very low given that it is not cold (12 degrees outside).
My first thought was that they had given me an SR model by mistake... I see that other folks' SE models are showing 200+.
I totally understand that I won't get 280miles out of the car and that actual range might be around 200, but if the car only estimates 200miles, then it seem like I might get much less.
Just wondering what other people's experiences are with expected range on the LR model in these spring temperatures?
Also, is anyone aware of a way to tell for certain what size of battery is in the car? Seems strange that I can't find it specified anywhere in or on the car.

I picked up my trophy last week, it came with 100% charge. I've now done 120 miles and have 24% charge left. The GOM shows there is around 70 miles left.

That means I would get 190 Miles if the GOM can be relied upon.

I have - to be fair - been enjoying the drive and testing how quickly the car can pick up speed - it's been a really fun and enjoyable experience so far. There is just something about experiencing a smooth acceleration without engine noise!

Any way - my enjoyment makes up for the lack of range I am getting - I think I'm going to try take it easy and see how far I can bump up the range as at the moment I am getting 2.8 per kwh and I want to get up near 4.0 if I can.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm getting much the same as you (2.8 per KWh) on my SE SR, but I haven't been driving to maximise range. Also, the temperature today has been 1 to 4C. I was getting intermittent ice warnings even in the middle of the afternoon, and by evening it was under 4C the entire time. Also, the car is brand new and there is a suggestion that as they "run-in" these cars put on a bit of range.

Personally, I can't really see the point in getting a car that costs less than half of what an ICE car costs to run, and then driving like Miss Daisy to get even better economy. I could have driven like that in my ICE car too, and probably saved even more given the price of petrol.

 

[drivethru]

I'm getting much the same as you (2.8 per KWh) on my SE SR, but I haven't been driving to maximise range. Also, the temperature today has been 1 to 4C. I was getting intermittent ice warnings even in the middle of the afternoon, and by evening it was under 4C the entire time. Also, the car is brand new and there is a suggestion that as they "run-in" these cars put on a bit of range.

Personally, I can't really see the point in getting a car that costs less than half of what an ICE car costs to run, and then driving like Miss Daisy to get even better economy. I could have driven like that in my ICE car too, and probably saved even more given the price of petrol.

Thanks Rolfe - good to know I'm not the only one.

It has become chilly hasn't it? 2 degrees this morning in London.

What I love about the MG4 is how fast the heated seats and climate control become nice and warm.

It is interesting to note that the range increases with time.

I am going to try and drive in eco mode to see if that helps.

 

[Tight Git]

@Rolfe - if I was you I would use the A1 to get to Halifax rather than the M6. There are some good hubs down that route - Ionity at Alnwick and Leeds Skelton Lakes, Fastned around Newcastle, Gridserve at Wetherby, not to mention a Jet just off J52 that I pass regularly and never see anyone charging. It is a much quieter route down this side!

 

[CarlMG4]

I'm almost 4 weeks in, 500 or so miles in which is less than normal for me, MG4 Trophy.

I'm still getting 220mile range showing at 80% charge. And so far it's fairly accurate for my driving, unless I hoof it, of course. Normal Mode with High Regen, rarely use AC except to demist windows and run it on speed 1 at 20°c if they keep misting up.

Mostly 30 roads, some 40, some national speed. Plenty of slowing down for roundabouts, lights, crossings and usual traffic.

I've learned quite quickly if I want higher m/kWh I need to accelerate smoothly, and decelerate sooner than normal, and let the regenerative braking do it's magic.

So far I'm more than happy with range, albeit I did miss the very vast majority of winter so can't speak for my winter range - I expect 20-30% less range and m/kWh. But it was much the same in my Diesel.

It was 2°c outside this morning, but car had been on charge overnight so didn't see any battery warming up time when I set off.

 

[Rolfe]

That's a point. I'm not used to the regenerative braking yet and I'm not letting it do its magic. Of course it's not helped by the fact that when I set off with a full battery the regenerative braking doesn't work, so I'm reinforced in my old ICE habits.

I got back last night with 47% battery but I didn't plug into the granny charger because I want to do a test rapid charge today from the village charge point just to see how it works.

@Rolfe - if I was you I would use the A1 to get to Halifax rather than the M6. There are some good hubs down that route - Ionity at Alnwick and Leeds Skelton Lakes, Fastned around Newcastle, Gridserve at Wetherby, not to mention a Jet just off J52 that I pass regularly and never see anyone charging. It is a much quieter route down this side!

I've been going there for years (a school friend lives there, and I'm godmother to her children) and I always go A702, M74, M6 then the A65 across the Pennines. She says she often goes on down the M6 past Preston and across the Pennines by the M65. Certainly the AA says that's quicker but it's also a lot longer and on economy grounds I prefer the A65. It's also more scenic. It also makes better sense in an electric car, I think.

I have crossed the Border at Carter Bar taking the A68 but that's when I was heading for Durham. The A1 looks to me to be an enormous detour.

 

[Tight Git]

I've been going there for years (a school friend lives there, and I'm godmother to her children) and I always go A702, M74, M6 then the A65 across the Pennines. She says she often goes on down the M6 past Preston and across the Pennines by the M65. Certainly the AA says that's quicker but it's also a lot longer and on economy grounds I prefer the A65. It's also more scenic. It also makes better sense in an electric car, I think.

I have crossed the Border at Carter Bar taking the A68 but that's when I was heading for Durham. The A1 looks to me to be an enormous detour.

Google maps reckons that A1 is 3 miles shorter but it depends which part of Edinburgh you start from I guess.

It's worth considering as an alternative especially if the charging is better. I always liked the A68 or A696 as opposed to motorway or dual carriageways.

 

[Rolfe]

I don't start from Edinburgh. I start from a point on the A702 which is about 18 miles south of the centre of Edinburgh. Going straight on down the A702 to Abington is a no-brainer as far as I can see, unless I'm going somewhere that's quite far east like Durham. I've never taken the A1 because I can't see any benefit in going so far over to the east.

The AA wants me to burn fuel by going motorway across the Pennines, because it's quicker (3 hours 49 minutes, but 216 miles).

In contrast the A65 route is nearly 30 miles shorter (187 miles) but takes almost 15 minutes longer (4 hours 3 minutes). I take it for variety (after having been on motorway for so long) and economy.

The A1 is a huge detour, 256 miles and 4 hours 43 minutes. I don't think I'd do it for free ultra-fast charging with no wait right beside a five-star restaurant to be honest.

I checked Carter Bar as well, and that's 229 miles and 4 hours 47 minutes. Still not a good choice.

 

[Rolfe]

Another happy discovery.

I got home last night at 45% charge and decided not to put the car on the granny charger overnight. This morning I took it to the village charging point and - after having had to go back home to wait for a Leaf that had snuck in under my nose to go - gave it the maximum time allowed on the CSS charger. In 52 minutes (the max is 55 minutes then they start fining you) it had gone up to 92%, at a price per KWh that's slightly less than my domestic electricity rate. So 47% charge entered in that time.

I had just time to walk home from the charging point (5 minutes) and have a cup of coffee before walking back. I put the car on the granny charger just to bring it up to 100% and it's telling me that will take another two hours.

So I now know that if I come home with a low battery and I need the car first thing the following morning I can easily have it at 100% by giving it a session on the public charger before bedtime, then leaving it overnight on the granny charger. Maybe less fun at midnight in the rain than on a sunny morning, but really, when the nearest petrol station is nine milles away, it's pretty good.

 

[siteguru]

So you got 23.876kWh stored in 52 minutes. That's an average rate of 23.876 x (60 / 52) = 27.549kW. What speed CCS charge point was it? 50kW?

 

[Rolfe]

52 KW, actually.

 

[siteguru]

Interesting ... I wasn't aware of any DC rapid charger rated at 52kW ... 50kW is the more normal rating. (Then 100kW, 150kW etc.)

 

[Rolfe]

Well, 52KW is what it says on the ChargePlace Scotland app, and it's their charger, so I'm assuming they know.

 

[drivethru]

Just a quick update...

 

[Norfunk]

I'm lucky to hit 4!

 

[Derek25]

This thread needs a reality check. Posting very short journeys with high efficiency is just not real world. Here’s my accumulated total for most of April. Mixed driving, local, A roads and motorway, normal use of heating and driving to speed limits. Some in horrendous weather, some in mild conditions. Still pretty good for April.

 

[tsedge]

Yes, I am not impressed by anything under 100 miles, the more the better as it is too easy to get a high result over a short distance. I could drive to a local hill and achieve a huge number through some downhill driving but it means very little.

 

[Tight Git]

If I drive the 5 miles to the local supermarket I will see easily 7 miles per kWh but that is a drop of 120 metres so when I come home for some reason I don't get such good figures...