Range reduction…is this what all the people from Cold Places talk about?

[suz]

Hello! I’m in Australia and just heading in to cold weather - I live in regional Victoria and we get legitimately cold weather, but no snow. It has started to cool down properly over the last couple of weeks.

The range on the MG seems to be all over the place. At 100% charge it’s showing ranges of 260-280km whereas previously it was 310-330km.

My trip to work has previously used 49% of the battery but the last couple of weeks has used between 55% and 60% of the battery.

I got the car in October 2022 so I didn’t have it last winter and don’t really remember what was going on with the range when I first got it. Is this normal as weather cools down? Is there any way to get my range back up or is this just what happens when it’s cooler?

Searching on the board I’ve been finding messages about balancing your battery/load/something (??) and doing all sorts of elaborate things that I was never told to do - we just plug it in to our wall charger when we get home. I’m worried that I’ve somehow messed up the battery! ?

 

[AndyL61]

Yes your range reduces in colder temperatures.

 

[fatboyfat1981]

Hello! I’m in Australia and just heading in to cold weather - I live in regional Victoria and we get legitimately cold weather, but no snow. It has started to cool down properly over the last couple of weeks.

The range on the MG seems to be all over the place. At 100% charge it’s showing ranges of 260-280km whereas previously it was 310-330km.

My trip to work has previously used 49% of the battery but the last couple of weeks has used between 55% and 60% of the battery.

I got the car in October 2022 so I didn’t have it last winter and don’t really remember what was going on with the range when I first got it. Is this normal as weather cools down? Is there any way to get my range back up or is this just what happens when it’s cooler?

Searching on the board I’ve been finding messages about balancing your battery/load/something (??) and doing all sorts of elaborate things that I was never told to do - we just plug it in to our wall charger when we get home. I’m worried that I’ve somehow messed up the battery! ?

You’ve not cocked up, this is normal behaviour.

Balance charge (about once a month) means setting the battery to 100%, assuming you normally charge to 80, then leaving the BMS to shuffle charge in the HV battery

 

[suz]

You’ve not cocked up, this is normal behaviour.

Balance charge (about once a month) means setting the battery to 100%, assuming you normally charge to 80, then leaving the BMS to shuffle charge in the HV battery

Thanks, so this balance charge thing…are we supposed to only be charging it to 80% normally??

We just plug it in and let it charge…The MG people were bloody hopeless when we picked it up so we didn’t get any instructions about anything ?

 

[fatboyfat1981]

Thanks, so this balance charge thing…are we supposed to only be charging it to 80% normally??

We just plug it in and let it charge…The MG people were bloody hopeless when we picked it up so we didn’t get any instructions about anything ?

Have you got LR or SR?

Can’t say for sure on the SR as I haven’t got one, however for LR it’s recommended that you charge to 80% normally, reserving 100% for long trips & the occasional balance charge.

 

[N2STY]

Have you got LR or SR?

Can’t say for sure on the SR as I haven’t got one, however for LR it’s recommended that you charge to 80% normally, reserving 100% for long trips & the occasional balance charge.

I don't think Australia got the long range version

 

[DB Go Rex]

Hello! I’m in Australia and just heading in to cold weather - I live in regional Victoria and we get legitimately cold weather, but no snow. It has started to cool down properly over the last couple of weeks.

The range on the MG seems to be all over the place. At 100% charge it’s showing ranges of 260-280km whereas previously it was 310-330km.

My trip to work has previously used 49% of the battery but the last couple of weeks has used between 55% and 60% of the battery.

I got the car in October 2022 so I didn’t have it last winter and don’t really remember what was going on with the range when I first got it. Is this normal as weather cools down? Is there any way to get my range back up or is this just what happens when it’s cooler?

Searching on the board I’ve been finding messages about balancing your battery/load/something (??) and doing all sorts of elaborate things that I was never told to do - we just plug it in to our wall charger when we get home. I’m worried that I’ve somehow messed up the battery! ?

LFP SR person here.

I find the 8-10C point is a critical one for range; it really starts dropping off below that. Above that, you see decent improvements.

I was getting 2.9-3.1 m/kWh below 8C and with temps consistently above 10C now here in the UK, I'm getting 3.7-3.9 m/kWh.

(Sorry that's miles, I appreciate you use the more logical metric system in Aus)

Good news for you is that I suppose the colder temps don't last long in Aus...

 

[Ruislip Resident]

LFP SR person here.

I find the 8-10C point is a critical one for range; it really starts dropping off below that. Above that, you see decent improvements.

I was getting 2.9-3.1 m/kWh below 8C and with temps consistently above 10C now here in the UK, I'm getting 3.7-3.9 m/kWh.

(Sorry that's miles, I appreciate you use the more logical metric system in Aus)

Good news for you is that I suppose the colder temps don't last long in Aus...

I only got the 2.9 to 3.1 down at zero or sub zero.

 

[fatboyfat1981]

I don't think Australia got the long range version

Odd, given the size of the place (albeit running out of charge in the Outback could be a bit emotional)

 

[TassieDi]

Hi @suz . Sounds like you have the standard range mark 2 ZS, like me.
Your battery is the newer LFP chemistry, which is quite fine for charging to 100% whenever you want to. Apparently it is inadvisable to leave it at 100% for long periods of time though.

And it sounds like you are probably balancing the battery ok. That's about doing a slow charge i.e. like home charging, and leaving it on after it had technically reached 100%, until all the lights go off.

 

[suz]

Hi @suz . Sounds like you have the standard range mark 2 ZS, like me.
Your battery is the newer LFP chemistry, which is quite fine for charging to 100% whenever you want to. Apparently it is inadvisable to leave it at 100% for long periods of time though.

And it sounds like you are probably balancing the battery ok. That's about doing a slow charge i.e. like home charging, and leaving it on after it had technically reached 100%, until all the lights go off.

Yep, that’s the one I’ve got! Ok good, we have a 7kw charger at home and use that for about 80% of its charging. Thankyou!

Odd, given the size of the place (albeit running out of charge in the Outback could be a bit emotional)

I don't think Australia got the long range version

They’re just releasing the long range one here now! I’ve got what I assume is the standard range and it’s a 2022 model

LFP SR person here.

I find the 8-10C point is a critical one for range; it really starts dropping off below that. Above that, you see decent improvements.

I was getting 2.9-3.1 m/kWh below 8C and with temps consistently above 10C now here in the UK, I'm getting 3.7-3.9 m/kWh.

(Sorry that's miles, I appreciate you use the more logical metric system in Aus)

Good news for you is that I suppose the colder temps don't last long in Aus...

Thanks, I’ll monitor it and see what it does! We’ve just started getting temps in the low-single-digits overnight so that lines up with when the range reduced.

We live in a particularly cold bit of australia and the overnight temp in winter will typically sit at -2 up to about 4 degrees…(although it still gets to 40°c + in summer so we get the best (?) of both worlds ?) We don’t have a garage either, so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes!