ZS EV LR battery care

[dspencer12345]

I'm a relative newbie, having purchased my EV late last September. I've read through a number of threads, and I'm still not sure I've got the right answers for my specific car.

According to a post I found elsewhere, the MG ZS EV has the LFP battery and a 330km range. Expected to last 3000 cycles.
The MG ZS EV Long Range has the NMC battery and a 440km range. Expected to last 1500 cycles.

So if I have a 2023 plate Long Range with sunroof (I mention this as I'm not sure if they've changed the battery with later models), I've got the NMC battery right? Is it genuinely inferior for the number of cycles?

So battery care. I've been charging my car in the range 20-80%, using a Podpoint Solo at home charger charging at 7.4kW, except on rare occasions when I needed the extended range and I charged to 100%. Is that right for my battery?

Balancing charge. I consistently use the Podpoint charger at home, with the car set (not the charger) to charge to 80%. Will this initiate a Balancing Charge? I thought it did until I read recently that you have to discharge to under 10% first?

Finally, battery heating. To date, I've only used this feature a couple of times, but I wonder if I should be using it more. If so, at what range of outside temperature should I be using it?

Sorry for lots of questions, but I wanted to nail it all down in one conversation.

 

[MickeySw]

So if I have a 2023 plate Long Range with sunroof (I mention this as I'm not sure if they've changed the battery with later models), I've got the NMC battery right? Is it genuinely inferior for the number of cycles?

Correct, long range use NFC battery and yes on paper it’s inferior to LFP in that regard, but not really relevant in “real life”

So battery care. I've been charging my car in the range 20-80%, using a Podpoint Solo at home charger charging at 7.4kW, except on rare occasions when I needed the extended range and I charged to 100%. Is that right for my battery?

Yes, although nothing wrong with regularly (weekly) charging to 100% to do balancing.

Balancing charge. I consistently use the Podpoint charger at home, with the car set (not the charger) to charge to 80%. Will this initiate a Balancing Charge?

No, it has to charge to 100% before balancing starts

I thought it did until I read recently that you have to discharge to under 10% first?

That’s for a different procedure aka capacity re-calibration, to be done twice a year.

Finally, battery heating. To date, I've only used this feature a couple of times, but I wonder if I should be using it more. If so, at what range of outside temperature should I be using it?

Manual battery heating doesn’t seem to work if cell temperatures are above 10deg, it’s meant to be used to warm the batteries before staring a rapid (DC, CCS) charge.

 

[DB Go Rex]

I'm a relative newbie, having purchased my EV late last September. I've read through a number of threads, and I'm still not sure I've got the right answers for my specific car.

According to a post I found elsewhere, the MG ZS EV has the LFP battery and a 330km range. Expected to last 3000 cycles.
The MG ZS EV Long Range has the NMC battery and a 440km range. Expected to last 1500 cycles.

So if I have a 2023 plate Long Range with sunroof (I mention this as I'm not sure if they've changed the battery with later models), I've got the NMC battery right? Is it genuinely inferior for the number of cycles?

So battery care. I've been charging my car in the range 20-80%, using a Podpoint Solo at home charger charging at 7.4kW, except on rare occasions when I needed the extended range and I charged to 100%. Is that right for my battery?

Balancing charge. I consistently use the Podpoint charger at home, with the car set (not the charger) to charge to 80%. Will this initiate a Balancing Charge? I thought it did until I read recently that you have to discharge to under 10% first?

Finally, battery heating. To date, I've only used this feature a couple of times, but I wonder if I should be using it more. If so, at what range of outside temperature should I be using it?

Sorry for lots of questions, but I wanted to nail it all down in one conversation.

How long do you plan to keep the car?

 

[dspencer12345]

How long do you plan to keep the car?

Planning on keeping it a good 6 to 7 years, if all goes well.

So is battery heating not required if you're just using the car normally in colder temperatures?

 

[MickeySw]

So is battery heating not required if you're just using the car normally in colder temperatures?

The BMS will automatically turn on the heater if the cells are getting too cold, therefore yes, no need to manually activate it during driving and AC charging.

 

[Tread Softly Terran]

I use zappi at home charger and find even charging to 80% (same car as yours) there is a mini balancing when the input to the car reduces from 6.5kW to 4.2 then even lower for a little while before ending the charge. The other day I even noticed it doing this charging to 60% !
The book suggests 80% normal use and approx once per month 100% to fully balance. These books were written before the BMS & other software updates though.

 

[DB Go Rex]

Planning on keeping it a good 6 to 7 years, if all goes well.

In that case, I don't think you need to worry unless you are doing crazy mileages.

Just drive the car.

 

[MickeySw]

I use zappi at home charger and find even charging to 80% (same car as yours) there is a mini balancing when the input to the car reduces from 6.5kw to 4.2 then even lower for a little while before ending the charge. The other day I even noticed it doing this charging to 60% !

This isn’t ‘mini balancing’ rather than the car reducing charging power when getting close to the SoC set to prevent ‘overshooting’ the limit…

 

[Tread Softly Terran]

It does it for quite a while. Next time I'll check next time to see if the charge lights change colour at the time.....

 

[Kay]

How do I adjust the Zappi to charge a full 100%? At present, it is stopping at 80%.

 

[Tread Softly Terran]

If not on Octopus Intelligent or similar where 'they' control your zappi, then make sure the MG app is set to 100% (press battery, then on next page press what looks like a nut in top right hand side. Click on the percentage and set to 100% then press confirm). At this point it will even flash success or failure. If failure do it a few times until success.
If it's the zappi, then make sure its set to 'fast' charge.. and decide if you want it on 'schedule' time or 'manual' for instant charging.

 

[peterseddon]

How do I adjust the Zappi to charge a full 100%? At present, it is stopping at 80%.

You shouldn't need to adjust the Zappi, you need to set the car to charge to 100%, With the car on, press the battery switch and on the screen that appears move the slider (dotted line) to 100% charge, or long journey mode. It will then charge t 100%

 

[kitos]

Correct, long range use NFC battery and yes on paper it’s inferior to LFP in that regard, but not really relevant in “real life”

Yes, although nothing wrong with regularly (weekly) charging to 100% to do balancing.

No, it has to charge to 100% before balancing starts

That’s for a different procedure aka capacity re-calibration, to be done twice a year.

Manual battery heating doesn’t seem to work if cell temperatures are above 10deg, it’s meant to be used to warm the batteries before staring a rapid (DC, CCS) charge.

Can I kindly ask you?

About going under X % twice a year, why this has to be done?, why is it for?

My ZS EV LR Luxury, never went under 15% in its 2 and half year running...

 

[MickeySw]

Can I kindly ask you?

About going under X % twice a year, why this has to be done?, why is it for?

My ZS EV LR Luxury, never went under 15% in its 2 and half year running...

It’s recommended to check/update the current battery capacity.

The BMS uses a sophisticated degradation model to calculate SoH (mostly based on age and number of battery charge/discharge cycles).

During a calibration charge the energy required fully charge the car is actually measured and then compared to the calculated value.

Most of the times you will see no (or minor) differences in SoH after completing the procedure.

 

[DB Go Rex]

It’s recommended to check/update the current battery capacity.

The BMS uses a sophisticated degradation model to calculate SoH (mostly based on age and number of battery charge/discharge cycles).

During a calibration charge the energy required fully charge the car is actually measured and then compared to the calculated value.

Most of the times you will see no (or minor) differences in SoH after completing the procedure.

i have no idea where you are getting your information from, but charging down to certain SoCs isn’t recommended anywhere.

 

[DB Go Rex]

Can I kindly ask you?

About going under X % twice a year, why this has to be done?, why is it for?

My ZS EV LR Luxury, never went under 15% in its 2 and half year running...

It doesn’t.

You don’t have to.

 

[MickeySw]

i have no idea where you are getting your information from, bur charging down to certain SoCs isn’t recommended anywhere.

…around the 55 min mark

 

[DB Go Rex]

…around the 55 min mark

I watched from 55-60. I don't hear Miles saying that at all. The guy at the bottom is stating MG has said something like this, but it gets no response from Miles.

The manual states the balancing occurs by charging to 100%.

 

[MickeySw]

I watched from 55-60. I don't hear Miles saying that at all. The guy at the bottom is stating MG has said something like this, but it gets no response from Miles.

I’m sure Miles being the expert he is, would have corrected the guy if he didn’t agree?

The manual states the balancing occurs by charging to 100%.

Yes, but this isn’t about balancing, it’s the ‘other’ recommended HV battery maintenance procedure, but I agree the translation of the relevant section in my manual (MG5) is a bit confusing:

Btw this process isn’t MG specific, most (all?) EV manufacturers recommend to measure the battery capacity once or twice a year…

 

[DB Go Rex]

I’m sure Miles being the expert he is, would have corrected the guy if he didn’t agree?

Yes, but this isn’t about balancing, it’s the ‘other’ recommended HV battery maintenance procedure, but I agree the translation of the relevant section in my manual (MG5) is a bit confusing:

View attachment 32546

Btw this process isn’t MG specific, most (all?) EV manufacturers recommend to measure the battery capacity once or twice a year…

It's confusing because it's MG's terrible English localisation again. It barely makes any sense.

That's not battery percentage it is referring to though, it's refering to the power of the charging itself. It's just trying to say to not do that full charge on rapid charger, but a lower power charger.

That sentence is not in the ZS manual btw.