MG4 in Australia

AGL today just gave me a bonus 2c FIT so now I’m on 9c a kWh fit lol I remember when I got double figures fit.

Still have around 30 pages to read, so hopefully I'm not asking something that has already been answered.
I bought a stat write off MG4 from Pickles Adelaide around a mth ago. I thought the odometer was saying 268km, but now it might have been the distance still remaining in the battery.
No battery connection, drive or steering at the moment, the crash ECU has locked it all down.
Does anyone know if unplugging the crash ECU will sort the problem the way it does in the model before?
More questions for later, like how to get a DC charging plug and if the charging can be done direct from solar.

T1 Terry

T1 Terry said:

Still have around 30 pages to read, so hopefully I'm not asking something that has already been answered.
I bought a stat write off MG4 from Pickles Adelaide around a mth ago. I thought the odometer was saying 268km, but now it might have been the distance still remaining in the battery.
No battery connection, drive or steering at the moment, the crash ECU has locked it all down.
Does anyone know if unplugging the crash ECU will sort the problem the way it does in the model before?
More questions for later, like how to get a DC charging plug and if the charging can be done direct from solar.

T1 Terry

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Hi what are u going to do with the vehicle? As I am sure u can’t register a stat wright off vehicle in NSW are u going to part it out ?

wattmatters said:

So the welcome pack for the EV plan arrives....

View attachment 24192

Red Energy agent I spoke with is pretty sure my tariff assignment and TOU will be correct, and it is the welcome pack in error. But we are not going to know until data starts coming in. So they have scheduled a follow up call once we have data coming through and we can validate.

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This is the same as the plan I have and there are 2 peak periods daily as specified. This is also shown on the Red Energy App where you can see your usage kWh and solar credit in $ amounts for each 1/2 hour which is the interval data uploaded from the smart meter. I do not have a CL1 tariff as I have a heat pump water heater with its own inbuilt timer and it only runs on solar energy.

In the App, select "Energy Usage) and then select "Half-hourly". The vertical line beside the time value is either solid green (off peak) dotted orange (shoulder) dotted blue (peak) or not there at all which is the free period. It is consistent with the plan.

When I got the smart meter installed I wanted to know what the readings meant & no-one at either Essential or Red energy or the Sparky who installed it knew. There are multiple registers that can be set for display. I eventually worked out one was total energy used in kWh and there were 2 showing kVAh (wasted energy & meaningless to most) plus export. Red Energy just advised me to download the app & that would provide the information which it does except it is 1 day in arrears so is not live but pretty good.

I'd still like the meter to display the 3 tariffs' kWh values and the export kWh values. PLUS ES provided the meter so at some stage I might ask them if I can get the registers changed to show what the old meter showed (3 kWh tariff values & kWh export value).

Rumor doing the rounds on Facebook and now Whirlpool that there is a possible AEB firmware update coming for Australia.
Neerav mentioned he's working on getting info from MG Australia and to watch his blog for details:

ozzz said:

lol I remember when I got double figures fit.

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I still get 49¢/kWh. It keeps my credit healthy despite only having registered a puny 1.02 kW system back in the day. I think it started at 44¢/kWh.

ozzz said:

Hi what are u going to do with the vehicle? As I am sure u can’t register a stat wright off vehicle in NSW are u going to part it out ?

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There's a whole thread on how he's going to use it to EV convert a Kombi.

leonkernan said:

There's a whole thread on how he's going to use it to EV convert a Kombi.

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Ok I did not know that as I am a Kombi owner 1972 lowlight must find it thanks for the heads up.

Coulomb said:

I still get 49¢/kWh. It keeps my credit healthy despite only having registered a puny 1.02 kW system back in the day. I think it started at 44¢/kWh.

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Wow seriously, who are u with I get 7c withAGL gradually dropped from 20c my system is 6.6kW.

Corindikev said:

It is consistent with the plan.

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It's not consistent with what I was sold however, nor is it consistent with the tariff assignment I have with Essential Energy (BLNT3AL). There is no morning peak on this tariff assignment.

I went through this with Red Energy prior to signing up, and was assured (twice) it would follow the BLNT3AL tariff structure and there would be no morning peak period. It's all on record with Red Energy.

The morning peak tariff should only apply to those with tariff assignment BLNT3AU.

Retailers are of course free to ignore the distributor's tariff assignment, but they have to have that agreement with the customer. They don't have mine and it was not what I was sold.

Corindikev said:

There are multiple registers that can be set for display. I eventually worked out one was total energy used in kWh and there were 2 showing kVAh (wasted energy & meaningless to most) plus export.

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I have two meters, a polyphase one for general supply plus the CL meter.

There are all sorts of registers to view, real time power, current, voltages, energy, KVA, KVAh, per phase data, combined data, etc etc.

Corindikev said:

I'd still like the meter to display the 3 tariffs' kWh values and the export kWh values.

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Yeah, that was more the older digital meters which sometimes had that facility. With interval meters the assessment of TOU is done using intervals data - it means that over time distributor tariff changes can be made without needing to have someone reprogram the meter.

Essential Energy are bringing in new tariff types from next FY. TOU periods will be different (legacy tariff structure will remain during the transition).

With smart meters you need to download the interval data to properly crunch the numbers. I do that if the retailer makes the data available, else I request it from Essential Energy. Some retailer portals are better than others in how they make data available and how they present it to make sense.

I'm yet to see data but Red assure me the interval data is downloadable. We'll see!

While Essential have a wholesale tariff your supply contract is with the retailer. Good luck with your argument. I'm sure they will just make an excuse and say their agent/employee was confused and did not know the facts clearly but they are written on the documents they send you so what was said doesn't count. What is written does.

Data is downloadable for each billing cycle or for the last 12 or 24 months. This via the App. I haven't bothered yet as I've only had the smart meter since late January.

I was reading recently somewhere (can't remember where) that the uptake of rooftop solar is so high that in the near future rooftop solar will be the bigger that all the existing electricity supply in Australia from commercial sources both legacy (non renewable) and renewable (solar/wind/pumped hydro). Already the spot price is going negative during the day.

Some retailers are beginning to realise they can provide cheap or free power to customers in the middle of the day. 4 hours in the weekend is only a start. OVO has a plan with free power during week days.

Home batteries are still too expensive for only about 10-13 kWh. The idea of community batteries appeals to me so you sell your excess power and buy it back at night as required. If the energy retailers can be contracted for a reasonable fee for the use of a couple of km of poles/wires this will be a winner .

Corindikev said:

I'm sure they will just make an excuse and say their agent/employee was confused and did not know the facts clearly but they are written on the documents they send you

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Those documents are not sent until after you sign up. The sales process cannot escape scrutiny. The $ are small, it's the principle I'm sticking up for.

Corindikev said:

I'm sure they will just make an excuse and say their agent/employee was confused

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It was independently verified by two different agents. I even got call back from them to confirm as they had to get it checked. This will all be on their records. I certainly made notes.

Corindikev said:

I was reading recently somewhere (can't remember where) that the uptake of rooftop solar is so high that in the near future rooftop solar will be the bigger that all the existing electricity supply in Australia from commercial sources both legacy (non renewable) and renewable (solar/wind/pumped hydro). Already the spot price is going negative during the day.

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For 2.5 hours today across the entire national electricity market solar PV alone was supplying more than half of the demand. Overall in 2023 solar PV supplied 18% of the total NEM energy demand.

In Sth Australia solar PV often supplies 100%+ of the state's entire demand for significant portions of the day, with excess exported to Victoria. When the new transmission link with NSW opens then more energy will flow that way too. Last year solar PV + wind contributed 71% of SA's total demand. The other states (except TAS - because it's mostly hydro) will follow.

NSW & QLD are the laggards but is rapidly changing. Coal power is ending. AEMO's expected schedule for coal closures (each year the closures are being brought forward):

Corindikev said:

Some retailers are beginning to realise they can provide cheap or free power to customers in the middle of the day. 4 hours in the weekend is only a start. OVO has a plan with free power during week days.

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It will become even more common once the distributor tariffs enter solar soaker mode. They will welcome load during the day and EVs are the perfect foil for that - a decent discretionary and controllable load.

I agree with standing up for the agreements and the principle of the matter. I hope you win. Then I'll have a go at them & maybe a promise to reveal all to the press may have an effect. Who knows.

ozzz said:

Wow seriously, who are u with I get 7c withAGL gradually dropped from 20c my system is 6.6kw.

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Tell me about it! I miss these days:

ozzz said:

Ok I did not know that as I am a Kombi owner 1972 lowlight must find it thanks for the heads up.

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You two are going to get on like a house on fire. A match made in heaven.

Corindikev said:

I agree with standing up for the agreements and the principle of the matter. I hope you win. Then I'll have a go at them & maybe a promise to reveal all to the press may have an effect. Who knows.

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We'll see.

Normally with other retailers they have two sets of TOU rates, one for each of the metering/TOU assignments. For the plans with a morning peak the peak tariff is a little lower, the shoulder tariff a little higher. Swings and roundabouts.

All Red would do is adjust the tariffs accordingly. I'd have been OK with the morning peak had that been what they confirmed was the only option.

It will be interesting to see what actually happens.

ozzz said:

Hi what are u going to do with the vehicle? As I am sure u can’t register a stat wright off vehicle in NSW are u going to part it out ?

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Sorry, should have put up a link, I was in a rush because I had to get to the Adelaide AEVA meeting.
The plan is to strip out everything, probably sell off the body parts from the MG4 and the engine and gearbox as well as all steering components from the kombi.

After paying the outrageous price of $3,250 for the MG4, they had taken the charging lead out of it, the cheek of some people :lol:

T1 Terry

T1 Terry said:

Sorry, should have put up a link, I was in a rush because I had to get to the Adelaide AEVA meeting.

Anyone know where I can get a workshop manual for an Excite 64

I'm new here, so be gentle. I am in Australia, so you can't come around and egg my house for what I want to do :lol: I recently bought a stat write-off MG4 from a salvage auction and want to use it as a donor to convert my '74 VW Kombi to electric. A workshop manual or You Tube videos on how to...

www.mgevs.com

The plan is to strip out everything, probably sell off the body parts from the MG4 and the engine and gearbox as well as all steering components from the kombi.

After paying the outrageous price of $3,250 for the MG4, they had taken the charging lead out of it, the cheek of some people :lol:

T1 Terry

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I feel a bit slow T1 was the giveaway lol I am T2

ozzz said:

Wow seriously, who are u with I get 7c withAGL gradually dropped from 20c

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They don't offer that high FIT to new customers, it's grandfathered in from when 1.002 kW cost about $8000 late 2008). That's 6 x 167 W Sharp panels. The good FIT is supposed to be guaranteed until 2028, but if you change anything, it's gone.

I'm with Origin.

leonkernan said:

Rumor doing the rounds on Facebook and now Whirlpool that there is a possible AEB firmware update coming for Australia.
Neerav mentioned he's working on getting info from MG Australia and to watch his blog for details:

Electrifying Everything - by Neerav Bhatt

Neerav Bhatt's views on electric Australian transportation & sustainable homes

www.bhatt.id.au

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Thanks Leon

Here's the info about the update for the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system in Australian MG4's

Hopefully it fixes the scary phantom braking issue

Before anyone in the UK or Europe asks about their MG4 I have no idea if a similar update will be available for you, sorry

neerav said:

Thanks Leon

Here's the info about the update for the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system in Australian MG4's

Hopefully it fixes the scary phantom braking issue

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No worries, I just wish they’d take it more seriously and not just rely on the “get it done at your two year service” response.