2021 MG5 Exclusive: 4 miles per kWh - YAY!

After a year from September 2022:

A recent trip, Glasgow to Market Harborough to Wolverhampton (in that order) at a chilly 12 deg C and motorway speeds:

I charge every 100 miles.

200 miles up the M6 from Wolverhampton in atrocious wet and windy weather, but warmer, including a charge just off M6 J27 MFG:

For long journeys, I charge every 100 miles, not because the battery needs it, I want a 25 minute break. I'm usually 30-40% charged on arrival and I charge up to 80%. At home, I charge at 7 kW up to 90%.
I like to drive at 66 mph on motorways but as they are so busy these days, it tends to be between zero for 20 minutes and 50-70 mph!​

 

[Gomev]

Nice one. Each to their own routine when travelling, whatever makes your journey good for you.
Personally I don't have a set distance for stops but living in Leeds I find I can get mostly anywhere I want to go with only one stop so arrange it around that.
Not been to Cornwall or north of the border yet in an EV though so far.

 

[SparkyDoo]

After a year from September 2022:
View attachment 20330

A recent trip, Glasgow to Market Harborough to Wolverhampton (in that order) at a chilly 12 deg C and motorway speeds:
View attachment 20331
I charge every 100 miles.

200 miles up the M6 from Wolverhampton in atrocious wet and windy weather, but warmer, including a charge just off M6 J27 MFG:
View attachment 20332

For long journeys, I charge every 100 miles, not because the battery needs it, I want a 25 minute break. I'm usually 30-40% charged on arrival and I charge up to 80%. At home, I charge at 7 kW up to 90%.
I like to drive at 66 mph on motorways but as they are so busy these days, it tends to be between zero for 20 minutes and 50-70 mph!​

Hardly comparable, 4.4 miles per kWh in my used MG5 SR almost entirely from our two week trip in beautiful France [Dept. Mayenne], returned a week ago and not yet reset. Cheapest charging rates between 0.33 [slow] to 0.25 Euro per kWh [rapid]. My normal driving in UK is ~4.2 kWh [roughly] or so. I'm still very much a beginner with evs.

 

[Joe Boatman]

Hardly comparable, 4.4 miles per kWh in my used MG5 SR almost entirely from our two week trip in beautiful France [Dept. Mayenne], returned a week ago and not yet reset. Cheapest charging rates between 0.33 [slow] to 0.25 Euro per kWh [rapid]. My normal driving in UK is ~4.2 kWh [roughly] or so. I'm still very much a beginner with evs.

Interesting! The smaller battery in your SR compared to my LR must account for the better efficiency! Thanks for your post.

 

[MG5 Lone Ranger]

After a year from September 2022:
View attachment 20330

A recent trip, Glasgow to Market Harborough to Wolverhampton (in that order) at a chilly 12 deg C and motorway speeds:
View attachment 20331
I charge every 100 miles.

200 miles up the M6 from Wolverhampton in atrocious wet and windy weather, but warmer, including a charge just off M6 J27 MFG:
View attachment 20332

For long journeys, I charge every 100 miles, not because the battery needs it, I want a 25 minute break. I'm usually 30-40% charged on arrival and I charge up to 80%. At home, I charge at 7 kW up to 90%.
I like to drive at 66 mph on motorways but as they are so busy these days, it tends to be between zero for 20 minutes and 50-70 mph!​

Hi there,
Can I ask why charge only to either 80% or 90%, I've had my MG5 LR exclusive for 14 months now, and always charge to 100% using a 7kW charger, mainly because I can't be arsed to keep going outside to check on it, my new Eon-Next tariff started today, 9.5p/kWh between midnight and 7 am, so once it's switched on at just after midnight, it'll stay on till I get up.

 

[bobs2293]

Really don’t know why people only charge to 80%. It’s silly. The whole thing about protecting your battery is nonsense. It has a battery management system to protect the battery. I’ve done 92k in mine and it charges to 100% every night on my 7 kW charger. State of health is 99%.

 

[Joe Boatman]

Hi there,
Can I ask why charge only to either 80% or 90%, I've had my MG5 LR exclusive for 14 months now, and always charge to 100% using a 7kW charger, mainly because I can't be arsed to keep going outside to check on it, my new Eon-Next tariff started today, 9.5p/kWh between midnight and 7 am, so once it's switched on at just after midnight, it'll stay on till I get up.

This is a good question! I charge to 90% mainly due to the fact that there's no regen (braking effect) over about 95% charge. I note that the car handbook states recommends 80% with a monthly charge of 100% to "balance the cells", but since so many people (like the next post) maintain that charging to 100% is not a problem, I've compromised on 90%!!
About knowing how much charge there is (without going out to look, in the rain, at night!): I created table of charging currents and I can set the current from 6A to 32A using the Hypervolt charger app. I also created an app (wot I rote!) to tell me the current to set (based on the current % charge) in the 7kW charger for the 7 hours that EON Next provides at it's 9p per kWh night rate. If it's of interest, I can sent it to you in this post.
I'm in dispute with EON Next. Are they charging you correctly? I'm paying 32.55p for every kWh I use even though I have 2 readings on my electricity meter - day and night rates but they charge me for day rates only.
I find that British Gas is currently charging less...

 

[arog1354]

This is a good question! I charge to 90% mainly due to the fact that there's no regen (braking effect) over about 95% charge. I note that the car handbook states recommends 80% with a monthly charge of 100% to "balance the cells", but since so many people (like the next post) maintain that charging to 100% is not a problem, I've compromised on 90%!!
About knowing how much charge there is (without going out to look, in the rain, at night!): I created table of charging currents and I can set the current from 6A to 32A using the Hypervolt charger app. I also created an app (wot I rote!) to tell me the current to set (based on the current % charge) in the 7kW charger for the 7 hours that EON Next provides at it's 9p per kWh night rate. If it's of interest, I can sent it to you in this post.
I'm in dispute with EON Next. Are they charging you correctly? I'm paying 32.55p for every kWh I use even though I have 2 readings on my electricity meter - day and night rates but they charge me for day rates only.
I find that British Gas is currently charging less...

Octopus Intelligent 7.5p per kWh between 11.30pm and 5.30am - and that's any electricity used.

 

[Fokmg]

Octopus Intelligent 7.5p per kwh between 11.30pm and 5.30am - and that's any electricity used.

Hi what charger do you use and what model MG5 are you using ?

 

[CanyonReveller]

The reason for mixed opinions on what you should charge your battery to is that there are different types of battery.

LFP batteries can be regularly charged to 100% with little to no issue.

Other types, such as NMC batteries it matters a great deal and keeping your battery at 100% will unambiguously make your battery wear out much sooner. It might not be obvious over a year, but over 3 it will have a very noticeable effect.

 

[Joe Boatman]

The reason for mixed opinions on what you should charge your battery to is that there are different types of battery.

LFP batteries can be regularly charged to 100% with little to no issue.

Other types, such as NMC batteries it matters a great deal and keeping your battery at 100% will unambiguously make your battery wear out much sooner. It might not be obvious over a year, but over 3 it will have a very noticeable effect.

Thank you. Interesting to know. According to EV-Database at MG MG5 EV Long Range, the battery in my long range 2021 MG5 SE iExclusive is Lithium-ion. Is SAIC/MG Motor using LFP now or in the future?

 

[CanyonReveller]

They'll all be referred to generally as lithium ion, just to make everything that little bit more confusing. The sticker on your battery should tell you what you have.

I believe the MG5 currently uses LFP for the smaller (~50kwh) battery and NMC for the larger (~60kwh) battery.

 

[Joe Boatman]

They'll all be referred to generally as lithium ion, just to make everything that little bit more confusing. The sticker on your battery should tell you what you have.

I believe the MG5 currently uses LFP for the smaller (~50kwh) battery and NMC for the larger (~60kwh) battery.

Hmm. I'm learning. Thanks. So the Nickel Manganese Cobalt battery in my car should be charged to 80% (as the manual suggests) with monthly 100% for cell balancing or in preparation for the occasional long journey. And aegisbattery.com suggests that NMC batteries are good for 1000 charges: at one charge per week, that's 19 years. I'll make a forward calendar reminder!
I'll also crawl around underneath and see if I can find the label!

 

[Fokmg]

I have always tended to follow the 80% 20% rule for battery charge, except approx each month I will do a 100% balancing charge. I always make sure that the 100% charge coincides with the need to do a reasonable journey straight away. The lowest I went on the battery was about 4% after 210+ mile journey ,just wanted to get home.
To date over 2.5 years I have not been able to detect any drop in range.
The batteries have never been charged at a rate greater than 7.2 kW.
I suppose ought to check the DC fast charger works but I prefer to use sunshine or cheap electric.
Fast charging from low levels and lack of cell balancing certainly do not help effective battery life.
As the years pass the battery designs and chemistry will alter and improve. In 10 years time we will have a real chuckle about the current designs of batteries.
Its not long ago that EVs only used lead acid batteries.

 

[CanyonReveller]

Hmm. I'm learning. Thanks. So the Nickel Manganese Cobalt battery in my car should be charged to 80% (as the manual suggests) with monthly 100% for cell balancing or in preparation for the occasional long journey. And aegisbattery.com suggests that NMC batteries are good for 1000 charges: at one charge per week, that's 19 years. I'll make a forward calendar reminder!
I'll also crawl around underneath and see if I can find the label!

It doesn't hurt, but wouldn't even worry too much about scheduled cell balancing unless you're also hitting the rapid 50kW+ chargers every week. Assuming you go up to 100% on a home charger for a long trip once every couple of months organically, you'll probably be fine.

You'll also be pleased to know that if you stick between 80% and 20% in average use, as Fokmg says, then you can expect more like 10,000 charge cycles out of your NMC battery (evidence from Fig. 2 here).

Batteries also age based on the state of charge they're left in. However, leaving it between 80% and 20% in average use will have you sorted there too. Nice and easy

 

[MickeySw]

Its not long ago that EVs only used lead acid batteries.

That was actually back in the 20th century, the last mass produced EV (GM EV1) using lead acid batteries upgraded to NiMH packs in 1999.

 

[arog1354]

Hi what charger do you use and what model MG5 are you using ?

Mg5 LR pre face-lift using Ohme charger.

 

[Rayz]

Hi there,
Can I ask why charge only to either 80% or 90%, I've had my MG5 LR exclusive for 14 months now, and always charge to 100% using a 7kW charger, mainly because I can't be arsed to keep going outside to check on it, my new Eon-Next tariff started today, 9.5p/kWh between midnight and 7 am, so once it's switched on at just after midnight, it'll stay on till I get up.

According to MG to charge your batteries to 100% will shorten the life of the batteries. I have noticed that in the charging process between 90- 100% does take a longer time, why I've no idea

 

[Verdigris]

I have noticed that in the charging process between 90- 100% does take a longer time, why I've no idea

That's normal for all EV battery packs. It it the BMS (battery management system) slowing the charge rate, partly to help balance the level of charge in each cell. It helps to prolong the battery life.

That is why, if you are using public fast DC chargers it is recommended to only charge to only 80%, as even if that necessitates another top-up, it is quicker, overall, than waiting for the battery to get to 100%, once.

 

[MG5 Lone Ranger]

This is a good question! I charge to 90% mainly due to the fact that there's no regen (braking effect) over about 95% charge. I note that the car handbook states recommends 80% with a monthly charge of 100% to "balance the cells", but since so many people (like the next post) maintain that charging to 100% is not a problem, I've compromised on 90%!!
About knowing how much charge there is (without going out to look, in the rain, at night!): I created table of charging currents and I can set the current from 6A to 32A using the Hypervolt charger app. I also created an app (wot I rote!) to tell me the current to set (based on the current % charge) in the 7kW charger for the 7 hours that EON Next provides at it's 9p per kWh night rate. If it's of interest, I can sent it to you in this post.
I'm in dispute with EON Next. Are they charging you correctly? I'm paying 32.55p for every kWh I use even though I have 2 readings on my electricity meter - day and night rates but they charge me for day rates only.
I find that British Gas is currently charging less...

Sorry for not replying earlier, had a little problem with me ticker, needed 2 stents, anyway fine now, so to answer your response, I haven't had chance to use the so called low night tariff, probably this week sometime, due to not being able to drive for 7 days after the op, the day rate does indeed seem a lot higher than the previous Eon-Next day tariff of 21.8p/kWh, but at 32.55p it's still cheaper than public chargers, especially BP. P.S. It's my understanding that British Gas owns Eon-Next anyway.