Rolfe
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- MG4 SE SR
In another thread someone pointed out that MG recommend that cars should be charged from 10% to 100% on a "slow charger" every three to six months. I didn't think I needed the car today, so since I was down to 9% yesterday afternoon I thought I'd give it a try.
I started the charge about 4.30 yesterday afternoon. I tend to estimate 3 hours for every 10% battery fill, so I was expecting it to take maybe 28 hours including the half-hour balance charge the car will do at the end of it, but it is working out a little quicker than that. At first the app was reporting wittering nonsense as regards finishing time, but this morning it settled down to 5.30 this afternoon (it's saying 5.45 now), which is only 25 hours plus the balance charge. (This is good, because after I'd started the charge I got an email saying turn up for orchestra practice at eight please, and my first reaction was, maybe not.)
I just checked the plug, 24 hours into the continuous charge, and there's no warmth either in the plug or the socket.
I'm wondering a few things. Do they really mean to do this on a granny lead? I don't have a wall box anyway, but don't they class wall-box chargers as "fast chargers"? I imagine this is something rather akin to getting the car to eat its five-a-day, i.e. it's theoretically a good idea but it's not going to cause it to drop dead in a year if you don't. I've not seen this covered by any of the videos about battery care.
The same part of the manual says something about "don't use rapid chargers." On this one, who are they actually kidding? But I saw a video with a similar title to that which I didn't watch, and again it's nothing I've ever seen discussed as regards battery care. The reason I've never charged from 10% to 100% on the granny charger is that there's a 50 Kw rapid charger only five minutes away that's about the same price as my home electricity, so I've tended to give the car a session on that when I've come back low, before driving it home and finishing off to 100% and balance on the granny lead - just to save time. I'm a bit hazy why this might be a bad idea, although as the weather gets worse the attraction of walking 400 yards home from the charger and back again is likely to wear a bit thin.
It does underline how practical it is to live off a granny charger even with moderate mileage, if you have a decent electrical setup. Most people come home in the evening in time for their evening meal, so stay in the house maybe 12-14 hours most nights. You can comfortably pick up 80-90 miles or so of range in that time. If your daily mileage is less than that on average, and is regular, it should work out.
Obviously there comes a point where the ability to utilise a variable electricity tariff by charging faster overnight for shorter periods is attractive. But on the whole, I'm managing fine. Just lucky the house I bought 16 years ago had such good electrical fittings in the garage, I suppose.
I started the charge about 4.30 yesterday afternoon. I tend to estimate 3 hours for every 10% battery fill, so I was expecting it to take maybe 28 hours including the half-hour balance charge the car will do at the end of it, but it is working out a little quicker than that. At first the app was reporting wittering nonsense as regards finishing time, but this morning it settled down to 5.30 this afternoon (it's saying 5.45 now), which is only 25 hours plus the balance charge. (This is good, because after I'd started the charge I got an email saying turn up for orchestra practice at eight please, and my first reaction was, maybe not.)
I just checked the plug, 24 hours into the continuous charge, and there's no warmth either in the plug or the socket.
I'm wondering a few things. Do they really mean to do this on a granny lead? I don't have a wall box anyway, but don't they class wall-box chargers as "fast chargers"? I imagine this is something rather akin to getting the car to eat its five-a-day, i.e. it's theoretically a good idea but it's not going to cause it to drop dead in a year if you don't. I've not seen this covered by any of the videos about battery care.
The same part of the manual says something about "don't use rapid chargers." On this one, who are they actually kidding? But I saw a video with a similar title to that which I didn't watch, and again it's nothing I've ever seen discussed as regards battery care. The reason I've never charged from 10% to 100% on the granny charger is that there's a 50 Kw rapid charger only five minutes away that's about the same price as my home electricity, so I've tended to give the car a session on that when I've come back low, before driving it home and finishing off to 100% and balance on the granny lead - just to save time. I'm a bit hazy why this might be a bad idea, although as the weather gets worse the attraction of walking 400 yards home from the charger and back again is likely to wear a bit thin.
It does underline how practical it is to live off a granny charger even with moderate mileage, if you have a decent electrical setup. Most people come home in the evening in time for their evening meal, so stay in the house maybe 12-14 hours most nights. You can comfortably pick up 80-90 miles or so of range in that time. If your daily mileage is less than that on average, and is regular, it should work out.
Obviously there comes a point where the ability to utilise a variable electricity tariff by charging faster overnight for shorter periods is attractive. But on the whole, I'm managing fine. Just lucky the house I bought 16 years ago had such good electrical fittings in the garage, I suppose.
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slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. 
