ABRP OBD II dongle

[MG67]

Hi which OBD II dongle for ABRP navigation app do I need??
I'm driving a MG ZS EV year 2021

 

[fred12345]

Hi which OBD II dongle for ABRP navigation app do I need??
I'm driving a MG ZS EV year 2021

some comments on the subject from other users

 

[elektro]

Check the ABRP website, they have a list of compatible dongles. I'm using the vLinker MC+. It's one of the more expensive ones, but it has the advantage that it doesn't allow just anyone to connect to it should you leave it plugged in. If someone can connect they can potentially do nasty things.

Also be aware that ABRP will not work on the car's infotainment system and you won't be able to use advanced features unless you pay the subscription fee. Personally I don't, as the free features are good enough to calculate a route with charging stops and I'd rather use Google Maps for actual navigation. In hindsight I didn't really need the dongle at all, although it does make it easy to sync SOC etc. with ABRP. I might still try the paid version some day.

 

[MG4JP]

In hindsight I didn't really need the dongle at all, although it does make it easy to sync SOC etc. with ABRP. I might still try the paid version some day.

Really?

That's interesting because I thought the main interest in the dongle was to have ABRP know the exact consumption, battery SOC, etc. of the car (automatically and in real time) and thus constantly revaluating the charging stops.

Basically working like a good, native EV navigation system.

 

[peterseddon]

Really?

That's interesting because I thought the main interest in the dongle was to have ABRP know the exact consumption, battery SOC, etc. of the car (automatically and in real time) and thus constantly revaluating the charging stops.

Basically working like a good, native EV navigation system.

I couldn't be bothered with all the pfaff, I just use Google Maps for navigation. as for working out charging stops, my bladder does that for me, not the car. I just sit back and let MG Pilot do the rest. I do have a dongle though, not a cheap one it's an OBDLink LX from Amazon.

 

[DBedford]

ABRP I found was good for the first long run on our EV then, after that it all became a bit pointless (for us) and the are charging points now all over the place. BUT regards a suitable OBD dongle , we have been using the following for 2 years and has auto off, so no 12v battery drain.

Amazon.co.uk

 

[elektro]

Really?

That's interesting because I thought the main interest in the dongle was to have ABRP know the exact consumption, battery SOC, etc. of the car (automatically and in real time) and thus constantly revaluating the charging stops.

Basically working like a good, native EV navigation system.

Firstly, to use the automatic settings (live SoC, calibrated reference consumption, weather, traffic) and thus automatic reevaluation you need to pay. From what I've read the ABRP navigation experience is not that great either.

Secondly, the variability in consumption is unlikely to be that high, at least in my experience. If you drive at a relatively constant speed (that being the biggest factor when it comes to consumption) then the other factors are more or less negligible. There will be exceptions, like hitting heavy traffic in very cold weather and thus covering little distance while using a relatively large amount of energy for heating. (In hot weather this is not a concern by the way. EV aircons have been shown to be very efficient, and I've experienced this myself - sitting in stop-and-go traffic for over an hour in ~30°C heat I lost maybe 2% charge.)

So far I've always found ABRP to be rather pessimistic, usually arriving at the charger with 10-15% more than configured as arrival SoC. Personally I think that is a good thing, and I don't mind if charging takes a little longer because of it. The ZS doesn't charge that fast anyway that it would make a big difference.

You also have to ask yourself, is it worth going maybe 50-80kms further so that you can shave off a few minutes from your charging time? Maybe if you drive very dynamically and are going very long distance (more than 2 charging stops) the live stuff is worth it. I would argue though that the ZS is not really the right car for that in the first place.

Another factor, at least here in Germany and surrounds, is that most people (myself included) have a subscription with a particular provider for charging. It's significantly cheaper that way. If you "roam" or pay cash you are ripped off, with prices almost doubling in some cases. So for me the choice of where to stop is usually related to this, as well as the services that are available (food, bathroom). A little bit of variability in consumption is unlikely to change that. If need be, as DBedford said, the next charger is never that far away.

For interest's sake, my reference consumption in ABRP is currently set to 204Wh/km and max. speed to 130km/h, as I rarely drive faster. I last used ABRP when it was still a lot colder - a setting of 180-190Wh/km would probably be more realistic/accurate now in summer. I'm about to go on some long drives in August so I'll report back if anything changes significantly.

 

[MG4JP]

I couldn't be bothered with all the pfaff, I just use Google Maps for navigation. as for working out charging stops, my bladder does that for me, not the car.

It's not a matter of wanting to be bothered, but rather having to.

I understand that kind of thinking when you're driving only in familiar routes and/or in areas which are well covered with chargers.
If you want to freely drive around (and get out of the confort zone) you will need to bother.

And then you have two options: either you plan your trip in advance, studying a charging map and predicting different consumption scenarios or you simply rely on a good, native EV navigation system.

I thought ABRP with an OBD dongle would be just that, but apparently it isn't.


Last, but not least, I drive an MG4 Standard, which does not have MG Pilot.

 

[elektro]

I thought ABRP with an OBD dongle would be just that, but apparently it isn't.

I think it can be if you get the subscription.

 

[DBedford]

Yes ABRP does need a subscription to use the OBD date , and we just subscribed of the month during which we were on holiday, around £4.50-£5 if I recall correctly.

 

[elektro]

Yes ABRP does need a subscription to use the OBD date , and we just subscribed of the month during which we were on holiday, around £4.50-£5 if I recall correctly.

Did you use its navigation functionality?