Advice for using Mg5 as Taxi

[imanbains]

Hi all , I've recently purchased a Mg5 LR in artic white Just wanting to ask If the vehicle has A sunglass Holder as I'm looking to fit my Taxi meter if it has one ?

 

[biffo]

Hi all , I've recently purchased a Mg5 LR in artic white Just wanting to ask If the vehicle has A sunglass Holder as I'm looking to fit my Taxi meter if it has one ?

Pretty sure mine doesn't have a sunglass holder - also, not sure if you've seen this YouTube channel, but Irish taxi driver documents his experiences and answers questions asked

https://www.youtube.com/user/MrWingsuited

 

[Gomev]

I've seen a MG 5 private hire around my way.

 

[weedavemac]

I use mine as a private hire taxi. Feel free to message me and I will help in any way I can.

 

[5teep]

Hi all , I've recently purchased a Mg5 LR in artic white Just wanting to ask If the vehicle has A sunglass Holder as I'm looking to fit my Taxi meter if it has one ?

Aftermarket holders are cheap to buy.

 

[Mick Evans]

I use mine as a private hire taxi. Feel free to message me and I will help in any way I can.

Great to see your post. I'm a private hire driver in Essex do you have a mirror meter? Does it wire straight to the battery under the bonnet. How do you find the car as a taxi?

 

[weedavemac]

Hi,

I don't use a meter - sorry.

I have only ben using the car as a taxi for 4 weeks so still finding my feet.

The biggest benefit is the running costs. I live in Glasgow where, at the moment, there are free to use rapid chargers. I use them whenever possible. And use a cheap octopus go tariff at home. I reckon my average fuel cost per day is under £2.00, compared to £30.00 of diesel. The savings on fuel more than cover the cost of the car. Even without the free chargers, the savings are still massive.

I always start my day with 100% battery. I start early in the mornings, and most of my work is taking individuals to airports and train stations with the average run being about 8 miles. The car is perfect for that. A full charge has, so far, been lasting me all day. It is tight for space with 4 passengers compared to previous cars. Longer runs on motorways at 70 mph drain the battery pretty quickly. City driving lasts much longer.

Couple of gripes:- No tinted windows (I got tinted window film put in), no rear cabin lights - I will do that myself at some point, no parking sensors at the front - I will get that done at some point too.

I have noticed the battery draining more quickly in the colder weather, and am monitoring how that develops, but it is still enough for what I need it for. I do approx 180 miles per day and so far I have only felt the need to top up mid shift once.

I have no regrets so far at all.

 

[Mick Evans]

Thanks for the reply. I probably do 150 miles a day but that would include an airport run. Heathrow is only 79 miles away. I would go home around lunch time and put it on a home charger for an hour. £2 a day is pretty good going. Just need to find out about the taxi meter. Hope your busy.

 

[IanE]

Hi, I fit taxi meters etc for a living.

I would suggest you go for a mirror meter. Something like the Cygnus mr500 or Viking mirror meter.

I fitted about a dozen mg 5's now, I also do rear lights.

 

[biffo]

Hi, I fit taxi meters etc for a living.

I would suggest you go for a mirror meter. Something like the Cygnus mr500 or Viking mirror meter.

I fitted about a dozen mg 5's now, I also do rear lights.

Curious about what sort of rear lights you fit - you're a bit far from me or I'd consider a visit for a non-taxi.

 

[IanE]

Curious about what sort of rear lights you fit - you're a bit far from me or I'd consider a visit for a non-taxi.

I normally let the customer supply, they mostly go for a round 48 led

It's a taxi so they want something nice and bright are generally aren't too bothered about how they look.

 

[Mick Evans]

I use mine as a private hire taxi. Feel free to message me and I will help in any way I can.

How are you finding the car. Any regrets? Where do you work?

 

[weedavemac]

Overall, no regrets. I would like it to be slightly bigger in both the back seat, and also the boot. I am currently doing approx 170 miles a day. I haven't changed my driving style as such, but I have changed my routes to destinations when I am without a passenger by reducing the amount of motorway driving that I do. Many customers come and go without realising it is electric. Some simply comment that it is very smooth. Some are more switched on and ask questions.

I work mostly on the Southside of Glasgow.

By clever use of CPS chargers (Scotland only) and a cheap overnight tariff my fuel bill is averaging £2.00 per day. The savings on fuel make the car, for me at least, a no brainer. That in itself, was the driving force to making the switch.

 

[Hairyfool]

Just remember that continual fast charging is not good for the battery. You need to give it some time to charge slowly and equalise or balance the battery every so often. Not easy when you need it for work but will give benefits in the long run.

I'm not sure what MGs policy is but with Nissan their battery warranty was nul and void if the charging guidelines in the handbook wasn't adhered to.

 

[biffo]

Just remember that continual fast charging is not good for the battery. You need to give it some time to charge slowly and equalise or balance the battery every so often. Not easy when you need it for work but will give benefits in the long run.

I'm not sure what MGs policy is but with Nissan their battery warranty was nul and void if the charging guidelines in the handbook wasn't adhered to.

The £2.00 daily cost mentioned will be a fair bit of overnight AC charging and balancing on a cheap tariff (35kWh?) - as all the DC charging is free from ChargePlace Scotland around the Glasgow area.

 

[Mick Evans]

Overall, no regrets. I would like it to be slightly bigger in both the back seat, and also the boot. I am currently doing approx 170 miles a day. I haven't changed my driving style as such, but I have changed my routes to destinations when I am without a passenger by reducing the amount of motorway driving that I do. Many customers come and go without realising it is electric. Some simply comment that it is very smooth. Some are more switched on and ask questions.

I work mostly on the Southside of Glasgow.

By clever use of CPS chargers (Scotland only) and a cheap overnight tariff my fuel bill is averaging £2.00 per day. The savings on fuel make the car, for me at least, a no brainer. That in itself, was the driving force to making the switch.

Thanks for that do you do airport runs? How many large cases can you get in the boot?
I've got a vauxhall zafira at the minute but hoping to get the exclusive in the new year.

 

[weedavemac]

The £2.00 daily cost mentioned will be a fair bit of overnight AC charging and balancing on a cheap tariff (35kWh?) - as all the DC charging is free from ChargePlace Scotland around the Glasgow area.

Biffo is correct. I do use rapid chargers several times a week, but only take the battery up to about 80%. The final charging is done overnight at home using a timed charge and Octopus Go Faster to take the battery to 100%. The car does a balanced charges several times a week.

 

[weedavemac]

Thanks for that do you do airport runs? How many large cases can you get in the boot?
I've got a vauxhall zafira at the minute but hoping to get the exclusive in the new year.

I do Airport runs. Usually 3 or 4 a day but less recently due to COVID etc. The Airport is usually no more than about 10 miles from the pick up location.

So far I have always managed to fit all luggage in the boot but it is definitely a smaller boot than I am used to. I would think 3 of the largest sized cases, with a couple of carry ons, would be it's limit. The car overall is smaller than I am used to. I bought the car knowing the fact that there might be the odd job I can no longer do because of size limitations. So far, that has not happened, but I am sure it will at some point.

 

[weedavemac]

Thanks for that do you do airport runs? How many large cases can you get in the boot?
I've got a vauxhall zafira at the minute but hoping to get the exclusive in the new year.

Forgot to add that my fuel saving at the moment is approx £27 per day, which to me at least, is significant.

 

[AdamMGEV]

Forgot to add that my fuel saving at the moment is approx £27 per day, which to me at least, is significant.

Incredible savings isnt it! That's probably about £7k a year isnt it?

In just over 3 years the car will have paid itself purely on fuel savings plus the fact those millions of miles taxi's do each year you're no longer sat there pumping out dirty fumes for my family to breath in.... I congrat you and others. My smaller miles won't make as much of a difference but Taxi's all should go electric, buses would be nice too as some of them are so old and horrible.