Charging - locked or unlocked

[Bill Pillar]

When I first bought my car it was possible to charge without the car being locked since then we had a couple of faults and a few upgrades of software where now the car wont charge unless it is locked. Now this was not a big issue as I charge overnight at home but with winter coming up and the possibility of having to use a public charger i asked at my local dealer as the car now needs a service. The car was duly booked in but on the day they rang to say that it was normal and all cars had to be locked to charge which means if you sit in the car the alarm will go off. i simply didnt like the idea of myself or my wife having to stand in a carpark whilst windy/cold/wet waiting for the car to charge!! Having read a few posts here i asked them to query it with MG and they have now come back to say it does need certain updates to be able to charge whilst open and to be able to charge at set times etc. I was able to read the reply from MG ( and even have a copy) but they are saying the software update is only available when a customer asks for it and it's chargable. Has anyone else had this issue?

 

[Dr Dave]

Before I had the software update my car would only charge when locked. However when I was charging and locked myself in the car it did not set the alarm off.

Have you actually sat in the car while locked and charging?

By the way the software update to the latest BMS is not chargeable, However the comfort 2 software update is chargeable at the dealership's discretion.

 

[Bill Pillar]

Before I had the software update my car would only charge when locked. However when I was charging and locked myself in the car it did not set the alarm off.

Have you actually sat in the car while locked and charging?

By the way the software update to the latest BMS is not chargeable, However the comfort 2 software update is chargeable at the dealership's discretion.

To be honest no ive not sat in the car yet but I'm going on what the dealer told me and yes they did say on the email reply from MG that it was at the dealers discretion and i belive it also wasent covered by the warranty ( but i need to check that) so as i didnt buy the car from them they will probaly charge me although I dont expect a big bill either but ill get told next week

 

[Dr Dave]

I think you will find you can sit in the car charging with the car locked and no alarm sounding. A lot of dealers, unfortunately, do not really know much about the MG they are selling.

 

[mystreet]

The software to charge unlocked is EVCC (Electric Vehicle Charging Circuit?). And it is chargeable. However, as you could do it before the BMS update they should do it FOC. I paid for it to be added, then when the updated to the BMS was done they broke it. Took it back to another dealer who spent 2 days talking to MG via emails to get it working.

 

[Dr Dave]

The software to charge unlocked is EVCC (Electric Vehicle Charging Circuit?). And it is chargeable. However, as you could do it before the BMS update they should do it FOC. I paid for it to be added, then when the updated to the BMS was done they broke it. Took it back to another dealer who spent 2 days talking to MG via emails to get it working.

Is it the case that the EVCC is part of the comfort 2 update?

I was able to charge unlocked after comfort 2. Updating the BMS is usually carried out as well, when comfort 2 is applied.

 

[Kithmo]

I think you will find you can sit in the car charging with the car locked and no alarm sounding. A lot of dealers, unfortunately, do not really know much about the MG they are selling.

I agree, there are no interior sensors on the ZS (or the 5 IIRC) so nothing to trigger the alarm.
@Bill Pillar FYI, the car will still rapid charge on CCS unlocked.
I wouldn't sit with the car on a 7kW charger anyway, at 22 mph added to the range it takes too long. I'd go get a coffee or go for a walk for an hour or two.

 

[mystreet]

Is it the case that the EVCC is part of the comfort 2 update?

I was able to charge unlocked after comfort 2. Updating the BMS is usually carried out as well, when comfort 2 is applied.

No, EVCC is not part of the CF2 update. Had CF2 installed but would not charge unlocked on AC. When I asked the dealer was informed that it is chargeable.

Your dealer may have installed it during the CF2 update FOC.

But as we know, MG software is a bit of a wizard science.

 

[Dr Dave]

No, EVCC is not part of the CF2 update. Had CF2 installed but would not charge unlocked on AC. When I asked the dealer was informed that it is chargeable.

Your dealer may have installed it during the CF2 update FOC.

But as we know, MG software is a bit of a wizard science.

Dealer Communication AS-20_025 states the changes CF2 makes.

 

[Lovemyev]

My car would never charge on A/C ( Wall box or Granny ) when I first had the car.
At ten months old, it went in for the paid, CF2 update.
It would still not charge when the doors where open though.
Then at 12 months old, the car was offered up for both it's first service and the drivers door wiring harness replacing ( MG service recall on early models ).
This did not go smoothly and the car ended up stuck on a lift for three days - dead !.
Every time the 12 volt battery was connected, the alarm would sound continually and the car would not boot up.
MG Tech where involved and they instructed the dealer to install, the then very new two day old BMS update.
I only found out by pure accident, but about 3 weeks latter, the car would now actually A/C charge while unlocked and open.
So, I think that MG Tech must have fired the full software canon at the car and installed every thing they could, in attempt to get the car to come back to life !.

 

[Gomev]

Dealer Communication AS-20_025 states the changes CF2 makes.View attachment 4741

Then if CF2 has been done it has not been completed properly. Charging unlocked should be done FOC to complete.
@Bill Pillar Show them this letter that @Dr Dave has posted.

 

[mystreet]

Dealer Communication AS-20_025 states the changes CF2 makes.View attachment 4741

Thanks for posting the bulletin.

The reference to AC charging is that you can unlock the vehicle, which pauses the charge. When re-locked the charging starts again.

The EVCC allows charging the vehicle whilst unlocked on AC.

 

[kazuki1328]

Not a ZS but a HS. But I sometimes sit in the car, and let it charge while playing a movie that I have copied on to a USB. My guess is the charge will be slower but alarm doesnt go off

 

[Miles]

Based purely on experience, with no reference to software levels, my ZS EV (MY21) will only charge at a DC charger when the car is locked. I have never set off any alarms when I lock myself in at the local Tritium 75kW station. The charging is halted should I unlock the car mid-charge. As I live on the sunny Gold Coast, I tend to lock the car, sit on the grass and read a book for the 40 minutes or so I allow for paid charging (30 cents per kWH).
At home, on an AC 7kW wall box, the does not need to be locked to charge. It usually is of course. But when I open the car mid-charge it continues happily.

cheers

 

[Cocijo]

That’s the opposite of my car and many in the UK. DC will charge unlocked AC needs to be locked. What sort of charge rate do you get from a DC charger? There are no interior alarm sensors so sitting in the car locked and movement doesn’t trigger the alarm.

 

[Miles]

That’s the opposite of my car and many in the UK. DC will charge unlocked AC needs to be locked. What sort of charge rate do you get from a DC charger? There are no interior alarm sensors so sitting in the car locked and movement doesn’t trigger the alarm.

Charge rate depends on many variables. In my expeience, when the state of charge is just under 50%, the MG EV will gladly draw 60 kW; slowly reducing until we hit 80% soc when it drops to less than 10 kW. The air temperature where I live is nearly always between 20C and 30C during the day.

 

[Terry2]

That’s the opposite of my car and many in the UK. DC will charge unlocked AC needs to be locked. What sort of charge rate do you get from a DC charger? There are no interior alarm sensors so sitting in the car locked and movement doesn’t trigger the alarm.

Ref the A/C charging issue. I agree that the car must be locked for A/C charging to work. What the Dealer Communication Dr Dave helpfully provided says (in the last bullet point) is that the car can be unlocked during A/C charging and will resume charging when re-locked.

 

[BarryH]

Ref the A/C charging issue. I agree that the car must be locked for A/C charging to work. What the Dealer Communication Dr Dave helpfully provided says (in the last bullet point) is that the car can be unlocked during A/C charging and will resume charging when re-locked.

In the summer of 21, I had my ZS (registered January 2020) into the dealer on an unrelated issue, While there I received a number of software updates including BMS update and the charging on AC while unlocked. I didn't pay for the Comfort 2 upgrade until the first service in January 2021.

The AC charging behaviour has since the update started once the Type 2 is connected without locking the car and continues to charge until the car is unlocked with the Key Fob. This means it will continue to charge from my recollection even if the car is unlocked using keyless entry. I the car is charging and unlocked the Typ2 is not locked in and therefore could be removed which would terminate the charge as would using the Key Fob unlock button. It is no problem having the Type 2 plug not locked in during the charge when the car is unlocked since the car shouldn't be unaccompanied.

 

[Gomev]

Ref the A/C charging issue. I agree that the car must be locked for A/C charging to work. What the Dealer Communication Dr Dave helpfully provided says (in the last bullet point) is that the car can be unlocked during A/C charging and will resume charging when re-locked.

Mine happily starts charges locked or unlocked on AC or DC. Locking and unlocking whilst charging does nothing to stop the process.
The update is to the EVCC module and mine has done this since new Nov 20.

 

[Terry2]

That's interesting. Mine is a March-21 registered ZS EV and I've started to wonder (due to 456v too) whether all the updates were put through. It just goes to show that you can't assume anything.