Charging my first EV MG4

[detik]

Hello. I just bought a MG 4 luxury 2023 model, and I’m wondering what type of battery it has, and if I can charge it to 100% without it being bad for the battery?

 

[salty]

 

[MG Clive]

Hello @detik, welcome to MGEVs, yes you can charge your MG4 up to 100%, in reality you'll probably charge it to 100% sometimes, and sometimes not, depending on how you use it and how you charge it.

 

[detik]

Hello @detik, welcome to MGEVs, yes you can charge your MG4 up to 100%, in reality you'll probably charge it to 100% sometimes, and sometimes not, depending on how you use it and how you charge it.

Won’t this affect the battery over time? I heard the luxury has the type of battery that you shouldn’t charge to full. But I prefer to charge it up if I can

 

[Bam Bam]

Won’t this affect the battery over time? I heard the luxury has the type of battery that you shouldn’t charge to full. But I prefer to charge it up if I can

Does it have the larger NMC battery, then?

If you will always use it the next day after the charge I doubt it will cause harm to the battery.

However, another advantage of charging to 80% is that you'll get regenerative braking straight away and not miss out on this for the first few tens of km of driving.

 

[Rolfe]

If I've got this right, the Luxury is equivalent to the Trophy in this country, and it has a 64 kWh NMC battery pack. Lots of people on the forum have these and you will get some great advice.

This is, as you have guessed, the type of battery where you should be careful about charging it to 100%. That does not mean that you shouldn't do it though. The advice about these batteries is not to leave the car unused with the battery at 100% (or indeed over 80%) for days or weeks at a time. There is no harm in charging up to 100% if you intend very soon to drive the car and bring the state of charge down again.

Most people who aren't driving long distances every day charge to 80% routinely, then let the battery fall no lower than 20% before charging again. So for ordinary use you cycle the battery between 20% and 80%. However the remainder of the charge is there for you to use on longer trips (or even daily if you drive a long way every day). Just bring the battery to 100% the night before your planned trip. And of course out on the road, if you go very low, charge soon, don't leave the car parked very low for a long time.

Another point to remember is that it's good to charge the car to 100% about once a month and let it sit on the charger long enough to balance the battery pack. You should try to do this before you have a trip planned that will take the battery back below 80%. Also, two or three times a year, drop the charge below 10%, let the car sit like that for perhaps two hours, then charge it to 100% and let it balance in a single uninterrupted AC charge. This is good to calibrate the range indicator.

But finally, a number of people who have done none of this, but have done everything we're told is not good for the battery, still say their cars are absolutely fine and not to worry.

 

[demis32]

The NMC-type battery (not LFP) is often better not to be fully charged regularly. In my case, with daily use, I charge it to 100% only twice a month, and I use it immediately after, so it doesn’t stay at 100% for a long time. Additionally, the battery should be discharged below 10% and then fully charged to 100% twice a year.

 

[detik]

If I've got this right, the Luxury is equivalent to the Trophy in this country, and it has a 64 kwh NMC battery pack. Lots of people on the forum have these and you will get some great advice.

This is, as you have guessed, the type of battery where you should be careful about charging it to 100%. That does not mean that you shouldn't do it though. The advice about these batteries is not to leave the car unused with the battery at 100% (or indeed over 80%) for days or weeks at a time. There is no harm in charging up to 100% if you intend very soon to drive the car and bring the state of charge down again.

Most people who aren't driving long distances every day charge to 80% routinely, then let the battery fall no lower than 20% before charging again. So for ordinary use you cycle the battery between 20% and 80%. However the remainder of the charge is there for you to use on longer trips (or even daily if you drive a long way every day). Just bring the battery to 100% the night before your planned trip. And of course out on the road, if you go very low, charge soon, don't leave the car parked very low for a long time.

Another point to remember is that it's good to charge the car to 100% about once a month and let it sit on the charger long enough to balance the battery pack. You should try to do this before you have a trip planned that will take the battery back below 80%. Also, two or three times a year, drop the charge below 10%, let the car sit like that for perhaps two hours, then charge it to 100% and let it balance in a single uninterrupted AC charge. This is good to calibrate the range indicator.

But finally, a number of people who have done none of this, but have done everything we're told is not good for the battery, still say their cars are absolutely fine and not to worry.

Thank you so much

The NMC-type battery (not LFP) is often better not to be fully charged regularly. In my case, with daily use, I charge it to 100% only twice a month, and I use it immediately after, so it doesn’t stay at 100% for a long time. Additionally, the battery should be discharged below 10% and then fully charged to 100% twice a year.

Thank you very much

 

[MG Clive]

At the end of the day, there's nothing in the MG4 brochure, or handbook/quick-start guide, or owner's manual, nor is there anything on the MG website to suggest that you can't, or shouldn't charge to 100%.

 

[Tuareg]

At the end of the day, there's nothing in the MG4 brochure, or handbook/quick-start guide, or owner's manual, nor is there anything on the MG website to suggest that you can't, or shouldn't charge to 100%.

Exactly, just treat the battery as a 'gas' tank and 'fill' as much as you want, when you want.

 

[hojnikb]

If you want to preserve your battery as much as possible, limit your charging to around 50-70% (lower the better). This will extend cyle life quite a bit, compared to 100%. But of course, if you need the range for longer trips, charge it to 100%.And occasionally (like 1x month or so) a good 100% charge to calibrate BMS won't hurt either.

This way, the battery will very likely outlast the car while still maintaining good SOH.

 

[salty]

If you want to preserve your battery as much as possible, limit your charging to around 50-70% (lower the better). This will extend cyle life quite a bit, compared to 100%.

Don't actually agree with that. But it all depends on what you've read or watched.
The MG4 is too new, to have any real data,
on the battery performance. Personally I just charge it, when it needs it. Simples.

 

[Tuareg]

If you want to preserve your battery as much as possible, limit your charging to around 50-70% (lower the better). This will extend cyle life quite a bit, compared to 100%. But of course, if you need the range for longer trips, charge it to 100%.And occasionally (like 1x month or so) a good 100% charge to calibrate BMS won't hurt either.

This way, the battery will very likely outlast the car while still maintaining good SOH.

If that was the case, the owner's manual would have specified the internet myth of '80%' but they don't - and MG designed and built the car and understand the battery tech better than anyone else as they will have collaborated with the battery supplier. The battery will outlast the vehicle no matter how you charge it in normal use.

Just charge it and use it otherwise the car owns the driver instead of the driver owning the car.

 

[MG Clive]

Just charge it and use it otherwise the car owns the driver instead of the driver owning the car.

Exactly, life's too short to go through however many years of ownership, sticking to a meticulous regimented charging routine, just to save 1.5% battery SOH for the next owner.

 

[salty]

Exactly, life's too short to go through however many years of ownership, sticking to a meticulous regimented charging routine, just to save 1.5% battery SOH for the next owner.

Abso-bloody-lutey Agree.
Same goes with trying to eke out every mile of bloody range. Just enjoy the thing,
particularly if you've got an X Power, else why buy it.

 

[hojnikb]

Don't actually agree with that. But it all depends on what you've read or watched.
The MG4 is too new, to have any real data,
on the battery performance. Personally I just charge it, when it needs it. Simple's.

There's numerious studies that confirm this. MG4's battery type isn't anything new and as such won't behave that much differently.

Any lithium battery will respond very well to frequent charging to around 50% in terms of cycle life.

Just look at hybrid cars. They tend to keep their hybrid batteries at around 40-60% if possible to extend cycle life as much as possible. Because they cycle A LOT.

If that was the case, the owner's manual would have specified the internet myth of '80%' but they don't - and MG designed and built the car and understand the battery tech better than anyone else as they will have collaborated with the battery supplier. The battery will outlast the vehicle no matter how you charge it in normal use.

Just charge it and use it otherwise the car owns the driver instead of the driver owning the car.

The intent of manual isn't to give you tips to maximize battery health, just to keep the battery above 70% SOH at their warrantied period.

While it's true, that most likely battery will outlast the car; it's quite a bit different if the battery will be at 72% SOH at the end of car's useful lifecycle instead of lets say 88%.

If your daily routine doesn't need the range that 80% give you (or 50%) there's no reason to charge that high. If your daily commute consists of drives less than lets say 100km/60mls, than charging to 50% is just a matter of hassle of turning the slider to 50% in the infotainment screen.

But over years, implications will be beneficial of any longer drives, as battery WILL retain more capacity.

BU-808: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries

Manufacturers take a conservative approach and specify the life of Li-ion in most consumer products as being between 300 and 500 discharge/charge cycles.…

batteryuniversity.com

Here's a pretty easy to read article that articulates that very well.

Obviously, everything here is pretty much moot for everyone that leases their car for just a few years. But for oweners actually buying their cars and want to keep them longer (or buying used and preserving as much battery as possible) this is extremly relavent. Especially, if treating the battery nicely doesn't affect your daily regime.

 

[salty]

There's numerious studies that confirm this. MG4s battery type isn't anything new and as such won't behave that much differently.

Any lithium battery will respond very well to frequent charging to around 50% in terms of cycle life.

Just look at hybrid cars. They tend to keep their hybrid batteries at around 40-60% if possible to extend cycle life as much as possibl. Because they cycle A LOT.

The "studies" may well be true, who knows. But to be honest, me personally,
I'm not bothered. I'm just getting on with enjoying my X Power.

 

[hojnikb]

The "studies" may well be true, who knows. But to be honest, me personally,
I'm not bothered. I'm just getting on with enjoying my X Power.

Of course they're true. It's the same studies that determined 80% cap is pretty beneficial, which resulted to all manufacturers recommending their users to daily charge at that. Before that, early EVs like leaf always charged to 100%. As that wasn't studied that well 15 years ago. And we all know what happend to those batteries long term.

 

[salty]

Of course they're true. It's the same studies that determined 80% cap is pretty beneficial, which resulted to all manufacturers recommending their users to daily charge at that. Before that, early EVs like leaf always charged to 100%. As that wasn't studied that well 15 years ago. And we all know what happend to those batteries long term.

Ok, they're true then. Still not going to worry
about it at all. Never been one for worrying about, what if's. If something does go wrong, so be it. But I honestly doubt it. Almost certainly won't be in my ownership anyway.

 

[dsimpkins]

But finally, a number of people who have done none of this, but have done everything we're told is not good for the battery, still say their cars are absolutely fine and not to worry.

I have the NMC battery also. I charge to 100% almost all the time. However, I charge at work, and drive the car every day. SoH of the battery was 98% after first year, and I believe the NMC has its biggest loss of SoH (State of Health) in the first year. So if you use the car every day, don't worry about it.