Driving in eco mode

[jasonincamlagh]

hi guys, a quick question for all. will driving in eco mode all the time , and in kers 3, at speeds of up to 80kmph cause any damage to the battery or the charge capacity. thanks.

 

[AbuG]

No.
Battery damage mainly arises from leaving at fully charged (or empty) for a week or so.
During uncontrolled rapid charging but the car is equipped with safety features to prevent it.

 

[rbpasapera]

I always use Eco mode, K1 on motorways and K3 for city driving, the battery won't be damaged by these driving conditions.

 

[jasonincamlagh]

No.
Battery damage mainly arises from leaving at fully charged (or empty) for a week or so.
During uncontrolled rapid charging but the car is equipped with safety features to prevent it.

thanks AbuG... its just i dont drive very fast and i guess this is the most economical wat to drive the car.. more mileage ...is this true

 

[AbuG]

Economy mode will help the efficiency a little by reducing the heating out put. But it's not a major factor you can leave it in normal mode if you wanted.

For efficiency need to accelerate slowly ideally with 15-20% power, obviously if it's uphill then may need to go upto 30%.
Try to regenerate minimally and keep momentum going but if have to brake then regen KERS 3 will help the most to gain back what was used.
On motorways uphill prepare to slow down to 55MPH, but downhill prepare to go more than the limit. Main thing is to keep momentum going.
To decelerate need to learn to use the throttle like the biting point of a clutch and at 0 power or so.

 

[JodyS21]

thanks AbuG... its just i dont drive very fast and i guess this is the most economical wat to drive the car.. more mileage ...is this true

That's the first time I've ever heard someone asking if their slow/careful driving is bad for a car lol.

The lower the drain rate (current) has got to be beneficial, but whether it actually makes any real world difference - not enough to consider I'd have thought. All of the experts talk mainly about min and max states of charge, plus rapid charging.

Remember ECO/normal/sport mode - all they do really is alter the throttle pedal map, if you put your foot to the floor it makes no difference what mode you're in.

 

[Frank]

hi guys, a quick question for all. will driving in eco mode all the time , and in kers 3, at speeds of up to 80kmph cause any damage to the battery or the charge capacity. thanks.

Hi,

I have had two EVs in the last couple of years, the MG ZS and a Hyundai Kona. I have test drove various other EVs and I was surprised to find them ALL so similar.

The only things that's seperate them is basically the battery size and therefore the so called range you can get and the real world range is ALWAYS far less than what they claim. However just like ICE cars it's how you drive them, drive like a numpty and both MPG and range suffer drastically.

One conclusion I have came too however after much investigation is that none of the so called experts can agree what is worse for battery degradation except for one thing!! RAPID charging is not good for batteries which is a bit of a bugger if you have to do regular trips outside of the safe return range of whichever EV you have bought. Now the only way to mitigate the damage if you do indeed worry about your battery health (I don't. I let the Battery Management System (BMS) and the battery warranty do the worrying for me) is to ONLY put in what you need to complete your journey (with some extra range for a buffer) when using a RAPID Charger.

You as an individual can't I believe, with normal and considerate use of your vehicle damage your battery, so don't worry about it unnecessarily, driving too fast or too slow or using ANY of the available driving modes or regen levels will not damage your battery no matter what combination you use them in.

All I would say is try and NOT use RAPID chargers if you can avoid it. About 99% of my charging is from my Home Charger and unlike many others on this forum I plug it in every night regardless of the SOC and I have NEVER had battery equalization problems or 12v battery issues with either of my cars, unlike Others that have who only seem to charge within their charging regime.

Others will advise a battery charging regime, which due to the fact experts can't agree on what's best for battery life (except for RAPID Charging) I don't bother with as I am happy to let the BMS decide what is best for the battery. I much prefer the convenience of having a full charge for those unexpected long journeys. As it is unlikely that I will keep the car more than 3 years I let the warranty worry about possible battery problems.

Finally for those who intend to keep their cars long term, consider this, even if your battery degrades over time (and it will and you have reduced range) the car will most likely still be useable as even with 10 year use, 2-3% degradation each year (seems to be the 'experts conclusion) your battery would still have 70% capacity which means with the MG ZS theoretically you still have a range of over a 100 miles. Still ok for Urban use and driving the car except for the reduced range will still be the same, quiet, smooth and powerful. An ICE car of the same vintage with many, many more mechanical things to wear and go wrong, clutch, pistons, fuel injection, gearbox, exhaust, valves, camshaft etc etc (you get the gist) will most likely be a pile of shit to drive and worse any failure of said extra bits will most likely cause a catastrophic failure and car will be off to the scrapyard.

So a bit of a lengthy response (I must be bored) about your battery concerns, try and not worry too much about your battery, just enjoy your EV experience.

Have a good weekend.

Frank

 

[gonzoB]

I've just taken delivery of my ZSEV. I'd like to keep it in ECO mode, but it seems I have to select that every time I start driving. Is there a way to set it so it remembers that setting?

Gonzo

 

[Cocijo]

I’m afraid it defaults to N every new drive

 

[gonzoB]

Thanks. That seems like a bit of an oversight on MG's part. Guess I'll just have to live with it!

Gonzo

 

[Cocijo]

Yes. There are a number of settings that should really be sticky and stay after you’ve set them For the next drive.

 

[KSZSEV]

hi guys, a quick question for all. will driving in eco mode all the time , and in kers 3, at speeds of up to 80kmph cause any damage to the battery or the charge capacity. thanks.

Hi there,

In all fairness, whether you drive in ECO/NORMAL/SPORT mode, the most economical way of driving is actually your driving skill. Yes, the different modes do impact your battery consumption but what they basically do is controlling the shift sequence of the car and eventually delivering the power required at each mode.

Personally, the best way to get more "drive-efficiency" out of your EV, is to practise minimal to light braking by understanding how the different KERS level work in different environment (built-up area, city centre, single/dual carriage way and motorway) and by having a controlled touch on the gas pedal. You want more regen (KERS3) when you're in a lower speed limit zone as opposed and less regen (KERS1/0) when you're in a higher speed limit zone.

I am still learning how to play around with my ZS EV and honestly it's a great learning curve (and good fun as well)!

 

[Gadget Geek]

Hi there,

In all fairness, whether you drive in ECO/NORMAL/SPORT mode, the most economical way of driving is actually your driving skill. Yes, the different modes do impact your battery consumption but what they basically do is controlling the shift sequence of the car and eventually delivering the power required at each mode.

Personally, the best way to get more "drive-efficiency" out of your EV, is to practise minimal to light braking by understanding how the different KERS level work in different environment (built-up area, city centre, single/dual carriage way and motorway) and by having a controlled touch on the gas pedal. You want more regen (KERS3) when you're in a lower speed limit zone as opposed and less regen (KERS1/0) when you're in a higher speed limit zone.

I am still learning how to play around with my ZS EV and honestly it's a great learning curve (and good fun as well)!

In my Kona, I used to use the regen paddles behind the steering wheel to coast along and then flap the paddles to increase the regen to slow down and back to coast again. I'm learning to do the same in the ZS. It's a little more difficult as the KERS switch is not conveniently located on the steering wheel, but I can get over 4m/k/wh on the journey into town.

 

[KSZSEV]

In my Kona, I used to use the regen paddles behind the steering wheel to coast along and then flap the paddles to increase the regen to slow down and back to coast again. I'm learning to do the same in the ZS. It's a little more difficult as the KERS switch is not conveniently located on the steering wheel, but I can get over 4m/k/wh on the journey into town.

I agree with your comment! The KERS button position on the ZS is not very convenient and I have been doing the same as you; using the KERS to assist with the braking and it does make a difference. I was averaging between 3.4kW/h and 3.5kW/h before and after understanding how the KERS operate, I am now averaging close to 3.7kW/h into town. That's good progress I guess

 

[RajMG]

I always use Eco mode, K1 on motorways and K3 for city driving, the battery won't be damaged by these driving conditions.

After reading your post I changed to KERS1 I on the motorway. London to Bristol on one charge! So impressed .

 

[KSZSEV]

After reading your post I changed to KERS1 I on the motorway. London to Bristol on one charge! So impressed .

Hi - Can I ask which mode did you drive the KERS1 on from London to Bristol?

 

[apzs]

London to Bristol I do on one charge as well on Eco and Kers 3 with ACC on so don't really care about the Kers setting.

I tend to leave with about 30 - 35%. Stop at Ionity Chippenham or Porsche swindon for a top up to ~70% and then back to south London

 

[sinhaEVnoob]

I did Newport to Chessington yesterday. (MG ZS SE LR) Left home with 80%. Sat on M4 at 70mph using cruise and K3. However, any slowing down uses the brakes when ACC is on, so doesn’t matter what Kers mode I am in. Got to Chessington with 26% and then charged up at Ionity Cobham to get home.

I put it in ECO on the motorway as I don’t care about heating or aircon when the normal blowers can cope with the conditions. Didn’t make more than 4 miles to the estimated range.

 

[profdraper]

I pretty much drive in Eco mode permanently, why not, it gives a bit more range (336k E vs 320k N). The only downside I've come across in this 2022 ZS EV SR is that the back row air con is useless in Eco, not enough ariflow back there via the tunnel. Lift it up to Normal mode & the rear is fine for if I have passengers in summmer.

 

[NIghtmare]

First time poster

Got my Long Range Trophy Connect on the 3rd of August
I always got 45mpg out of my Ford Galaxy diesel (when the figures were 35mpg), so I have tried different methods to eek out the maximum range.
I live in a village that is 3 1/2 miles from the nearest town. 60mph out of that village for 3 of those miles and a few up and down hills
Now ..... being a dad taxi and picking the wife up from work ... AND going to work myself, I can regularly commute around 300 miles a week without missing a beat. So plenty of different styles to try out
I took advice settings from the above people and some worked and some didn't.

KERS 3 for city/town driving is essential. 100m from a junction, foot off to regen. ALWAYS leave a big gap between you and the driver in front. You cannot get back all of what you put in. READ THE ROAD AHEAD.

KERS 1 for motorway. Don't be doing 65 or 70. You only lose a few minutes doing 56 ...... and gain more back by drafting a lorry. You'd be surpised at doing 4.5 to 5.0 m/kw doing that

So ECO and KERS 3 for me around town. Last 300 miles are 4.2 m/kw and I still haven't tweaked it enough to get more out yet

My GOM says the equivalent of 324 miles when charged