First MG EV Charger recommendations & ismart app expectations

my291

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Hi all, hope everyone is well.

New to the forum.

Just ordered a mgs5 - is my first EV. Have been tempted for a while with the zs and 4. I was looking at the masterplug type 2 charger on Amazon which has good reviews but wondering if I should pay more for an ohme or zappi or cord charger. I've heard the mg app can be unreliable so it maybe better to pay for a more reputable charger?

Any recommendations on what can work well with the mg app and charging?

Also is the app that bad? I was looking forward to preconditioning the car but have read the mg app doesn't work so well with these functions?
 
There are so many home chargers out there it's impossible to tell the best, but, if you want to be able to take advantage of your electricity supplier's overnight deals have a look at chargers they recommend.
 
Welcome to MGEVs @my291, probably best to go with one of the better known home chargers, I use Cord and it's been perfect for me. If your energy supplier recommends, or offers a deal on one, you're probably safe with that one.

I've never had a problem with the MG i-smart app.
 
You'll find lots of people, like me, going full in with home solar and batteries and an EV. So we choose the tariffs and chargers that best suit that ecosystem. Octopus Intelligent Go is very popular and cheap EV tariff and they have a few chargers they recommend. I have a MyEnergy Zappi which has been excellent. The IOG tariff is 7p from 23:30 to 05:30 plus any other smart charging slots they allocate, and this also works really well with a home battery. I export all my excess solar to the grid at 15p/KWh (or you can send it to the car if you want), late evening I force-discharge the home battery to the grid for 15p/KWh and then overnight I recharge it at 7p and also the car at 7p if it's plugged in. During the summer months I have overall negative home energy bills including running the car.
 
I would go for hypervolt myself as they have all the functionality and look nice.

Zappi also has good functionality, though I'm not so keen on how they look.

Looking at the cord for the first time, I'm not sure it does solar divert, except in a roundabout way (via app and AI or something). If you have or are planning to get solar then this might be a consideration.
 
wondering if I should pay more for an ohme or zappi or cord charger.
First you will need to know how much and often you need to charge. A basic 'granny' charger could work well if your needs are low and you'll save £100's by not requiring an EVSE installation. IIRC that setup has worked well for @salty despite him having a less-efficient right-foot XPower.
 
I view the EVSE as an investment in home improvement as well as a convenience item.

Nearly half the cost is the electrical connection. Once you've got that you can swap out the unit relatively easily later on.

Granny charging at home is better than nothing, but if you (or a friend visiting or something) needed a charge in order to leave again the next day you might not be able to get many miles.
 
Yep, all depends on your needs, simple's.
When I got my X Power, I had every intention of getting a wall charger.
After about 2 months, I decided don't need one, the Granny Charger suits me, perfectly. Now 10 months down the line. No problems with the Granny Charger at all. Simply, depends on your circumstances. 🙂👍
 
I have a Ohme Home Pro that works v well.
The pp I find flaky. I think that has more to do with MGs servers than anything else
 
Yep, all depends on your needs, simple's.
When I got my X Power, I had every intention of getting a wall charger.
After about 2 months, I decided don't need one, the Granny Charger suits me, perfectly. Now 10 months down the line. No problems with the Granny Charger at all. Simply, depends on your circumstances. 🙂👍

I was keen on getting a charger but access to my fuse box was going to be awkward and costly. The granny charger works really well for me. Suggest trying the Granny first for a few weeks and then decide. It does depend on the mileage you do each day - you will soon work it out if it is worth doing. I have saved £££££ by not bothering - yet!
 
I was keen on getting a charger but access to my fuse box was going to be awkward and costly. The granny charger works really well for me. Suggest trying the Granny first for a few weeks and then decide. It does depend on the mileage you do each day - you will soon work it out if it is worth doing. I have saved £££££ by not bothering - yet!
Please can you send me an example of a granny charger?
 
You can get genuine MG cables second hand on Ebay - but I would have them safety checked if you go down that route. Around £100
 
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