MG4 Efficiency - am I doing something wrong?

[fnegroni]

One thing that might be worth checking is that your battery heating setting is switched off. When I first got my MG4 (winter) having this setting on (which was the default setting the car arrived with) absolutely killed my efficiency figures. I understand that this setting only need be switched on prior to rapid charging a cold battery...

I had it on all through summer made no difference

 

[AndyL61]

Thanks guys. I wouldn't say I'm 'worried' about not getting 4+, I just wonder if it's something I'm doing, or even possibly some fault with the car, for it to not get anywhere near what some people here are getting.

This morning on the school run, I noticed it's currently sitting at 3.0/3.1 'since last charge'. That seems super low for the current weather (although it's gotten a bit colder in the last week or so).

So yeah, just trying to pick up if there's an issue really.

Maybe I'm just a lot heavier than all you guys.

Just a thought, might be worth getting the brakes checked . If they are binding at all that could have a negative effect on your efficiency. They are not used as much on an EV so can suffer from lack of use.

 

[fnegroni]

Please note the recommendation:
If used daily, charge to 100% at least once a week
Charge from 10% to 100% once every three months

 

[QLeo]

Does this help?
"Improving electric efficiency - How to get more from your EV"

 

[Fogey]

Please note the recommendation:
If used daily, charge to 100% at least once a week
Charge from 10% to 100% once every three months

I'm by no means an expert (in fact I find the various opinions/instructions on this confusing), but isn't the advice different according to whether the battery is of LFC or NMC technology?

 

[Kithmo]

I was shocked at the difference in efficiency when having the heating on with the 4.
My daily, short, 3 mile each way, trip every day gets me 4.5m/kWh with no heat and no AC and 2.7m/kWh with heat and AC. In hot weather with the AC just cooling it made less difference, 3.7m/kWh.

 

[fnegroni]

I'm by no means an expert (in fact I find the various opinions/instructions on this confusing), but isn't the advice different according to whether the battery is of LFC or NMC technology?

In that section the manual makes no such distinction.
It does in other places though, so this seems intentional to me.
After all if you use the car every day, charging to 100% once a week will allow the equalisation to happen which is needed for both battery types.

 

[theboffin]

Thank you all, this is very useful info. I feel bad now I have never charged it to 100% after 3 months of use! I haven't used the granny charger at all, as I don't really have an accessible window to feed it through to where I park on my driveway, but I'll give it a go.

My delivery mileage was close to 300 miles, as the guy had to drive it from Telford to Cairnryan Port in Scotland, as they didn't deliver to NI. I met him in the carpark and the handover was pretty rushed for me to get on the next ferry back. Not impressed they didn't bring it on a flatbed, but what can you do?

I'll give that video a watch, and also maybe get the brakes checked. Thanks all.

 

[dsimpkins]

As somebody else said, the intelligent battery heating makes quite a difference to the range. I switched mine off, and get over 4 miles/kWh easily.

 

[dsimpkins]

With the weather starting to cool I noticed a drop in range on my daily commute. Only managed 3.0 miles/kWh on way in as only 9 degrees C. Return journey it was 17 degrees C and I managed 5.1 miles/kWh. That in itself is unusual as it's normally about 4.0 to 4.3

 

[fnegroni]

post the elevation profile of your commute.

 

[dsimpkins]

post the elevation profile of your commute.

I will see if I can work out how to do that, but I believe home is higher above sea level than work

 

[Martinonline]

And wind direction and strength.

 

[dsimpkins]

Or maybe the difference is down to the fact I had the heater on in the car all the way to work, and off all the way home.