MG4 in Australia

[Jamesrr]

.. Anyway, I visit my family at the coast often, and it would make my life easier to have a second granny charger. They don't seem that easy to get.

Very easy to get

This is the one I bought from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com.au/d%C3%A9-Charging-Portable-Compatible-Polestar/dp/B0DTG4YZTG?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

It was on special for $160. Very happy with it. I got it for our beach house over in SA. I'm getting my son to install a standard 15A power point (sometimes referred to as a Caravan power point) so I can run it at 15A (3.5kW/3kW effective into the battery).

For now I just use it there at 10A for 2.3kW/2kW effective.

Better than the puny 8A unit supplied with the car.

They've got a decent range of charging stuff...

https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/d%C3%A9/page/3CAEB741-7703-48B8-B530-7E9B5695FBF8?lp_asin=B0DTG4YZTG&ref_=ast_bln

 

[Wil Tryharder]

Ok packed and ready for an early start for a road trip to NSW. It’ll be good to get away from Noosa for a while, paradise had its limits
First stop Esk, then Toowoomba before heading over the boarder. Day one should be ok but day two gets a bit scary as the network thins out a bit. And vandalism rears its ugly head again at Armidale. Knocking a big hole in our planned route.
Spare wheel check
22kW cable check
Granny charger check
100% battery check
Dog check
Mrs T check
Cash for bribing boarder patrol check

 

[MG Clive]

What a great way to carry stuff @Wil Tryharder, I haven't seen that set-up before.

 

[salty]

Thought it was a spare battery pack, at first.
That would have the EV haters, pissing themselves.

 

[neerav]

Ok packed and ready for an early start for a road trip to NSW. It’ll be good to get away from Noosa for a while, paradise had its limits
First stop Esk, then Toowoomba before heading over the boarder. Day one should be ok but day two gets a bit scary as the network thins out a bit. And vandalism rears its ugly head again at Armidale. Knocking a big hole I our planned route.
Spare wheel check
22kw cable check
Granny charger check
100% battery check
Dog check
Mrs T check
Cash for bribing boarder patrol check

View attachment 36406

Interesting storage setup. How much range difference does it make?

 

[wattmatters]

What does the storage system weigh?

Day one should be ok but day two gets a bit scary as the network thins out a bit. And vandalism rears its ugly head again at Armidale. Knocking a big hole I our planned route.

I'd be pretty hesitant unless there was available Tesla superchargers. I treat the rest of the networks as backup but with low confidence. New England Hwy sucks. It will improve once Tesla opens all access site at Armidale while Glenn Innes could use more help.

 

[Jamesrr]

I'd be pretty hesitant unless there was available Tesla superchargers. I treat the rest of the networks as backup but with low confidence.

I never plan a route that is reliant on a single plug charger. They're invariably Tritium chargers and even if working aren't particularly fast and will be in use anyway when you want to use it
The multi plug Kempower units are just as reliable as the Tesla's albeit not quite as fast, but plenty good enough.

 

[wattmatters]

The multi plug Kempower units

Which networks use those? I've never seen one in the wild.

 

[Jamesrr]

Which networks use those? I've never seen one in the wild.

The RAA chargers all through S.A. and I also used a couple in the ACT operated by Engie.
Billed through Chargefox (via my Opal Card*)

Excellent chargers.

*I read the RFID number from my NSW public transport "Opal" card and added it to my Chargefox account. Works perfectly.
Gave my wife the Chargefox labelled card. She was struggling to see how that works

 

[wattmatters]

Only travelled inside NSW with the car so far.

 

[Jamesrr]

Only travelled inside NSW with the car so far.

You need to get out more

 

[T1 Terry]

Ok packed and ready for an early start for a road trip to NSW. It’ll be good to get away from Noosa for a while, paradise had its limits
First stop Esk, then Toowoomba before heading over the boarder. Day one should be ok but day two gets a bit scary as the network thins out a bit. And vandalism rears its ugly head again at Armidale. Knocking a big hole in our planned route.
Spare wheel check
22kW cable check
Granny charger check
100% battery check
Dog check
Mrs T check
Cash for bribing boarder patrol check

View attachment 36406 View attachment 36407

It will be interesting to see how the various members of the constabulary view the gearbox on the back. It wouldn't contravene the overhang rule, touch and go with the number plate obscuring rules as well as the max allowable overhang ...... but certainly a great way to carry extra gear ..... any issues with scraping? Just thinking of the ferries over here in the Riverlands ....

T1 Terry

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Ok packed and ready for an early start for a road trip to NSW. It’ll be good to get away from Noosa for a while, paradise had its limits
First stop Esk, then Toowoomba before heading over the boarder. Day one should be ok but day two gets a bit scary as the network thins out a bit. And vandalism rears its ugly head again at Armidale. Knocking a big hole in our planned route.
Spare wheel check
22kW cable check
Granny charger check
100% battery check
Dog check
Mrs T check
Cash for bribing boarder patrol check

View attachment 36406 View attachment 36407

Hope you didn't show Mrs T that she's below the dog on the check list...

 

[Wil Tryharder]

Thought it was a spare battery pack, at first.

Thats exactly what the owner of our ‘farm stay’ said

 

[Wil Tryharder]

How much range difference does it make?

I don’t have exact figures, but with the rack and quite a lot of Mrs T luggage (in the car) I’d say about 5-10 % but happy to be corrected.
When I get back I’ve got some runs to Gympie. So I’ll see if I can do some with and without testing.

 

[Wil Tryharder]

It will be interesting to see how the various members of the constabulary view the gearbox on the back. It wouldn't contravene the overhang rule, touch and go with the number plate obscuring rules as well as the max allowable overhang ...... but certainly a great way to carry extra gear ..... any issues with scraping? Just thinking of the ferries over here in the Riverlands ....

T1 Terry

I double checked the overall length/width/over hang rules before and after installing. It’s close but I think I’m good
The number plate and lights are clearly visible from all but a very low angle. The rack is lights. It would have to be a pretty grumpy traffic cop. But probably wrong of me to assume.
As for scraping I had to lay down some 2x4s on the exit of my garage.
The Tesla Supercharger cable was only just long enough yesterday. Mrs T was on her knees giving guidance as I edged backwards And we only just made it over the ‘curb barrier’
At Stanthorpe in the afternoon at the Charge Fox unit. The cable was 30-40 cm longer and I reversed between the curb stones giving more clearance
I have an anti rattle device which was closest. At some point I should probably shorten the bolts.
If we couldn’t get close enough we have had to remove the whole lot during charging. Not a huge hassle but would definitely got me a glare from Mrs T
You have to watch out for steep entrances in various locations. Some will clearly scrape but I find that an angled approach does the trick.

 

[Wil Tryharder]

What does the storage system weigh?

I'd be pretty hesitant unless there was available Tesla superchargers.

The rack is aluminium and would probably be rated quite poorly compared to alternative Australian made units… but it’s only 12kg. The 70L fridge/freezer weighs 34kg without the cover. We loaded in 12kg of tucker. Bringing us in at 48kg. Noosa MG (now closed) told me the tow ball limit on the tow bar they installed was 50kg. So I try and stick close to 50kg.

The drive through the Lockyer Valley yesterday was great. But now I feel like I’m flying to close to the wind. We're taking the coastal route home

 

[wattmatters]

You need to get out more

Used to travel much further and more regularly but some life changes and also changes to the way cycle races operate nowadays means I am doing almost no volunteering work. Else I used to do regular trips down to VIC with occasional forays to TAS, SA and QLD.

 

[wattmatters]

After having moved home and not being able to keep our EV plan from before (our new place had an old meter incompatible with those plans) we've had our utility meter upgraded, and so I'm swapping our electricity plan over to the Powershop Night EV plan.

At our previous home I was using the EV Day plan with 2 hours/day free and a flat rate otherwise, but with the change in available tariffs the Night plan works out a bit better once I shift car charging to that window.

Still expensive here though in Essential Energy land, rates in $ comparing our current plan with the Day and Night EV plan options.

SOP = super off-peak

We will also be installing solar PV and home battery in the weeks/months ahead, so I'll review things again once that's fully operational.

 

[wattmatters]

And on a completely unrelated topic, I got a stone chip in the windscreen yesterday, but it's a repairable size apparently (completely covered by a 5c coin and not too close to the edge) so am booked in for a repair this afternoon.