MG4 in Australia

[Corindikev]

I get 390 to 400km at 110km highway speeds with AC on but with only me in the car. I have the Essence 64kWh version.

My longest single trip was from Corindi Beach (35km North of Coffs Harbour) to Coomera BP Pulse but missed the turn off & went back to Helensvale on the day of the Optus meltdown. I had about 10% battery left at that point. I spent about 3 hours waiting for the network to come back on line to get enough charge to continue to my destination of Noosa. See my trip report post No 307

 

[JoeBlow]

Question is has anyone tried charging their MG4 at the now open Tesla superchargers and had no issues with charging?

Yes, works fine. Charges at full speed if the battery is warm enough. Seems only some BYD and Hyundai 800v cars are the ones having trouble with the newer Tesla chargers.

As for getting 300km from the 77 at highway speed, easy. We can even get that in the 64 on the first stint (i.e. from 100%). I would bet the 77 could crack 400 km highway, especially for the first stint of the trip.

If it helps your planning, I've found the default settings for the 64kWh version in abetterrouteplanner.com are fairly accurate. Even a tiny bit conservative (i arrive with a bit more than it suggests I will). I imagine the 77 should be equally as accurate. My bet would be that you can save your money and stick with the 64.

 

[Rolfe]

I have the SR battery so I can't comment on your possible range. However I have charged at a Tesla supercharger with no problem at all. I had already set the app up (some weeks previously) just in case. I just selected the charger I was parked at, plugged the car in, and it was all go. It said it might take up to a couple of minutes to connect, but in fact it was going within a few seconds. Painless experience.

 

[clayton4115]

Yes, works fine. Charges at full speed if the battery is warm enough. Seems only some BYD and Hyundai 800v cars are the ones having trouble with the newer Tesla chargers.

As for getting 300km from the 77 at highway speed, easy. We can even get that in the 64 on the first stint (i.e. from 100%). I would bet the 77 could crack 400km highway, especially for the first stint of the trip.

If it helps your planning, I've found the default settings for the 64kw version in abetterrouteplanner.com are fairly accurate. Even a tiny bit conservative (i arrive with a bit more than it suggests I will). I imagine the 77 should be equally as accurate. My bet would be that you can save your money and stick with the 64.

Thanks for your response. Yes I have the Hyundai ioniq 28 and tried charging the car at Yass and the Wagga Tesla CCS compatible chargers but it would not work, however I had success at Dubbo Tesla charger (after a few attempts) so I am perplexed as to what is going on, I know the Wagga one is a brand new charger installed for all CCS compatible cars but didn't work on my Ioniq, the app just hung saying it will take up to a couple of minutes to charge but then soon after timed out.

My goal is to get to Dubbo in 1 day using only the Tesla superchargers (due to wait times and possible down time of chargers).

Plan is to go from Brisbane to Toowoomba 150 kms, charge at the Tesla open super charger there, then the 200 km trip to Goondiwindi (one DC charger about to go online in a couple of months) so only concern with delays and non working charger will be this one ( I can go to the showgrounds if need be and charge there as I have the 5 pin plug / evse).

Then get to the (proposed) Tesla super charger at Narrabri 224kms.
Then the Dubbo super chargers from Narrabri 264 kms.

Even though the Tesla superchargers are more expensive it will save the stress and delays using alternative options.
So hopefully the 77 will perform and meet these km requirements with ease and no stress !

I have the SR battery so I can't comment on your possible range. However I have charged at a Tesla supercharger with no problem at all. I had already set the app up (some weeks previously) just in case. I just selected the charger I was parked at, plugged the car in, and it was all go. It said it might take up to a couple of minutes to connect, but in fact it was going within a few seconds. Painless experience.

Thankyou, this is reassuring it will work on all the open Tesla superchargers if I get the 77 model.

 

[JoeBlow]

Yass and the Wagga Tesla CCS compatible chargers but it would not work, however I had success at Dubbo

Yass and Wagga are both V3. Dubbo is V2.

It's the V3 chargers that non-Tesla cars tend to be having trouble with, maybe your Ioniq is affected too? But the MG4 is fine at both types.

Brisbane to Dubbo you could go Tenterfield and Tamworth and then Dubbo, all right on ~300km apart? Obviously not main roads, but it's a nice drive.

You could also go via Coonabarabran for the last leg and there are a few NRMA chargers on that route to save charge time at Tamworth, or at least take a bit of the risk out of a 300+km zero charge options stretch.

 

[ozzz]

Hi I have a MG4-51 , I have used super charger at Shellcove nsw in the Woolworths underneath car park the unit is marked NRMA but I contacted charge fox for them to access the unit I did this as a test didn’t really have to charge there it pumps the power in so quick I had to leave my breakfast and move the car cost 60c/kWh. I spent $16 .
I normally use Woolworths in Shellharbour square as it’s free Tesla charger x 4 they charge at 6-7 kW.
Can’t help on distance most I have done is 150 km with no problem from memory still had 48% but pretty sure wouldn’t have been fully charged.

 

[revel42]

there has been a lot of chat in other threads about the software versions.

My software version numbers (in NZ) bear zero resemblance to the ones the UK crew are posting.

MPU SWI131-29958-1100R05
MCU -125.1.3.0

What do the versions numbers look like in Aus?

 

[ChrisR]

there has been a lot of chat in other threads about the software versions.

My software version numbers (in NZ) bear zero resemblance to the ones the UK crew are posting.

MPU SWI131-29958-1100R05
MCU -125.1.3.0

What do the versions numbers look like in Aus?

That's the same here (for my Excite 51). I think the Essence versions have it ending in R11 for the latest update.

 

[revel42]

Well then.
As the NZ and Aus software appears to be on a completely different development cycle than the UK one.

PSA

TLDR: The MG4's software needs set up before delivery; at least one dealer (Tristram) isn't doing the setup correctly.

Last week I took my NZ Oct2023 MG4 to the service centre (Giltrap). Because the drivers door quarter-light whistles at 50-60 kph. Not loud but annoying.

They said that the car had not been "set up" correctly. And needed a bunch of software things sorted out. Important to note that this was a different service centre from the one that was attached to the dealership I bought the car from (Tristram).

When I picked up the car, no window fix, but software "set up".
The service manager showed me a report that suggested on arrival the car had a lot (10 maybe) of line items with red x's next to them. And then a report showing after they had done the "set up" the x's had become green ticks.

So what changed? Nothing major in the interface. Eg, No LKA icon in the drop down menu.
But
1. the shortcut buttons now seem to work properly, can be set, and stay set
2. the ACC adjustment seems like it changed is now: short press1 kph change, long press 5 kph change.

Who knows what else (I should have asked for the report)

 

[clayton4115]

Yass and Wagga are both V3. Dubbo is V2.

It's the V3 chargers that non-Tesla cars tend to be having trouble with, maybe your Ioniq is affected too? But the MG4 is fine at both types.

Brisbane to Dubbo you could go Tenterfield and Tamworth and then Dubbo, all right on ~300km apart? Obviously not main roads, but it's a nice drive.

You could also go via Coonabarabran for the last leg and there are a few NRMA chargers on that route to save charge time at Tamworth, or at least take a bit of the risk out of a 300+km zero charge options stretch.

I know about the New England route, I prefer the route via Goondiwindi as it is flatter and quieter AND I do not want to charge at any NRMA chargers as from past experience it has been hit and miss, happy to pay the extra Tesla are charging for 1 availability of charger and 2 charger is operational when I get there, I will do these trips once a year so I am happy to pay extra for convenience and peace of mind and get to my destination with no delays.

My recent experience to Melbourne is here total 4545 kms trip

Just completed this trip over Christmas, one word, horrible.
Cost $160, but the experience with broken chargers, drivers charging to 100% hogging the chargers, long wait times (at one point 1hr and 20 mns) to charge, was a terrible, stressful experience.
Used predominately NRMA chargers in NSW. Armidale one broken, had to divert to a showground to charge on a 5 pin there, delay about 2 hrs. Motels with owners who had type 2 plugs not accommodating unless you stayed the night there. Parkes charger broken had to stop at Peak Hill Caravan park to charge on their 7 kW. Arrived at Young to find the charger working but the NRMA app out of service. Had to cut short the journey for that day and stay the night at Cootamundra (no chargers at Cootamunda, motel host kind enough for me to charge on their 3 pin overnight)
On the way back similar issue, had to wait at Nabiac for 1 hr and 20 mins to charge and all the surrounding chargers were out of action and 2 cars ahead charging on the only NRMA charger in town - however two modern chargers installed at Coonamble (where no one hardly visits).
Got to Macksville BP charger out of action, go to Coffs Harbour lady at the only working charger in town (3 or 4 in town only one working) she is busy installing the BP app - so she kindly let me charge while she was opening her account on the app.
Got to Ballina and two cars charging (to 100) so waited another 40 mins to begin charge, when my turn came to charge, had to go out in the pouring rain to plug in (no shelter) like the petrol bowsers.

 

[JoeBlow]

Tamworth and Tenterfield are both Tesla sites though. In the 77 so you wouldn't be depending on any NRMA chargers.

Although looking at Plugshare, Tamworth was 100% down last for maybe 4 days - 10th-14th, no successful checkins and plenty of failure reports. Very unusual for them to be down for such a long time, I assume local power issues.

And Tenterfield seems to be suffering the fate of many country town chargers - ICEing and Vandalism.

But in any case yes, your trip report is sadly not unusual, and is partly why the MG4 won't be our choice for interstate trips this year - we will stick with the Model 3 for a bit longer on those trips.

 

[clayton4115]

Tamworth and Tenterfield are both Tesla sites though. In the 77 so you wouldn't be depending on any NRMA chargers.

Although looking at Plugshare, Tamworth was 100% down last for maybe 4 days - 10th-14th, no successful checkins and plenty of failure reports. Very unusual for them to be down for such a long time, I assume local power issues.

And Tenterfield seems to be suffering the fate of many country town chargers - ICEing and Vandalism.

But in any case yes, your trip report is sadly not unusual, and is partly why the MG4 won't be our choice for interstate trips this year - we will stick with the Model 3 for a bit longer on those trips.

Ok you have the 64 so you would get close to 300kms and if you wanted to just go to the next open Tesla DC Fast charger and charge and not worry about queuing or out of service DC Stations.

 

[kiwi]

@revel42 I’m also in NZ and you need to get up to R11, it’s a big step up from ‘05. LKA in particular is much more bearable.

 

[wattmatters]

Question is has anyone tried charging their MG4 at the now open Tesla superchargers and had no issues with charging?

Not yet, want to try it but a trip I have planned keeps getting delayed.

Tesla at least have a decent map of which Superchargers are open for non-Teslas.

https://www.tesla.com/en_au/findus?v=2&search=New%20South%20Wales%2C%20Australia&bounds=-28.528896135344755%2C155.16590964167494%2C-35.54327204423864%2C139.34559714167494&zoom=7&filters=self%20serve%20demo%20drive%2Cparty

Also those with the 77 battery model what range are you getting at 110km/h with a load of people and luggage and air con on?

I am hoping to comfortably drive 300 kms on the 77 model.

You will easily get 300 km. I'm in the 64 and expect ~350km. I don't like going that far however without charging, which I'll tend to do somewhere in 200-300km range (depending on where charge stations are). I like to leave some reserve because some charge stops are a bust and it helps to be able to at least crawl to the next one.

 

[clayton4115]

Not yet, want to try it but a trip I have planned keeps getting delayed.

Tesla at least have a decent map of which Superchargers are open for non-Teslas.

https://www.tesla.com/en_au/findus?v=2&search=New%20South%20Wales%2C%20Australia&bounds=-28.528896135344755%2C155.16590964167494%2C-35.54327204423864%2C139.34559714167494&zoom=7&filters=self%20serve%20demo%20drive%2Cparty

You will easily get 300 km. I'm in the 64 and expect ~350km. I don't like going that far however without charging, which I'll tend to do somewhere in 200-300km range (depending on where charge stations are). I like to leave some reserve because some charge stops are a bust and it helps to be able to at least crawl to the next one.

Yes true, that's why I plan on stopping only on Tesla fast chargers on my road trips if possible and looks like from my location I can reach these Tesla fast chargers with the range of the 77

Not yet, want to try it but a trip I have planned keeps getting delayed.

Tesla at least have a decent map of which Superchargers are open for non-Teslas.

https://www.tesla.com/en_au/findus?v=2&search=New%20South%20Wales%2C%20Australia&bounds=-28.528896135344755%2C155.16590964167494%2C-35.54327204423864%2C139.34559714167494&zoom=7&filters=self%20serve%20demo%20drive%2Cparty

You will easily get 300 km. I'm in the 64 and expect ~350km. I don't like going that far however without charging, which I'll tend to do somewhere in 200-300km range (depending on where charge stations are). I like to leave some reserve because some charge stops are a bust and it helps to be able to at least crawl to the next one.

That's a nice link there of the superchargers open to non tesla cars.

 

[Robf]

The 77kw version appears (according to press) to have had some upgrades that have a negative effect on the brilliant drive of the car. Personally I would go for the long range rather than extended range, SE or Trophy (the Aussie equivelant of) depending on how you value the Trophy additions (blind spot warning being the tipping point for me).

 

[Corindikev]

I know about the New England route, I prefer the route via Goondiwindi as it is flatter and quieter AND I do not want to charge at any NRMA chargers as from past experience it has been hit and miss, happy to pay the extra Tesla are charging for 1 availability of charger and 2 charger is operational when I get there, I will do these trips once a year so I am happy to pay extra for convenience and peace of mind and get to my destination with no delays.

My recent experience to Melbourne is here total 4545 kms trip

Just completed this trip over Christmas, one word, horrible.
Cost $160, but the experience with broken chargers, drivers charging to 100% hogging the chargers, long wait times (at one point 1hr and 20 mns) to charge, was a terrible, stressful experience.
Used predominately NRMA chargers in NSW. Armidale one broken, had to divert to a showground to charge on a 5 pin there, delay about 2 hrs. Motels with owners who had type 2 plugs not accommodating unless you stayed the night there. Parkes charger broken had to stop at Peak Hill Caravan park to charge on their 7 kw. Arrived at Young to find the charger working but the NRMA app out of service. Had to cut short the journey for that day and stay the night at Cootamundra (no chargers at Cootamunda, motel host kind enough for me to charge on their 3 pin overnight)
On the way back similar issue, had to wait at Nabiac for 1 hr and 20 mins to charge and all the surrounding chargers were out of action and 2 cars ahead charging on the only NRMA charger in town - however two modern chargers installed at Coonamble (where no one hardly visits).
Got to Macksville BP charger out of action, go to Coffs Harbour lady at the only working charger in town (3 or 4 in town only one working) she is busy installing the BP app - so she kindly let me charge while she was opening her account on the app.
Got to Ballina and two cars charging (to 100) so waited another 40 mins to begin charge, when my turn came to charge, had to go out in the pouring rain to plug in (no shelter) like the petrol bowsers.

That's why I'd never go on a trip at peak holiday time.

Why are there so many broken chargers in Australia? From comments elsewhere we seem to be the worst country for chargers out of action. Australia was very late to the EV party with contempt shown by the Morrison government and a lack of public charging. It is improving but the increase in EV ownership has I think at this stage exceeded the percentage increase in the number of public chargers available leading to inevitable queues especially on major routes like the Pacific Highway.

The fact that there are people charging to 100% indicates to me that they have range anxiety and worry whether the next charger along the route will actually be working. They also may not have done much research or gained enough knowledge of how EVs actually charge, failing to realise that the last 20% takes nearly as long as the first 80%.

At the BP pulse at Ballina I found only 1 charger working. The first went right through the process and got to charging started, then said charging stopped. I gave up after 4 or 5 attempts & then found the other one worked first time.

I am retired and don't go on too many trips and charge at home overnight and soon after adding another 6.6kW of solar panels will be charging during the day virtually free ( once the capital has been paid off)

Another thing appears to be insufficient supply to some chargers. I have come across 350 kW chargers limited to 50 or 75 kW due to poor supply. Comments on the BP pulse app from some people at the Ballina charger stated that the charge started at 75kW and another car pulled up to use Charger 2 & the 75kW dropped by more than half.

I've not heard of this happening in any other country. Correct me if I'm wrong.

We are a long way from the new Shell charging station near Shanghai Airport that has 258 super chargers, charged 3300 vehicles every day during trials & has 300,000 kilowatt hours of rooftop solar available for the chargers. I wonder how long it will take to get this sort of infrastructure here on major highways albeit on a smaller scale.

Apart from all this electricity is now more expensive than petrol to power a vehicle if using super chargers.

 

[wattmatters]

Why are there so many broken chargers in Australia?

The business model for fast chargers isn't great, so (apart from Tesla) the designs cuts corners meaning issues with operating in harsh environments, stuck at the arse end of a car park without cover/protection/security, inadequate power supply and low numbers of charge stations per location, while maintenance capacity is minimal and hence is often delayed.

There are also significant vandalism issues in some towns.

The fact that there are people charging to 100% indicates to me that they have range anxiety and worry whether the next charger along the route will actually be working.

+1

I have met people with this concern, they want enough to get not to the next charge stop but the next one or two beyond that. Hard to blame them (us).

At the BP pulse at Ballina I found only 1 charger working.

Which just increases the appeal of the Tesla network, even though it is very expensive. At least there is a much greater chance of finding a working and vacant charge station with capacity.

I understand the number of charge stations overall is expected to double this year. Whether that results in better availability/reliability, who knows? We can hope.

Apart from all this electricity is now more expensive than petrol to power a vehicle if using super chargers.

Yeah, unless charging at least a decent proportion of energy from home off-peak and/or solar PV it's not much of a saving.

My old MkV Golf TDI costs an EV equivalent of 56.6c/kWh to power. So as long as the overall trip charge cost is less than that then I'm ahead, at least on the energy component (the rest isn't so simple).

I worked out that in my Essence 64, on a road trip I can count on ~ 500km of it being from home charging (leave with a full charge, come home partly empty). Perhaps more depending on how much I risk the final leg.

My average home charge cost is 17.2 c/kWh (weighted average cost based on the mix of solar PV and grid charging I got during Q4 2023).

So if the rest of the journey was using DC fast chargers only, then it's still cheaper for a total trip distance of:

• up to 1,170km using Tesla Superchargers @ 85c/kWh
• up to 2,200 km using the other networks @ 68c/kWh

1,000km is a big day, so once you are into that territory and further there is a fair chance of being able to use destination chargers while sleeping. Whether that works out cheaper or not is hard to say, but a bit of planning would help.

 

[JoeBlow]

• up to 1,170km using Tesla Superchargers @ 85c/kWh
• up to 2,200 km using the other networks @ 68c/kWh

This is where it would be worth paying the $10 membership fee for any months you have some big trips planned.

It would start saving you money after ~60kWh. I.e. part way through your second charge stop.

 

[Corindikev]

I have had a 2kW grid connect solar system since 2013 & I am now adding another 6.6kW to that so I can charge during the day mostly from solar and am today getting a new smart meter installed & am changing to an EV plan to get free power during the day on weekends.

When the solar went in they installed a new meter & told me it was a smart meter but still sent a meter reader around every quarter. It turns out that it was capable of being a smart meter but needed to have the modem & comms module added.

Most of the cost issue has been the massive increase in electricity costs over the past year with off peak going from just over 13c/kWh to now 27.7c/kWh shoulder 36.5 & peak at 42.8. This is due to drop slightly with the new plan. OVO offers an EV plan of 8c/kWh but then that is offset with peak at 69.6C/kWh, ouch. Not available where I live.

The excuse for the huge price increases is that the infrastructure is old and needs to be upgraded to accommodate new renewable energy sources. Again driven by a head in the sand attitude from successive conservative governments.

Talking to my brother who lives in NZ the other day & he has just installed solar, he was blown away with the electricity costs in Australia. He pays less for peak than we pay for off peak. Then again 85% of their electricity comes from renewables & the network doesn't need special upgrades.

Something I have just become aware of is that export to the grid is limited to 5kW for a single phase connection to protect the network so an ECD (export control device) has to be fitted to prevent this so unless I use the power it all dissipates as heat.

Next time I am planning a trip I will think about a subscription as 85c/kWh makes my eyes water.