MG4 in Australia

[Jamesrr]

During a long question & answer session with me MG Australia just revealed they're working on 2 Surprising New Features, if they succeed in making these 2 things work it would make existing MG4 owners happier as well as new buyers - one of them is better LKA like the UK SC077 software update

Hi Neerav.
I watched your YouTube video and yes, it discussed 2 new "features", but didn't say anything about improved LKA...
Huh?

 

[neerav]

Hi Neerav.
I watched your YouTube video and yes, it discussed 2 new "features", but didn't say anything about improved LKA...
Huh?

Lol. Good point jamesrr

I've done so many articles and videos this week they're all blurred in my head

Progress on better LKA and other potential new fixes are detailed here

https://www.bhatt.id.au/blog/australian-mg4-2025-software-update-improvements/

 

[Jamesrr]

Progress on better LKA and other potential new fixes are detailed here

https://www.bhatt.id.au/blog/australian-mg4-2025-software-update-improvements/

Thanks Neerav,

I'll happily accept an LKA update but I can wait. I don't find it as annoying now as I first did. I no longer bother using the "pull down" menu and turning off ELK each time I go on a long trip.

I'm used to it and it really doesn't bother me these days.

That being said I do go and enable OPD every time I get in the car. Having to do that every time does annoy.

I understand the "but you need battery capacity" explanation but that really is BS. Other cars can handle it.

Anyway... On to more interesting things.

I'm taking the 77 on the "Long Drive" Monday morning. It's from our house here in Sydney NSW over to the beach house at Black Point on the Yorke Peninsula of SA.

Total journey is 1,500 kms which I do in 2 legs. Haberfield to Mildura (1,000 kms) on the first day and Mildura to Black Point on the next.

I've done this drive numerous times in the ICE car, but since we serendipitously ended up with the 77 rather than the 64 we were originally intending to purchase, we were able to sell it and I expect to do the long drive with no problem.

I'll document my experience in a couple of days times with my success

Trip Report to come!!!

 

[neerav]

I'm taking the 77 on the "Long Drive" Monday morning. It's from our house here in Sydney NSW over to the beach house at Black Point on the Yorke Peninsula of SA.

Enjoy. The RAA Kempower fast chargers work well. Ardrossan one is next to a shop that has cheap local ice-cream brand

 

[Jamesrr]

Enjoy. The RAA Kempower fast chargers work well. Ardrossan one is next to a shop that has cheap local ice-cream brand

Yes, I've used the Ardrossan RAA chargers a number of times when I come around in a hire Polestar 2 which I pick up from Adelaide Airport if I fly over.
There's 3 main charging sites that service the Yorke Peninsula, Ardrossan, Minlaton and Kadina.
I've used them all as I traipse around the peninsula visiting all the spectacular scenery. I love it.
Ardrossan is a great little town and the supermarket by the Charger is excellent. A really good delicatessen section as well for all those lovely foodie treats that we deserve when on holidays

 

[Jamesrr]

Darn it... First hiccup. The Hay superchargers are running very slowly. Only getting 30kW. I'll be 45 minutes later to Mildura than planned.
Ah well. It was a planning trip.
I'll only plan on getting to Narrandera next time I take the trip.
Lucky I'm on "holiday time"

 

[Corindikev]

What should they deliver? Superchargers by definition I think should be at least 150kW & up to 350kW. I have only used Evie superchargers & they were rated at 350kW & the MG was at its peak of 140kW when I plugged in with about 30% battery left.

 

[Coulomb]

If I have the right place, they are V4s, so they should be capable of 250 kW each, no interference with other users.

Plugshare doesn't mention a site limitation.

 

[coff33]

Anyone managed to get the USB port replaced under warranty? It seems loose, it I touch the plug or cable near usb port Android auto dies. Sometimes even dies if I go over a pothole.

 

[Jamesrr]

What should they deliver? Superchargers by definition I think should be at least 150kW & up to 350kW. I have only used Evie superchargers & they were rated at 350kW & the MG was at its peak of 140kW when I plugged in with about 30% battery left.

Yeah, I get 144kW when the SoC is low and by 50%SoC it drops to around 60-70kW.
30kW is really low!
There weren't any other cars plugged in at the time so I couldn't ask what they were getting.
Ah well, such is life.
...and I'm on holiday time, so really, who cares

...and the Yass and Wagga Wagga superchargers were working just fine.

 

[decrep]

Did you try disconnecting, and reconnecting? Just in case it as some sort of communication glitch between car and charger.

 

[wattmatters]

Think I'd have tried another charge station.

 

[Jamesrr]

Did you try disconnecting, and reconnecting? Just in case it as some sort of communication glitch between car and charger.

Think I'd have tried another charge station.

Yes, sort of...
I was at 50% SoC after 30 minutes when I got back to the car and noticed the very slow charging so finished it and went around to the single bay nrma tritium 50kW charger to see what it was doing. I got almost the same rate (29kW) and went and got a drink.
They stop at 80% so as I needed to get to Mildura figured I'd go back to Tesla charger and try a different one just to add the extra 5% I wanted for the 290kms trip...
The different Tesla unit was still giving me 30kW. I spent the 7 minutes getting my extra 5% and then headed off.
Who knows. Maybe it was my car deciding it was too hot to take any more!

 

[wattmatters]

Who knows.

Indeed. At least by trying other options you ruled out the one charge station being an issue.

I just looked at Plugshare logins for that charge stop and there seems to be a common theme of reduced power supply:

Bidgee Motor Inn (2) | Hay, NSW | EV Station

Hay, NSW (6) Superchargers up to 250kW, available 24/7 CCS compatibility This Supercharger is open to Tesla and other EVs with CCS compatibility

www.plugshare.com

Some comments from the feed:

No one here seems to get any higher charge rates than about 100

Finishing charge from yesterday. Only hitting 40kW and I'm at 60%? Was hitting 120-130kW at 50% yesterday. I know it drops but this is not normal haha

It claims to be 250kw but I only seem to you get 96kw

Not always as many charged just fine, nor quite as low as the 30 kW you saw, but definitely others have experienced a lot low lower power than expected given the charger type and their car's state of charge.

So perhaps there were local power supply issues resulting in reduced capacity or perhaps the charge station's cooling system was struggling?

 

[Wizard of Oz]

I've been getting the key not detected message quite a bit in the last few days. Previously, it was about once every week or two. Now it's about one time in two.

I know about dropping the tag into the bottom of the arm rest holder, but even that isn't working every time.

Anyone know if there's a particular reason for this, or a solution, or is it just another one of those "quirks" of the car? It does seem to get over it after a few bongs, but I'd rather prevent it than ignore it.

 

[Martinonline]

Your keyfob battery may be low. Try replacing it.

Have you another keyfob you can try?

 

[Jamesrr]

I'd be replacing the key fob battery, as others have suggested.

 

[DixieTGS]

And if it fails completely before getting a battery, put it inside the centre console, which is right by the receiver.

 

[wattmatters]

Battery equalisation. I have Essence 64 (NMC battery).

Have a long drive today so car got an overnight full charge in prep. It's been 96 days since the last charge to 100% so was a good opportunity to do so.

The equalisation period after the bulk charging was complete took much longer than normal today, requiring a little over 2-hours to complete:

It's normally a 5-10 minutes thing.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

Your keyfob battery may be low. Try replacing it.

Have you another keyfob you can try?

I've only had the car since December, but perhaps the battery had already drained a little? I'll try the second fob first. Low battery does seem the most likely option, but hopefully I don't need to replace it every couple of months!