MG4 Range

[Smendon]

For the LR and Trophy, how often do you need to balance change the batteries? Does it explain it in the manual?

 

[Retsiba]

Not many people do long daily long runs
75% of the country have a commute to work that is less than 9 miles.

I'd take the car back to the dealer as Briggie suggested (was it him, not sure) you may have a faulty module as said earlier. There are lots of issues but your dramatic loss of range doesn't seem to be representative across board.

 

[liberostelios]

Not sure how relevant that is to the problem some people see here, but I can share a friend's experience with a Tesla M3 LR. At the beginning, he had a much shorter range (of course, with an M3 LR this is much less of a problem ). When he got an Bluetooth OBD dongle and connected it to the car he saw that the system was reporting a much smaller battery capacity (62kWh instead of ~77kWh, as it should be). Tesla told him that there isn't much they can do and that he should keep going with the car and it will calibrate itself as it goes. It took him a few weeks (probably a couple of months or so) and, mostly, some long distance journeys until it recovered to its true capacity.

It's a different manufacturer and software, of course, but not sure if that's the case here. Maybe having an OBD dongle helps you figure out some more information about what's wrong with your car.

 

[tsedge]

For the LR and Trophy, how often do you need to balance change the batteries? Does it explain it in the manual?

I don't know if the manual states it, but the recommendation I have heard is monthly.

 

[tsedge]

I wouldn't bother...AC or DC makes no odds so long as the battery stores 100% of its capacity. I only use DC for the time v cost factor nothing more nothing less. Charge to 100% a few times to see if the BMS balances the readings but no need for ££ DC supply imo

Actually I think it does matter for a balance charge. My understanding is that AC is recommended because the battery is better able to balance when being charged at slow rates and will have longer on the charger to perform the balancing.

 

[the briggie]

For the LR and Trophy, how often do you need to balance change the batteries? Does it explain it in the manual?

LFP batteries need balanced regularly (weekly at least) to ensure the BMS is giving true readings due a more linear voltage drop. L-ion does not require regular balancing as the BMS does it more effectively as the voltage is more variable. I tend to only do a longer journeys occasionally at 100% charge.

 

[the briggie]

Actually I think it does matter for a balance charge. My understanding is that AC is recommended because the battery is better able to balance when being charged at slow rates and will have longer on the charger to perform the balancing.
.

I have seen it recommended but if the battery is sitting at 100% balancing should continue anyway across the cells...but I honestly don't know if that is with the car active or not ?

 

[jon0881]

Im hoping to bag a hotel charger for an overnight charge. The car should be asking for a balance charge if it detects the need for one according to the manual. Is there any way to know if its done one?

Is there a way of finding out the voltage of the pack without OBD to compare against what it should be? Could be a good way to find out if you have equalised

 

[tsedge]

I have seen it recommended but if the battery is sitting at 100% balancing should continue anyway across the cells...but I honestly don't know if that is with the car active or not ?

I am not sure about that.

 

[tsedge]

I am not sure about that.

I believe the car has to be on charge for a balance to occur. The reason seems to be because it balances by slowing bringing up cells to the right voltage and then stopping charging them as they reach the threshold.

Also found this from a ZS thread:

"The MG badge in the grill of the ZS EV will be pulsing in and out slowly, to indicate that the car is charging.
When the SOC reaches around 97% the car will throttle down the charge supplied to 3.5 kw's.
The MG logo is still slowly pulsing in and out.
When the car reaches the 100% SOC mark, the charge received will be reduced right down to 500 Watts.
This is when the "Balance" process has commenced.
Now the MG logo in the grill badge is now displaying a soft ( but constant ) glow, no pulsing.
When the car has finished balancing the HV pack, it will automatically shut down the wall box and return it to its "Standby" state."

 

[Driver16]

Just thought to open up this thread to discuss the range of MG4 cars.
Anyone noticed that MG4 range is significantly down. I have MG4 Trophy and its only showing 220miles after 100% charge. Anyone experiencing similar issue?

If anyone know settings which will increase the range, please reply.

Many Thanks

I charged my MG4 and it showed Battery state 98% estimated range 141 miles. Rather than 218 miles advertised by MG /Saic motors. Reduction of some 35% from advertised 218 miles.

 

[colsky]

I believe the car has to be on charge for a balance to occur. The reason seems to be because it balances by slowing bringing up cells to the right voltage and then stopping charging them as they reach the threshold.

Also found this from a ZS thread:

"The MG badge in the grill of the ZS EV will be pulsing in and out slowly, to indicate that the car is charging.
When the SOC reaches around 97% the car will throttle down the charge supplied to 3.5 kw's.
The MG logo is still slowly pulsing in and out.
When the car reaches the 100% SOC mark, the charge received will be reduced right down to 500 Watts.
This is when the "Balance" process has commenced.
Now the MG logo in the grill badge is now displaying a soft ( but constant ) glow, no pulsing.
When the car has finished balancing the HV pack, it will automatically shut down the wall box and return it to its "Standby" state."

I did wonder if an App (charging App or iSmart App) set to 100% might stop the balancing process. When the car reaches the 100% SOC mark, will the App immediately stop the charge, therefore inadvertently not allowing the balancing.

 

[siteguru]

The iSMART app just reports what the car tells it ... or it can tell the car to start a charge, but once charging the car has control - the app doesn't send a stop signal unless you tell it to. (In fact you can have the app closed and the charging all goes ahead by itself). The wall box will only stop charging (standby mode) if the car sends a signal to tell it to (or the schedule time has been reached, or you tell the wall box to stop charging)..

 

[jon0881]

I think the idea is you do not use any scheduling or let a 'smart' charger decide, you just let the car turn it off when its done

 

[siteguru]

I think the idea is you do not use any scheduling or let a 'smart' charger decide, you just let the car turn it off when its done

Exactly what I do. People on reduced rate overnight tariffs may take a different approach - but sometimes they'll have to "bite the bullet" and let the car charge all the way and balance, even if that means hitting the peak tariff time.

 

[colsky]

The iSMART app just reports what the car tells it ... or it can tell the car to start a charge, but once charging the car has control - the app doesn't send a stop signal unless you tell it to. (In fact you can have the app closed and the charging all goes ahead by itself). The wall box will only stop charging (standby mode) if the car sends a signal to tell it to (or the schedule time has been reached, or you tell the wall box to stop charging)..

I understand that, but the iSmart charging slider has to show something. If its set at 80% then presumably at that point it will send a signal to stop. If its set at 100% then will it not immediately send a stop signal, even if its not doing a scheduled charge.

 

[siteguru]

Yes and no - the app is not actively sending a signal whilst charging; it can't as you might have closed the app; the limit is sent to the car when you select it and the car remembers the setting.

Note: The charge limit only applies to LR versions - the SR version will always charge to 100% if you leave it long enough.

 

[Nigelleics]

I charged my MG4 and it showed Battery state 98% estimated range 141 miles. Rather than 218 miles advertised by MG /Saic motors. Reduction of some 35% from advertised 218 miles.

The estimated range is simply a guess based on your last x miles or most recent x kwh usage, either way it's a total guess because the computer doesn't know what sort of trip you'll be making.

Here's a back of beer mat calculation:

Assumptions: Heater uses 1kwh per hour of operation (sources indicate 1-2, but we'll be kind) , car does 4 ml/kwh without ancillaries.

Trip A: 8 miles in 60 minutes cruddy rushhour traffic. Mileage uses 2kwh, heater uses 1kwh. Efficiency is 2.7 ml/kwh

Trip B: 8 miles in 15 minutes part town, part 50mph roads. Mileage uses 2kw, heater uses 0.25kwh. Efficiency is 3.55 ml/kwh

In both cases the car is just as efficient at what it's meant to do, getting from A to B, but the per minute type consumption of lighting and heater can take a large bite out of range on slow journeys.

The calculations become even more skewed when preheating and lighting are added in (one being a fixed cost to range, and the latter being another per minute cost regardless of onward travel)

If it's any consolation then consider that Trip A will return more like 5 ml/kwh in warmer weather thanks to higher regen in stop/start traffic.

 

[the briggie]

Lighting
Lighting, electric car owners will be pleased to hear, consumes very little power. Bishop’s calculations estimate that a vehicle’s entire exterior lighting system, when used in a typical manner, accounts for 48.80 watt-hours (Wh) of energy. For a vehicle with an energy consumption of 180 Wh/km, which includes EVs such as the Porsche Taycan 4S, Tesla Model Y Performance, Kia EV6 Long Range, and Volkswagen ID.4, this equates to 0.27 km/h—or just 270 meters of range per hour of driving.

 

[Les burrows]

I think perhaps my time on this forum is fast coming to an end.

After spending several hours last night reading the posts in this thread which I had not looked at for a few days, a new member micheal1982 came with a question about range, #107 and from then on for almost 90 or so posts it as been nothing but a slanging match of a thread a lot of the time which is nothing short of disgraceful.

Micheal1982, I share your frustration but that is no excuse for some of the very unneeded remarks as you wrote in #111 ( do you work for MG ) what a stupid comment, and to a fellow member who was only trying to put a reasonable answer to, as you put lower down a simple question, and I strongly think you should apologise for that don’t you.
You also offer some nasty comments to other people’s reply’s to your question as well, that you have no right or need to do.

I well understand why Siteguru wrote about losing respect #112 as I said at the start of this post far to much of the slanging at each other as already been done, I know some of it in anger and frustration, and some of it in retaliation, and has gained nothing at all, the purpose of this forum is for members to share there opinions learn from what is posted and help each other where possible that’s what it was set up to do, so I urge all in this thread to cool it down and let’s hope an answer can be found to the issue’s when Micheal1982 returns his car to the dealer for investigation, and then hopefully he we post the outcome of that here.
I myself did a review of my findings on a trip I did last week #99, and I can tell you all I also am very concerned at the range available in the 4 SR I’m no expert on this but I had the MG5 SR over two winters and my son and I have been driving EV or a PHEV for over 5 years but nothing as been as poor on range as the 4SR appears to be please don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about, I ran the 5SR in all weathers and over the time I own it and I did over 18500 mile in it also it returned 4.7mpkh and there or pictures on this forum to prove that figure, even in similar temperatures as now.
It would appear to me the biggest change hear is the battery chemistry we know it’s not the same as the 4LR the trophy or MG5 battery chemistry and on range it does not appear to as good I do not know enough about it really to comment but I am as frustrated as Micheal1982 as for the range on my wife’s 4SR it as been abysmal at best.
We have a very long way to go yet in this winter has this is only the start WLTP range figures should be along the lines of xxx in summer and xxx in winter but they or not and all the advertising does is to say in this case up to 218 miles on a full charge biggest con trick yet in my book but they do it and new EV up takers expect it and then when it’s well down we have this disappointment and despondency, which is the case here, this issue does not only apply to MGs but all EVs we are told my sons model X Tesla was also well down in quoted range as well last week.

But please all let us refrain from the slanging matches at each other and try to be more informative, for the good of all. Other wise as I said at the beginning I for one will be gone
Les.