MG4 Range

[Cocijo]

There seems to be a massive influx of people buying EVs on the basis that “it’ll definitely do 280 miles 365 days a year” and they drive it like their old ICE car and only get 100 miles out of the battery. I wish dealers were more open with this kind of thing and said it depends on weather, driving style, heating etc rather than just selling these cars Willy nilly.

They would, but it would affect sales….

 

[siteguru]

I haven't recorded specific mpkWh details, but ... temperatures have still been very cold, but last night I charged my car and left it connected all night, so it was 100% charged and had also had time to do a balance charge. (The total kWh vs time on charge indicates an average rate of 5.4kW ... actual charge rate is usually 6.8kW at the wall box so this suggests that a bit of low-power balancing may have been done).

Today I did my 2-way commute in ECO mode, did 10 mins cabin preheat x2, have covered ~32 miles and have returned home with 69% charge remaining / 91 miles on the GOM. This is better than what I've been achieving recently.

Edit: ECO mode is a little slower to get going but not really that noticeable if you generally have a light right foot anyway.

 

[Macadoodle]

It's actually slightly quicker than the Trophy, likely owing to the battery weight.

30kg or so according to specs, the lower gearing it's supposed to have probably has more of a bearing on the marginally quicker 0 - 60.
I seem to recall the trophy being slightly tamer in the lower and mid speeds but really hauling all the way up to 85 before letting up ( on my private airfield, officer ) The LFP model is running breathless above 75 I find.
Anyhoo, 2nd day of ownership today, took it for another drive (51 miles) 2 degrees c , heater on but driving sensibly with no mad stuff, 2.8 m kWh, don't think I can crack 3 m kWh in these temps if the heater is used.
Might try a no heat run tomorrow if I can find my thickest jacket, just to see how much impact cabin heating actually has.

 

[Macadoodle]

Have you had the balancing checked? Mine were significantly out on 3 out of 4 wheels.

Not as yet, might be worth investigating though

 

[Ayoull]

Anyhoo, 2nd day of ownership today, took it for another drive (51 miles) 2 degrees c , heater on but driving sensibly with no mad stuff, 2.8 m kWh, don't think I can crack 3 m kWh in these temps if the heater is used.
Might try a no heat run tomorrow if I can find my thickest jacket, just to see how much impact cabin heating actually has.

Find this odd as our MG ZS EV MK1 has managed 3.1mi/kWh today in -2C heating on red blob 1 (MK1 ZS EV isn't climate control rather guess a temp by the blobs and hope for the best) and fan on 4, and covered 32miles of A and B roads top speed of 55 onbback roads.

I collect my MG4 SE SR tomorrow and seems odd a newer all EV platform performs worse than an EV shoe horned into a petrol body

 

[Tig170]

As I have said elsewhere my daily commute is 27 miles (round trip of 54)
When I set of this morning it was -7 (went up to -3 by the time I got to work.)
Battery was at 76% not preheated
Preheated cabin for 10mins via the app.
Trip along the A13 Some reasonably fast stretches but most limited to 50mph
Then the last 9 miles stop start traffic as usual
AC was on and off ( I'm going to try it on auto tomorrow)
27miles
1hr 16min
av speed 21mph
3.4 mile/kw
Battery at destination 60%

Total power consumed 8kwh

I'm pretty happy with that.

I must admit that currently I get similar (with a similar commute, -10 this morning - with 10 min heat before setting off, AC on), averages 2.0 mile / kw - I'm quite lucky as cheap ovenight power (until may 24), but clearly if I was paying upto £1 (20times more than i currently pay) / Kwh, I'd not be using the MG4 in the winter - which is why you can almost see why the appeal of an EV (to save a few quid on fuel), isn't that appealing anymore if you have to use public chargers!

 

[Macadoodle]

I honestly think the LFP chemistry is the culprit, kinda half expected it.
If the promised longevity proves accurate then I can forgive it I guess

 

[Tig170]

I honestly think the LFP chemistry is the culprit, kinda half expected it.
If the promised longevity proves accurate then I can forgive it I guess

isnt LFP the way forward? - not as energy dense, but safer wrt fire, and less reliant on scarce raw materials (and a bit more resilient, at around 6000 charge cycles?) (and is in use for many home battery applications? ), but then again what do I know

 

[WalkingBootWeather]

isnt LFP the way forward? - not as energy dense, but safer wrt fire, and less reliant on scarce raw materials (and a bit more resilient, at around 6000 charge cycles?) (and is in use for many home battery applications? ), but then again what do I know

Assuming a mere 100 miles range per charge cycle that is a battery able to cover 600,000 miles. Sounds like overkill to me. I'd rather have a battery able to charge faster and go further even if it gave up the ghost after 200,000 miles. Very few will find battery degradation to be the main reason for scrapping their MG4.

 

[Deleted member 9909]

I thought the way forward was sodium ion or solid state potentially. LFP and L-ion is the current technology but not necessarily the future?

 

[Macadoodle]

isnt LFP the way forward? - not as energy dense, but safer wrt fire, and less reliant on scarce raw materials (and a bit more resilient, at around 6000 charge cycles?) (and is in use for many home battery applications? ), but then again what do I know

Well, manbaby Musk thought CATL LFP cells were good enough for the model 3 so it sorta gave me the confidence to go for the same in my 4.
Having experienced the horrors of a first gen Leaf, and seeing a mechanically perfect car slowly become more and more unusable due to rapid battery degradation, I wanted the longest lived (in theory ) cells in my 2nd EV.
TBH it looks like worst case is 130 miles at this time of year, so for me that means topping up every 3 days, I can live with that.

 

[Tig170]

Assuming a mere 100 miles range per charge cycle that is a battery able to cover 600,000 miles. Sounds like overkill to me. I'd rather have a battery able to charge faster and go further even if it gave up the ghost after 200,000 miles. Very few will find battery degradation to be the main reason for scrapping their MG4.

Wow I'd never thought of it like that.... imagine in 20 years time if our MG4 is still going with 200,000 miles and still has a useful battery - it will certainly see me out.....

 

[Ayoull]

isnt LFP the way forward? - not as energy dense, but safer wrt fire, and less reliant on scarce raw materials (and a bit more resilient, at around 6000 charge cycles?) (and is in use for many home battery applications? ), but then again what do I know

BMS technology requires work in regards to LFP in EVs, given the voltage discharge and charge curve being flat except at the extremes.

An LFP BMS can be upto -/+10% out in its charge reading currently where as NMC and NCA (solely used by Tesla) are only -)+1% out due to how thos battery types discharge.

My understanding of Sodium-Ion is it has a lower energy density than LFP and a lower depth of discharge only allowing 90% before potential damage occurs to cells where as LFP allows 100% discharge with no I'll effects.

 

[Tig170]

Well, manbaby Musk thought CATL LFP cells were good enough for the model 3 so it sorta gave me the confidence to go for the same in my 4.
Having experienced the horrors of a first gen Leaf, and seeing a mechanically perfect car slowly become more and more unusable due to rapid battery degradation, I wanted the longest lived (in theory ) cells in my 2nd EV.
TBH it looks like worst case is 130 miles at this time of year, so for me that means topping up every 3 days, I can live with that.

... which is brilliant really, my basic calcs show that each day a house uses 10kw & the car a similar amount, so yes for a few weeks of the year your in defecit, but 48-50 weeks of the year with a basic solar system its should be able to power both the car & house most of the time?

 

[Ayoull]

... which is brilliant really, my basic calcs show that each day a house uses 10kw & the car a similar amount, so yes for a few weeks of the year your in defecit, but 48-50 weeks of the year with a basic solar system its should be able to power both the car & house most of the time?

On average in the UK solar is insufficient between October and march, unless your array is massively oversized

 

[Tig170]

BMS technology requires work in regards to LFP in EVs, given the voltage discharge and charge curve being flat except at the extremes.

An LFP BMS can be upto -/+10% out in its charge reading currently where as NMC and NCA (solely used by Tesla) are only -)+1% out due to how thos battery types discharge.

My understanding of Sodium-Ion is it has a lower energy density than LFP and a lower depth of discharge only allowing 90% before potential damage occurs to cells where as LFP allows 100% discharge with no I'll effects.

thanks for the explanation, in the past 2 months its been a very steep learning curve - I now have an MG4, but also home battery storage (which isn't working 100% yet) - so each day is a "school day" at present!

 

[Tig170]

On average in the UK solar is insufficient between October and march, unless your array is massively oversized

... its all a school day for me, the chap (Nigel?) in Norfolk "EV Puzzle" is my go to channel at present!

 

[Ayoull]

thanks for the explanation, in the past 2 months its been a very steep learning curve - I now have an MG4, but also home battery storage (which isn't working 100% yet) - so each day is a "school day" at present!

LFP is an amazing battery tech just don't think the BMS systems are there yet for EVs fully, I should add I have bought a MG4 SE SR but with the miles I do it will be fully charged atleast once a week possibly twice

 

[Tig170]

LFP is an amazing battery tech just don't think the BMS systems are there yet for EVs fully, I should add I have bought a MG4 SE SR but with the miles I do it will be fully charged atleast once a week possibly twice

... quite amazing really, which for ourselves is just a game changer (we have gone from £200-300, month of fuels costs to less than £20 / month!!)

 

[Les burrows]

... its all a school day for me, the chap (Nigel?) in Norfolk "EV Puzzle" is my go to channel at present 170

Hi Tig 170 I I liked watching the ev Puzzle also but now I have switched and prefer a fellow name of Daniel Coe as he’s easier to watch for me anyhow, don't get my wrong Nigel is good but he does waffle on at times, Daniel I find to be more to the point IMHO and much clearer at times
Check Him out and let me know what you think.
Les.