%, miles or both?

[johncolescarr]

Fellow newbie here. I first got a bit alarmed when I realised my daily 40 mile (each way) commute was consuming 40% of my battery, but then all I need to do is plug it in when I get home! I currently have only a granny charger as I wait for my 7kW to be installed in a few weeks and even with this I can happily keep my car charged at home.

It’s not taken me too long to change mentality from ICE days. I try not to let it go lower than 20% and I charge it to 80% (64kW NMC). I will only charge to 100% if doing a very long journey.

Maybe I’ll be a little more anxious when I go on my monthly 240 mile round trip (120 miles each way) in a few weeks but I already know the charge stops and also google maps is pretty good at showing me where others are.

In fact I’m hoping to use the destination chargers at the hotel I stop at and avoid public chargers altogether!

What has allayed my fears on touring is the speed of recharge. I went to a public MFG station near me and all the bays (rated at 150kW were in use when I was charging. Even so, I plugged in at 35% and in 15 mins it added 23kW. At my consumption that will give me 80-90 miles even in current colder conditions. Maybe my first rapid charge was not representative…

 

[Kithmo]

I see the battery % like a fuel gauge in an ICE car, when it gets low I top it up, when I'm going on a longer trip I fill it up before setting off, just like I used to with my previous petrol or diesel cars.
The early ZS EV battery gauge actually looked like a petrol gauge with its 8 segments and didn't actually show a percentage.

 

[Archev]

Fellow newbie here. I first got a bit alarmed when I realised my daily 40 mile (each way) commute was consuming 40% of my battery, but then all I need to do is plug it in when I get home! I currently have only a granny charger as I wait for my 7kW to be installed in a few weeks and even with this I can happily keep my car charged at home.

It’s not taken me too long to change mentality from ICE days. I try not to let it go lower than 20% and I charge it to 80% (64kW NMC). I will only charge to 100% if doing a very long journey.

Maybe I’ll be a little more anxious when I go on my monthly 240 mile round trip (120 miles each way) in a few weeks but I already know the charge stops and also google maps is pretty good at showing me where others are.

In fact I’m hoping to use the destination chargers at the hotel I stop at and avoid public chargers altogether!

What has allayed my fears on touring is the speed of recharge. I went to a public MFG station near me and all the bays (rated at 150kW were in use when I was charging. Even so, I plugged in at 35% and in 15 mins it added 23kW. At my consumption that will give me 80-90 miles even in current colder conditions. Maybe my first rapid charge was not representative…

It’s merely a modified mindset without the stink of fossil fuels.

 

[T1 Terry]

In the ICE vehicle, 1/4 tank on the gauge didn't trigger a panic or even concern, yet 25% SOC remaining looks like you'll be walking and carrying sparks back in a bucket, or worse, having a tilt tray come and rescue with all the embarrassment and cost involved .....

Change the mind set and if you are a bit like me in an ICE vehicle, carry a jerry can and calculated how far to the next town and if I have enough fuel with me.
If I do decide to go on an extended trip in the MG4 51, I'll either get one of those battery/inverter jobs, or more likely, build my own, so I have that reassurance of sparks in a can, that I can throw in the boot to reduce the stress level so that worst comes to worst isn't being stranded somewhere you can plug in ....

T1 Terry

 

[Tuareg]

The early ZS EV battery gauge actually looked like a petrol gauge with its 8 segments and didn't actually show a percentage.

I wish the MG4 had this type of gauge or at least be able to choose this as an option instead of the '%' display which I don't like. A simple 8 bar gauge and maybe showing a '%' when it's down to the last bar but all of this should be easy to configure.

 

[T1 Terry]

Maybe a small sticky pad note showing tenths is a colour coded graph near the SOC reading to reference what each 10% means, till you get a feel for it ......

T1 Terry

 

[Panther]

Fellow newbie here. I first got a bit alarmed when I realised my daily 40 mile (each way) commute was consuming 40% of my battery,

Make sure you haven't got intelligent battery heating turned on, I turned it off and my efficiency greatly improved, I do a 27 mile round trip to work and this WAS using more than 20% battery, since turning the IBH off the same trip now used around 16%

 

[johncolescarr]

In the ICE vehicle, 1/4 tank on the gauge didn't trigger a panic or even concern, yet 25% SOC remaining looks like you'll be walking and carrying sparks back in a bucket, or worse, having a tilt tray come and rescue with all the embarrassment and cost involved .....

Change the mind set and if you are a bit like me in an ICE vehicle, carry a jerry can and calculated how far to the next town and if I have enough fuel with me.
If I do decide to go on an extended trip in the MG4 51, I'll either get one of those battery/inverter jobs, or more likely, build my own, so I have that reassurance of sparks in a can, that I can throw in the boot to reduce the stress level so that worst comes to worst isn't being stranded somewhere you can plug in ....

T1 Terry

Just wondering what the charge infrastructure is like where you live Terry? I live in north of England where it is less populated than the south but still your never more than 10-15ish miles from your next town or conurbation, with charging infrastructure. I quickly counted rapid (>100kW) charge stations (as is locations, not individual bays) and I stopped at 62 within 30 miles of my home. Also all UK roads are very well serviced by frequent if very expensive charge locations. If this wasn’t the case I think I’d be pretty panicked.

Not sure I’d go as far as carry more battery storage with me over considering the “reserve” in my traction battery (although I do have the long range). I’ve not been down to single figures in miles or % yet though, by the time I’m below 20% I’m in find a charger quick mode unless I’m only a few miles from home, especially when the voice assistant tells me I’m low on battery too!

Make sure you haven't got intelligent battery heating turned on, I turned it off and my efficiency greatly improved, I do a 27 mile round trip to work and this WAS using more than 20% battery, since turning the IBH off the same trip now used around 16%

Great shout out. I did this a few days in an my consumption markedly improved! In fact anything branded “intelligent” typically is better turned off