Motorway economy

[robrymond]

I've got an order for an SE as I bite the bullet and swap an ICE drinking Diesel for electric.

My round trip is 120 miles and is basically motorway except five minutes at the end.

I drive my wife's Q4 a couple of days a week and average around 2.5 kWh this time of year but more like 3.5-4 during the Summer.

I'm now wondering if I'm going to be a bit short in the SE during the winter months. I have the ability to charge at work and home so I can top up, but preferably I'd like to use the free electric at work where possible and avoid home charging.

Has anyone been doing regular motorways miles now the weather has turned largely (it's been quite mild but the dark nights and wet weather have effected the Q4 already).

We will use the Q4 for weekend use, so the MG 4 would just be a motorway work horse up and down the M6.

 

[meicd]

I have the long range but the performance is well above what you have said for the Q4. Even in winter you should comfortably do the 120 miles on a charge.

 

[Ian Key]

The SE has a 50kWh usable battery so to do your 120 mile round trip (60 miles there and 60 miles back) you need to do at least 2.4kW/mile. It sounds doable.

 

[robrymond]

The SE has a 50kWh usable battery so to do your 120 mile round trip (60 miles there and 60 miles back) you need to do at least 2.4kW/mile. It sounds doable.

Perhaps a lighter foot than normal in the coldest of winter days? I don't tend to hang around in the Q4 because when you do such a drive every day it becomes a chore to be economically minded!

 

[MoDolph]

I don't have one but suspect that you'll be fine provided your willing to take it easy on the worst 5% of days.

I calculate that for an SR with the battery warranty of 70% you would have to achieve 3.4 miles/kWh so in 7 years time you might struggle

 

[robrymond]

I don't have one but suspect that you'll be fine provided your willing to take it easy on the worst 5% of days.

I calculate that for an SR with the battery warranty of 70% you would have to achieve 3.4 miles/kWh so in 7 years time you might struggle

I didn't think about the depreciation. Perhaps with my miles I'd have to get rid before and get something else.

 

[MoDolph]

I didn't think about the depreciation. Perhaps with my miles I'd have to get rid before and get something else.

Great! So it's just the first paragraph then. 120 miles should be no problem but if you wake up and there's a huge storm, or snow and slush on the ground then you might have to restrict the speed to 56mph or charge at home.

 

[robrymond]

Great! So it's just the first paragraph then. 120 miles should be no problem but if you wake up and there's a huge storm, or snow and slush on the ground then you might have to restrict the speed to 56mph or charge at home.

I'd probably work at home if we had snow. But yes charging at home off peak is not a problem as got 7.5p a kWh for four hours. It would be fine for a top up.

I guess I realistically wanted to know what regular cruising at 75mph would get you.

 

[MoDolph]

I'd probably work at home if we had snow. But yes charging at home off peak is not a problem as got 7.5p a kWh for four hours. It would be fine for a top up.

I guess I realistically wanted to know what regular cruising at 75mph would get you.

That's a number I'd like to know too. Lots of people will try to justify their purchase by overstating the economy but my 8 years of driving a leaf would suggest around 2.4 to 3.2 miles/kWh depending on conditions although I rarely do it due to the range at those speeds being 40 miles or so.

 

[siteguru]

I don't have one but suspect that you'll be fine provided your willing to take it easy on the worst 5% of days.

I calculate that for an SR with the battery warranty of 70% you would have to achieve 3.4 miles/kWh so in 7 years time you might struggle

Where are you getting 70% from? Is it the minimum state of health per the MG warranty? (I've not looked. Highly unlikely for the SR version with the LFP battery to be as low as 70% after 7 years - more like 90%+) 120 miles round trip should be easily achieved in the SR version, all year round.

And in a few years time the charging infrastructure will be much improved - in fact you may even have charging facilities at your place of work by then.

 

[the briggie]

Highly unlikely for the SR version with the LFP battery to be as low as 70% after 7 years

Hence the reason they give you a 7 year battery warranty at that level as it is most unlikely you will get that low in reality so they have that base covered

just found this on the MG website under the warranty terms and conditions nice to know

Lithium Ion High Voltage Battery During a capacity check at an Authorised MG Repairer if it is determined that the lithium-ion high voltage battery has suffered a capacity drop below 70% of the original value at delivery of your new MG Electric/Hybrid Vehicles, the segment below 70% will be deemed excessive loss. Where possible the excessive loss portion will be repaired, if un-repairable the lithium-ion high voltage battery will be replaced with either a new or a remanufactured battery.

And this
The extended factory warranty of 7 years / 150,000 km applies to the entire vehicle, including the electric drive components, such as the lithium-ion battery and the electric motor.

 

[NickHeynes]

I've got an order for an SE as I bite the bullet and swap an ICE drinking Diesel for electric.

My round trip is 120 miles and is basically motorway except five minutes at the end.

I drive my wife's Q4 a couple of days a week and average around 2.5 kWh this time of year but more like 3.5-4 during the Summer.

I'm now wondering if I'm going to be a bit short in the SE during the winter months. I have the ability to charge at work and home so I can top up, but preferably I'd like to use the free electric at work where possible and avoid home charging.

Has anyone been doing regular motorways miles now the weather has turned largely (it's been quite mild but the dark nights and wet weather have effected the Q4 already).

We will use the Q4 for weekend use, so the MG 4 would just be a motorway work horse up and down the M6.

I haven't done it regularly
But drove to my mums on the south coast from essex .
So a round trip of 175 miles or so .
A13 dual carriageway
M25
A21 dual carriageway
Then a bit of twisty turns

Averaged around 4.3 kwh.
I wasn't being particularly careful but didn't have the ac on that much .

I'm pretty pleased with that

 

[MoDolph]

Yes from the warranty. I realise that it is very conservative but since that is all that is warrantied, that is all you can be guaranteed of.

I think you are being overly optimistic with the 90% after 7 years. Yes LFP has good cycle stability but I've not seen anything showing that it has massively better calendar aging. Quite the opposite:

It's not just the reduction in capacity you have to worry about. It's possible that a single cell could fail. Do you really trust MG to change that cell if the overall capacity is still above 70%?

I'd rather work on the assumption it'll be 70% and then be happy that is actually better than the other way around.

I think 80 - 85% is a more realistic number after 7 years.

 

[BrenEV]

It’s a bit pointless talking about battery health over X number of years imo, as it is far more dependent on usage patterns than pure time.

Over seven years if you do a 100 mile round trip to work every day you’ll end up with a much more depleted max capacity than somebody pottering about town doing 50 miles per week.

It will also depend on things like the type of charges you do. More frequent rapid chargers take their toll on the battery more than a 7kw home charger etc

 

[the briggie]

This is one of those subjects we could bang on about for ever. We have to accept what we bought and degradation of some level is guaranteed over time. So depending on your individual view and use it varies. Some don't give a hoot, some are extra careful and some just want to drive it reasonably sensibly come what may. Que sera sera...I am not going to lose any sleep over it I can only control what's in my power.

 

[Pauli363]

We have the short range trophy also. You will do 120 miles comfortably

 

[Robkemm]

I've got an order for an SE as I bite the bullet and swap an ICE drinking Diesel for electric.

My round trip is 120 miles and is basically motorway except five minutes at the end.

I drive my wife's Q4 a couple of days a week and average around 2.5 kWh this time of year but more like 3.5-4 during the Summer.

I'm now wondering if I'm going to be a bit short in the SE during the winter months. I have the ability to charge at work and home so I can top up, but preferably I'd like to use the free electric at work where possible and avoid home charging.

Has anyone been doing regular motorways miles now the weather has turned largely (it's been quite mild but the dark nights and wet weather have effected the Q4 already).

We will use the Q4 for weekend use, so the MG 4 would just be a motorway work horse up and down the M6.

Hi
I've got an mg4 se standard range, I did a 130 mile trip the other day mostly motorway, and obviously slower roads getting to and from the motorway, and managed it with 34% left. Hope this helps.

 

[Shippo]

I don't have one but suspect that you'll be fine provided your willing to take it easy on the worst 5% of days.

I calculate that for an SR with the battery warranty of 70% you would have to achieve 3.4 miles/kWh so in 7 years time you might struggle

My mg zs ev has lost 3% battery in 2 years and 35000 miles. It will be no where near 70% in 5 years time. Batteries are better than people think.

 

[shaunuk]

Don't worry, MG has your back here. 160 miles is what your paying for, 160 miles is what you will get....

oh wait... I forgot, all range estimates on all cars are utter rubbish.

I wish they would pick a cold wet winters day when you are driving at motorway speeds, 70mph, heaters on full and just tell people what they will actually get.

Cold Wet winters Day with a Car full. You will Get 100 miles minimum. Make sure you plan on charging every 80 miles or so incase you find a broken one and need to find the next charger.

Perfect summers 25 degree day, slow meandering lanes and 60 mpg a roads, one person, no heating or cooling required. 220 miles. Make sure you find a charger every 150 miles or so.

 

[stuartthomas]

Hey guys, I have a MG4 SE standard range 70mph motorway range test coming out today on my YT channel.
Please feel free to sub and hit the notification bell for when it goes live today

https://youtube.com/channel/UC1lUIYZmO6LRgG4Z7Q7CDtA