New S5 Owner checking in

[Loveclose]

I'll add my twopenny worth - get yourself a home charger if you can. Apologies if it really isn't possible, but home charging is where the huge savings get made. Find an electricity supplier that offers cheap rate electricity for charging, and you're laughing. The cost of the charger is less than the savings you make in a year.

 

[TimothyN]

The cost of the charger is less than the savings you make in a year.

If you need 30% or less per day, then that is much more true of a granny charger

 

[dx4100]

I don't speed and found the over speeding warning a nightmare. The reality is the car doesn't often read the speed limits correctly and doing 31 / 32 / 33 in a 30 is hardly "speeding" by any sensible measure. Thank goodness I worked out how to turn it off.

I think most people would benefit from going all in on a home charger. I often think if I wasted £1k getting a proper charger installed, as I could have just granny charged every night, but what a faff in reality. If you're on a budget then defo get a granny charger over regular public charging. But an investment into a proper home charger if possible is the best way to go in my opinion.

I've got this car for at least 3 years and probably will get another EV, so it's a worthwhile investment for us.

 

[TimothyN]

I have had the car for six months and, except on the day I took delivery, before Amazon delivered the granny charger, I have never used any other form of charge and it has never been a hassle.

 

[dx4100]

I have had the car for six months and, except on the day I took delivery, before Amazon delivered the granny charger, I have never used any other form of charge and it has never been a hassle.

You have to admit thought there are limitations to granny charging. Multiple days of long distance driving become a problem. Most days that wouldn't be an issue for most of us I would guess but for example this weekend I had to do a long drive today and I have one on Sunday as well (two 100% charges required) and there is no way granny charging would have cut the mustard. I would have to public charge which is time and money.

What can you get overnight ? 30% max ?

 

[EvTek23]

With my MG 4 trophy LR 64kWh battery using a granny charger at 10A in 12hrs overnight I can use about 28kWh of electricity which equates to about 45% charge, so from 35% to 80% is feasible.

 

[dx4100]

Seems my original thinking is still right though even if you stretch it out to 45% charge. You are still in the leaky bucket syndrome. In the end you get to the point where granny charging runs out of juice compared to a proper charger, unless doing just short hops.

If you're doing consistent short journeys you are never going to have an issue with granny charging, but it's only going to take a handful of long journeys before you start to hit trouble.

So like anything else its horses for courses. I'm not going to argue against granny charging if it works for you. But its has its limit which a proper home charger does not. I can easily charge from 0% to 100% every night on a proper charger. Thats a theoretical 280 miles in the summer vs 126 miles on the granny. 200 vs 90 miles in the winter (give or take).

Doesn't take a genius to see the limitations. A proper charger empowers you to get full use of your vehicle on any given day where a granny charger does not.

 

[Ian Key]

Just an interesting thought in the granny vs home charger debate. I know my home charger is covered by my home insurance as it's classified as a permanent fixture so if it causes any damage to my property they'll pay out......hopefully.

Would they do the same for a granny charger if it caused a fire due to the socket it was plugged into overheated?

 

[dx4100]

If you are using the proper MG granny charger plugged into a proper socket and not some dodgy extension cable not rated for the job I don't see it being any different than using any other plug based product.

 

[salty]

Just an interesting thought in the granny vs home charger debate. I know my home charger is covered by my home insurance as it's classified as a permanent fixture so if it causes any damage to my property they'll pay out......hopefully.

Would they do the same for a granny charger if it caused a fire due to the socket it was plugged into overheated?

Don't see why not. It's not something dodgy. It's made to go into a household socket. So can't see there being any problems at all.

It's really all about what suits you and your needs. I've had my X Power 15 months, and only ever used a Granny.
Because it suits MY needs. There's no right or wrong.

 

[Ian Key]

The plug might be OK but is the household wiring and the socket up to modern spec as some have reported the socket overheating and showing scorch marks as it wasn't up to supplying 3kW for hours on end.

I will agree if your wiring etc. meets the current specifications and the socket wired properly then there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[salty]

The plug might be OK but is the household wiring and the socket up to modern spec as some have reported the socket overheating and showing scorch marks as it wasn't up to supplying 3kW for hours on end.

I will agree if your wiring etc. meets the current specifications and the socket wired properly then there shouldn't be a problem.

Yep agree. But that's up to you to check.
If God forbid, it does cause a fire.
You can't blame the Granny, for it, if you haven't checked your, house sockets are suitable.

 

[Archev]

The plug might be OK but is the household wiring and the socket up to modern spec as some have reported the socket overheating and showing scorch marks as it wasn't up to supplying 3kW for hours on end.

I will agree if your wiring etc. meets the current specifications and the socket wired properly then there shouldn't be a problem.

If in any doubt about the household sockets and wiring I would use the socket on the cooker switch. It will (should) be wired in heavier (usually 6mm²) cable. It’s also on a dedicated separate feed from the consumer unit (fusebox) unlike ordinary plug sockets which are usually daisy chained on a ring main circuit with other sockets around the home with 2.5 mm² cable.

 

[MG Clive]

If in any doubt about the household sockets and wiring I would use the socket on the cooker switch. It will (should) be wired in heavier (usually 6mm) cable. It’s also on a dedicated separate feed from the consumer unit (fusebox) unlike ordinary plug sockets which are usually daisy chained on a ring main circuit with other sockets around the home with 2.5 mm cable.

That's a good tip mate.

 

[salty]

If in any doubt about the household sockets and wiring I would use the socket on the cooker switch. It will (should) be wired in heavier (usually 6mm) cable. It’s also on a dedicated separate feed from the consumer unit (fusebox) unlike ordinary plug sockets which are usually daisy chained on a ring main circuit with other sockets around the home with 2.5 mm cable.

Good idea. Trouble is Cooker sockets, can be quite far away from the car. But if it's not, then yep, go for it. The obvious, simplest way, is have a dedicated EV socket fitted. Wouldn't cost that much. Probably about 50 quid.

 

[Archev]

Good idea. Trouble is Cooker sockets, can be quite far away from the car. But if it's not, then yep, go for it. The obvious, simplest way, is have a dedicated EV socket fitted. Wouldn't cost that much. Probably about 50 quid.

Yeah I’ve been lucky staying away a couple of times in a log cabin and cottages where the car could be parked near the kitchens

 

[stevedee]

I struggle to understand why someone would spend 10s of thousands on an electric car, but then avoid spending £1k on a proper home charger!
Apart from the convenience, an intelligent charger with an intelligent tariff will save you money; a quick fag-packet estimate; a 50% charge 3 times a week and its paid for in 12 months.

Using a 13A plug/socket lead to charge your car is not a great idea. Chances are, your socket is not EV rated, so will get hot after a few hours. This applies equally to cooker sockets or other 13A sockets. BS 1363 was only updated in 2016 to make 13A sockets more suitable for EV charging; even then, "it is intended for occasional or limited charging". If its your only means of charging, its unlikely to be occasional or limited.

Maybe I already have a BS 1363/EV socket? Maybe, but if you have, it will be marked: BS 1363/EV

Is my cooker wiring more suitable than my ring-main? No, if your house has been properly wired, your ring main is more than adequate. If your house has not been properly wired, then your cooker wiring is possibly as dangerous as the rest of it.

Are there insurance considerations? There may be, if you're plugging your car into a non-ev socket.

 

[dx4100]

An insurance claim will come down to what it says in the manual of the ev charging device and if you used it as directed. As normal people we are not expected to be professionals. Old or new wiring won't impact a claim unless there is something very detailed in the manual. The liability is to use what you use as described and directed by the manufacturer. Any damage beyond that will become a liability born by the manufacturer or insurance company.

They ask you questions like the age of the house when getting home insurance as they factor the risk of old wiring into the premium.

I think the problem for most people is I'm sure the manual says to be used as an emergency and not as the main way to charge your car or for prolonged periods. And probably why MG stopped supplying it. Food for thought. Sure I've read that.

That's just insurance claims mind. If I was using one I would be making sure the wiring was up to scratch as I dont want to die anytime soon.

 

[stevedee]

There could be issues under 'home owners responsibilities' such as Neglect; 'failing to deal with signs of defect' (e.g. a socket that gets very hot when in use) or Duty of Care; if a 3rd party is injured.
Either way, to be sure to be covered, a BS1363/EV socket should be fitted including a suitable circuit breaker, probably on a dedicated radial circuit & certainly by a professional electrician. That sounds expensive.

 

[TimothyN]

In terms of the cost benefit and practicalities of the granny charger (as opposed to safety issues), it comes down to a question of the use case.

As several people (including myself) have said, granny charging will only give you 30% in the low cost period of the night (which, in my case, is 00:00-7:00, though for most people it's 6:00).

So, if your average consumption is less than 30%, and you are home almost every night, a granny charger will clearly be enough.

Very often, the only use I will make of the car will be to go from the southern end of Biggin Hill, where I live, to the airport, which is at the northern end. The round-trip will typically only cost 2% of my battery.

My other regular trips are into Bromley, which consumes maybe 10%, and to the grandchildren in Morden, which, depending if I take them out from there will be between 20 and 40%.

I have on two or three occasions been on longer journeys, for example up to Cambridge, or out to Guildford, and, if I'm going to do that, I normally go up to 100% and, even on the longest journey, I've never seen less than 40% on my return.

If I do have 40% on my return, and I only want to use nighttime rate, then it takes a couple of days to get back up to the resting 90%.

The largest consumption of my battery is actually V2L, which I use to space heat my outdoor office, and all my cooking and laundry, and even with that consumption, which can be as much as 30% in a day, I still have yet to use anything except my granny charger.

The idea that "no one in their right mind" would rely only on a granny charger is clearly ridiculous.

I live in rented accommodation on two months notice either way, in a cul-de-sac full of right wingers who believe in flags and white supremacy. I could be out of here at short notice, there really is no sense in spending £1000 or £1500 on an installation that I would never get back.

There are obviously many people for whom granny charging won't work, but equally, there will be quite a few of us for whom it is perfectly adequate, and the most sensible choice.

All I am doing is trying to counter the view that everyone is better off with 7kW home charging. It ain't necessarily so.