Tesla Supercharger Issue MG5 LR

[smokie]

From memory there weren't any that far north. Only certain sites are on the pilot and I think they were all dahn sarf.

 

[Rookery]

Oh well I'll just have to struggle

 

[aled]

From memory there weren't any that far north. Only certain sites are on the pilot and I think they were all dahn sarf.

Unhelpfully there are 2 in Scotland available for whichever cars tesla likes more than mg.

Same for me, I will be going on a driving holiday taking in Scotland and it would be nice if they were available to us.

Definitely worth getting a cps card and doing a little planning for longer journeys in Scotland as there are some areas where it is easy to get a rapid charge and some where you would wish you had charged earlier. If you use ABRP i would set the minimum number of chargers to 2 and check comments about cps chargers on zapmap to see if they are working. I found fastned at Hamilton and cps at forfar to be very good stops as they were never full or broken.

 

[Rookery]

Unhelpfully there are 2 in Scotland available for whichever cars tesla likes more than mg.


Definitely worth getting a cps card and doing a little planning for longer journeys in Scotland as there are some areas where it is easy to get a rapid charge and some where you would wish you had charged earlier. If you use ABRP i would set the minimum number of chargers to 2 and check comments about cps chargers on zapmap to see if they are working. I found fastned at Hamilton and cps at forfar to be very good stops as they were never full or broken.

Thanks for the information I have ordered a CPS card.

 

[Georgie]

Had the same experience with Tesla supercharger in Wokingham on March 31st. Tesla app doesn't have any useful options for helping non-Tesla users. On the chargers there is no contact number just a QR code which just gives you a lot of blurb.
I tried contacting the MG customer service which asked me to contact a dealership. I just did this. So will see if there is any result.

 

[Rookery]

Had the same experience with Tesla supercharger in Wokingham on March 31st. Tesla app doesn't have any useful options for helping non-Tesla users. On the chargers there is no contact number just a QR code which just gives you a lot of blurb.
I tried contacting the MG customer service which asked me to contact a dealership. I just did this. So will see if there is any result.

I hope you get a better reply than I did from my MG dealership because they didn't have clue.
I emailed MG HQ and they said it is a Tesla problem and Tesla need to alter their software to accommodate MG's.

 

[Georgie]

I hope you get a better reply than I did from my MG dealership because they didn't have clue.
I emailed MG HQ and they said it is a Tesla problem and Tesla need to alter their software to accommodate MG's.

I also don't expect the dealership to have the technical answer/knowledge but hope they will inquire the MG tech support. The fault could be on either side. Without specialist knowledge and tools it is not possible to solve the charging protocol issue(s).
I come across this sort of of issues in my telecom environment where the network operators have to apply exceptions for a certain device brand protocol behaviour despite not being fully compliant in a certain combination of factors. But when you have tens of millions of devices you don't leave the problem to the customer. It comes down to the weight of each side but also to good business.
The only way to really see this through is to apply pressure on MG to complete the interoperability tests with Tesla and be helpful in providing the required software upgrades.
MG phone application is buggy, rudimentary and loses remote connection, the carplay is buggy and resets randomly even with original iphone cable, the infotainment display sometimes gets stuck with the outside temperature not updated. So if it comes who to trust more I wouldn't put my money on MG being right on this.

 

[m4rmite]

I also don't expect the dealership to have the technical answer/knowledge but hope they will inquire the MG tech support. The fault could be on either side. Without specialist knowledge and tools it is not possible to solve the charging protocol issue(s).
I come across this sort of of issues in my telecom environment where the network operators have to apply exceptions for a certain device brand protocol behaviour despite not being fully compliant in a certain combination of factors. But when you have tens of millions of devices you don't leave the problem to the customer. It comes down to the weight of each side but also to good business.
The only way to really see this through is to apply pressure on MG to complete the interoperability tests with Tesla and be helpful in providing the required software upgrades.
MG phone application is buggy, rudimentary and loses remote connection, the carplay is buggy and resets randomly even with original iphone cable, the infotainment display sometimes gets stuck with the outside temperature not updated. So if it comes who to trust more I wouldn't put my money on MG being right on this.

So why is it that instavolt/bp pulse/mfg/osprey/gridserve etc etc can provide a charge to MG yet Tesla can't/won't.
In this instance it's Tesla that i wouldn't be trusting.

 

[Georgie]

You might be right. But you also have to ask why Renault/Nissan/WV and others work on Tesla chargers. That is the reason why IOT is needed. Sometimes even a small software upgrade on one side of the protocol brings new issues. This is the point where the engineers look at the trace from the protocol analyser and discuss the solution.
My experience in dealing with communication protocols in telecom is telling me that not enough testing has been done for specific situations. Some manufacturers choose to ignore it others throw an error aborting the process. That is what apparently Tesla is claiming for safety concerns.
Considering how many times you get some sort of errors at most of the various non Tesla chargers it gives me an indication that error treatment still needs ironing out.

 

[omega22]

I wouldn’t worry about looking for a Tesla charger. Once you’ve got your CPS card you’ll find they’re everywhere up here and cheaper. e.g. we just travelled up from England yesterday. Abington Services chargers including Tesla very expensive. 1 mile away CPS charger in free car park much cheaper and coffee shop nearby.

 

[Rookery]

Thanks for the information it is music to my ears.
I have got my CPS card now.

 

[hubj540]

So glad I found this thread, thanks for great advise!
Just want to share my experience, even if some part might not apply to UK as MG's apparently comes in different flavors and specs across Europe.

I have the facelift MG5 Trophy LR (or Luxury LR as it's called here in Sweden).
First leg of a 200 miles journey going skiing with my family (yes, still winter here).
First planned stop was a Tesla SC (most of SC here are "Open for all EV's").
It did not charge. Gave a rather obscure error message, something like "Not normal power" or similar. Tried three different stalls before I gave up.

Called my dealer who then threw the theory about SC being too powerful for the MG5, which is of course not correct.
Moved on to the next DC-network (InCharge) being a 50kW DC tap.
Nope! Could not establish connection.

All happening April 1, I was getting a feeling of bad karma, but tried to think clear.
What about AC? Moved a couple miles to an AC 22kW station (also InCharge network) and pulled out my brand new Type 2 cable. No luck!
Tried another stall, locked the car, unlock, cable inserted after activating charge in app, then the other way around... Hmmm... Nothing seemed to do the trick.
Held Home button for a reboot of the Infotainment system, locked the car and waited for 10 minutes, new attempts, but the car simply did not charge.

Called MG road assist, who put me in contact with a local towing company.
Together we disconnected the negative from the 12v, but did not leave it disconnected for more than maybe 15 sec. I have now got the good advice from this thread that one should leave it for 5-10 minutes to make sure everything is cleared, but was not aware of that trick at the time.
Anyway... after reconnecting the 12v, we got several errors about different systems being disabled, so the tech girl concluded that the car had to be handed over to MG main service center in Örebro, 90 miles from Ludvika were we had the "incident".

Ended up in a Peugeot 3008 rental for the week, and had a lovely time without any range anxiety.

Mid week I had the call from the MG service center saying there is nothing wrong with the car, and that it charges from both DC and AC.

Not 100% sure what happened, or what caused, or solved, our problems. But this is my theory:
1. Tesla SC caused some sort of failure to the BMS of our MG5.
2. Apparently bad enough to prevent even AC charging.
3. Disconnecting 12v seems to have solved the BMS issue, but as it gave other warnings we did not try charging after that. That would explain why service center had no issues charging when they tried. They reported that nothing was done to the car, but apparently they cleared the errors, because from the iSmart app log I see errors that was later not reappearing.

One more thing... I also have an MG4 LR Trophy (called Luxury in Sweden), and I have charged several times at Tesla 250kW SC without any issues. It's supposed to do max 135kW, but the first DC-charge I ever did was at a SC where it maxed out at 142kW !
So, at least here in Sweden, the Tesla Superchargers are working fine with MG4, but could potentially be bad for the MG5.

/Jens

 

[Georgie]

I wouldn’t worry about looking for a Tesla charger. Once you’ve got your CPS card you’ll find they’re everywhere up here and cheaper. e.g. we just travelled up from England yesterday. Abington Services chargers including Tesla very expensive. 1 mile away CPS charger in free car park much cheaper and coffee shop nearby.

Unfortunately CPS doesn't seem to serve in South East but good to know if travelling north.

From what I can see from Tesla app as a member prices all over the country are peaking at 51pence. Prices for non-members are around 10-15pence more expensive.
For less than 80KWh the cost of membership is recovered if compared with 65p. It gets even lower, at 46KWh to break even, when compared with 75p from BP pulse. If you drive off-peak times you can make even greater savings.

Prices on/around M4 / M40, Hertforshire A1 /Cambridgeshire for DC chargers start at 66p up to 75/79p (BP pulse/MFG taking the crown). The odd/single DC charger somewhere inside a town might be a bit cheaper. But when I'm travelling on the motorways driving another 5-10 miles to find that charger, hopefully available and working it's kinda of a gamble.

So in my opinion Tesla offers a compelling case for drivers on long journeys if you happen to have one SC on your way.

But for MG5 owners, first MG needs to sort out the problem with charging at Tesla SC.

 

[Rookery]

So glad I found this thread, thanks for great advise!
Just want to share my experience, even if some part might not apply to UK as MG's apparently comes in different flavors and specs across Europe.

I have the facelift MG5 Trophy LR (or Luxury LR as it's called here in Sweden).
First leg of a 200 miles journey going skiing with my family (yes, still winter here).
First planned stop was a Tesla SC (most of SC here are "Open for all EV's").
It did not charge. Gave a rather obscure error message, something like "Not normal power" or similar. Tried three different stalls before I gave up.

Called my dealer who then threw the theory about SC being too powerful for the MG5, which is of course not correct.
Moved on to the next DC-network (InCharge) being a 50kW DC tap.
Nope! Could not establish connection.

All happening April 1, I was getting a feeling of bad karma, but tried to think clear.
What about AC? Moved a couple miles to an AC 22kW station (also InCharge network) and pulled out my brand new Type 2 cable. No luck!
Tried another stall, locked the car, unlock, cable inserted after activating charge in app, then the other way around... Hmmm... Nothing seemed to do the trick.
Held Home button for a reboot of the Infotainment system, locked the car and waited for 10 minutes, new attempts, but the car simply did not charge.

Called MG road assist, who put me in contact with a local towing company.
Together we disconnected the negative from the 12v, but did not leave it disconnected for more than maybe 15 sec. I have now got the good advice from this thread that one should leave it for 5-10 minutes to make sure everything is cleared, but was not aware of that trick at the time.
Anyway... after reconnecting the 12v, we got several errors about different systems being disabled, so the tech girl concluded that the car had to be handed over to MG main service center in Örebro, 90 miles from Ludvika were we had the "incident".

Ended up in a Peugeot 3008 rental for the week, and had a lovely time without any range anxiety.

Mid week I had the call from the MG service center saying there is nothing wrong with the car, and that it charges from both DC and AC.

Not 100% sure what happened, or what caused, or solved, our problems. But this is my theory:
1. Tesla SC caused some sort of failure to the BMS of our MG5.
2. Apparently bad enough to prevent even AC charging.
3. Disconnecting 12v seems to have solved the BMS issue, but as it gave other warnings we did not try charging after that. That would explain why service center had no issues charging when they tried. They reported that nothing was done to the car, but apparently they cleared the errors, because from the iSmart app log I see errors that was later not reappearing.

One more thing... I also have an MG4 LR Trophy (called Luxury in Sweden), and I have charged several times at Tesla 250kW SC without any issues. It's supposed to do max 135kW, but the first DC-charge I ever did was at a SC where it maxed out at 142kW !
So, at least here in Sweden, the Tesla Superchargers are working fine with MG4, but could potentially be bad for the MG5.

/Jens

Sounds like you had a bit of a nightmare, hopefully by avoiding Tesla SC you will be able to charge without hassle.

Unfortunately CPS doesn't seem to serve in South East but good to know if travelling north.

From what I can see from Tesla app as a member prices all over the country are peaking at 51pence. Prices for non-members are around 10-15pence more expensive.
For less than 80KWh the cost of membership is recovered if compared with 65p. It gets even lower, at 46KWh to break even, when compared with 75p from BP pulse. If you drive off-peak times you can make even greater savings.

Prices on/around M4 / M40, Hertforshire A1 /Cambridgeshire for DC chargers start at 66p up to 75/79p (BP pulse/MFG taking the crown). The odd/single DC charger somewhere inside a town might be a bit cheaper. But when I'm travelling on the motorways driving another 5-10 miles to find that charger, hopefully available and working it's kinda of a gamble.

Unfortunately CPS doesn't seem to serve in South East but good to know if travelling north.

From what I can see from Tesla app as a member prices all over the country are peaking at 51pence. Prices for non-members are around 10-15pence more expensive.
For less than 80KWh the cost of membership is recovered if compared with 65p. It gets even lower, at 46KWh to break even, when compared with 75p from BP pulse. If you drive off-peak times you can make even greater savings.

Prices on/around M4 / M40, Hertforshire A1 /Cambridgeshire for DC chargers start at 66p up to 75/79p (BP pulse/MFG taking the crown). The odd/single DC charger somewhere inside a town might be a bit cheaper. But when I'm travelling on the motorways driving another 5-10 miles to find that charger, hopefully available and working it's kinda of a gamble.

So in my opinion Tesla offers a compelling case for drivers on long journeys if you happen to have one SC on your way.

But for MG5 owners, first MG needs to sort out the problem with charging at Tesla SC.

So in my opinion Tesla offers a compelling case for drivers on long journeys if you happen to have one SC on your way.

But for MG5 owners, first MG needs to sort out the problem with charging at Tesla

I will be driving my MG5 pre facelift to Devon from Essex in a couple of weeks and the option of using Tesla SC would have been very handy. And after reading about the experience our friend Jens from Sweden had I don't think I'll even attempt at using them until I am 100% sure they are going to work. It is a very frustrating situation which we shouldn't even be in.

 

[Gomev]

Just to try and get my head round this. whole Tesla supercharger problem.

We now do not have access to something we have never really had access to.

 

[Georgie]

Just to try and get my head round this. whole Tesla supercharger problem.

We now do not have access to something we have never really had access to.

At least for MG5 MK1 there is one proven case where the SC was working in June 2022, see the youtube video below:

Tesla SC MG5/VW ID3
Also earlier in Jan 2023 some members reported in this thread that the MG5 MK1 stopped working.

We have an open Tesla network in the whole Europe but no reports (I could find) of compatibiltiy with any EV brands. We would expect, since in the EU the network has been opened for a couple of years, that the EV forums will pick up this non compliance.

We have some consistent reports for ZS EV and MG5 not able to charge at Tesla SC recently and reports that MG4 is able to charge. MG4 being on a new platform it could be that MG fixed the issue before the release.

Today I was for an hour on hold with Tesla to no avail. I'll try again later.

 

[Georgie]

Here is where we are now.
I got in contact with the MG dealer in Beaconsfield where I purchased the car, as requested by MG CS. Below is their message.

Dear Mr , Thank you for getting in touch with MG motor! In this instance you would need to contact your local MG dealership who will be able to assist further. You can search for your nearest dealership on mg.co.uk using the “find a dealer” tool on the top right of the webpage. Thanks again for contacting us. This email address is not monitored. Should you need to contact us further please email [email protected] Kind regards,

MG Customer Service

The dealer came back with a phone call to explain that their service team is aware of the problem on both MG ZS and MG5. And in turn MG is investigating the issue with the charging at Tesla SC.

What worried me equally was that he mentioned possible other known issues with DC charging.
And so far there is no timeline for a solution or what kind of solution would be, software update/recall, again according to the dealer.

Doesn't inspire much confidence.

 

[smokie]

I'm not sure it's always possible to give a timeline or details of the fix until the problem has been fully identified and a solution at least partially designed. I wouldn't be too concerned as there are other chargers out there, but then I don't depend on public charging like some do...

 

[smokie]

I'm going up the A11 on Monday and will need a squirt of juice.

Given the problems, I presume it's not worth even considering in the Tesla charging at Elvedon, as I don't want to waste time on unlikely-to-be-successful chargers.

(I think I will be OK to get to Thetford but I am planning an earlier top just in case I have a heavy foot that day!! So any other suggestions appreciated)

 

[dragon2611]

What worried me equally was that he mentioned possible other known issues with DC charging.
And so far there is no timeline for a solution or what kind of solution would be, software update/recall, again according to the dealer.

Doesn't inspire much confidence.

I've had a couple instances DC chargers cause a "System Fault" on my MG5 LR which then renders the car unable to move or do anything.

Both times that happened leaving the car alone in the locked state for several minutes (long enough for the computers to go back to sleep) cleared it.

If it happens again I may try seeing if I can clear it via something like carscanner or worst case pulling the 12v connection (I have a spanner/screwdriver in the glove box now just in case)

I've only charged a handful of times on DC and had it happen twice, the second time the same charger then happily charged the car after about 10minuts of faffing.