Owning and using an MG ZS EV electric car

We have recently purchased our first electric car - a second-hand MG ZS EV 2022 Essence model. I have been keen to drive and EV for over a decade.  

MG ZS EV Essence

MG ZS EV Essence

We plan to use the EV for mostly city trips, replacing a 10 year old diesel  Opel Astra.

A wider variety of EVs are now available in 2024 (even in Australia!). 

Reasonably priced vehicles are available and there are numerous charging locations.

What I really like about the MG EV:

• Its quiet and has good performance and handling
• Regenerative braking saves energy
• No carbon emissions pollution at tailpipe
• Self folding mirrors when locking car
• Type 2 charge connection (the most common)
• 320km range is acceptable
• Good design - speed and other information are on the dash in front of the driver like conventional cars
• SUV style - good ground clearance and seating position. Good size rear seating.
• The information display screen in the centre of the dash is well positioned and a good size (not too big!)
• 20,000km service intervals! Services cost around $200.
• Air-conditioning works well
• Camera shows rear of car when reversing and front when going forward during parking
• Its reasonably priced and some good second-hand vehicles are available.

Excellent tech features:

• 360 degree camera, and blind spot assistance (Essence model only)
• Built in GPS navigation easy to use (without Android auto)
• Android Auto support (to get wireless you need a wireless dongle such as AAWireless)
• Vehicle to Load (VTL) support can provide a connection from the car battery to 240V sockets for running 240V appliances up to 2.2 kW(separate connecter cable is required for this).

Some things I have discovered:

• The supplied 240V charger takes up to 40 hours to fully charge a flat battery
• A domestic AC wall charger can be installed for around $2500. Single phase provides 7-9kW, three phase unit provides up to 22kw. The MG allows a maximum AC charge of 11kw so we will install the single phase - either a Zappi 2.1 or a Wallbox Pulsar Max with solar integration
• To fast charge the car at an Ampol service station I installed the AmpCharge app.  In 35 minutes 18.3 kWh charged about 40% of the battery for $12.91
• Some Tesla chargers have been made available to other car brands, but not many.
• The PlugShare app and website is great for locating charging points and seeing if they are available.
• Chargers are either tethered (with lead and plug) or untethered (no lead or plug). You need to carry a Type 2 charge cable to use untethered chargers.  EVSE have reasonably priced cables.
• The 2022 MG ZS EV model has a better lithium ion battery than earlier models and better range

Problem with binding car to app/account

• The MG iSMART app can be used to access car features, including its location.
• However the vehicle can only be "bound" to one account.
• The previous owner deleted his account before unbinding the car. I cannot bind to it.
• The car has to go to an MG dealer to unbind it so I can access it via the app (quoted cost $120 but they did it for free).

MG iSMART mobile app functions 

• Remotely turn on the aircon
• Lock/unlock the car
• Check the battery and see charging status
• Set a geofence with alerts and see the car's location. 

Service intervals

Service intervals are every 20,000km!  However, when visiting the dealer to get the unbinding done they said they need the car all day for a major software update, so I have booked that in.

Features missing from Australian model

• Car voice commands (but note that Android Auto voice commends work)
• Electric tailgate
• Rear seat centre armrests and cup holders

Under the bonnet

Charging the MG ZS EV

Ampcharge app information while charging

Misinformation about EVs is rife at the moment - 

This is presumably originating from 20C car makers and some fossil fuel companies worried about losing their markets for polluting fossil fuel vehicles and fuel. Some examples include:

• "Embodied energy" - all vehicles have "embodied energy" - the energy consumed to produce them
• "Battery life"- EVs have advanced battery management with the battery designed for 10+ years use
• "Not suitable for long trips" - charging stops do need to be factored in, especially on busy routes (e.g. Melbourne to Sydney). Its recommended to stop every 2 hours on long trips.

"Hydrogen powered cars will be better"

• Rolling out hydrogen refuelling infrastructure will be very expensive and slow
• Brown hydrogen is extracted from fossil fuels including coai, the process produces large quantities of carbon emissions 
• Blue hydrogen uses steam to separate hydrogen from natural gas
• Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, requiring significant amounts of electricity from renewable energy 
• See Green, blue, brown: the colours of hydrogen explained, CSIRO and The colours of hydrogen explained, Swinburne