My First Long Journey In The MG4 Trophy Long Range - EV Public Charging Attempt

[@69mrhappy1977]

Enjoying your video’s. I have the same car as you(!), (but in white) for 1 year now. (I have owned an ev for around 5 years now in total (leaf which my wife drives). I find my MG4 will do 265 plus miles in the summer and 210 plus miles in very cold weather. So in the winter I just double my battery percentage, (to give me a total miles) and this will give me “range anxiety” free journeys. I also have a AA wireless adapter for the android auto which is very good/good work around. (Happy to post a link if anyone is interested). Ref the auto high/low beam issue you mentioned in a previous video, my high/low beam works perfectly so I assume this is an issue with your MG4 so worth taking to the dealer to have a look at this. Lastly you mention about “getting stuck in traffic” in relation to this reducing your range…(??)…..with an EV this will actually do the opposite. If you get stuck in traffic or slow moving traffic your range will increase as EV’s like driving slower…..#toptip Happy to answer any questions you may have.

[@javelinXH992]

Totally agree with the stuck in traffic point. Whenever the M5 grinds to a halt due to an accident and you get stuck, range goes up. It feels weird, but it makes sense.

[@mcwink941]

Great video. Have an mg4 long-range myself. Love driving it. There is an emergency plug release pull cord in the left side of the boot behind the flap in the liner.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Thank you. It's a great car. I've since found that feature out, since doing this video!

[@MrWalterSlawik]

Hi, hit the stop button on the charger first. The warnings on the screen - press and hold the home button for around 20 - 30 seconds, it will restart the unit. I hope it will help. Safe journeys

[@aacmove]

And click your heels together three times and repeat "there's no place like home".

[@chapmandu2]

Did you really need to charge all the way to 80% to get home? I think the biggest mindset shift when driving an EV is only charging as much as you need to get to the next charge stop (plus a bit of a buffer), and this is especially true when your next charge stop is home and you can charge overnight at much cheaper rates than public chargers!

[@OfficialMacMotors]

No I probably didn't. But the kids were hungry, so made sense to just charge to that level whilst we were eating. I was also conscious of the etiquette of not hogging a bay whilst the car was sat charged at the desired level. Plus, it was a bit of an experiment for me, as I'll likely not have to utilise public charging often, so wanted to 'get my monies worth' 😁

[@djtaylorutube]

Diesel driver: "I got home with over half a tank left - awesome result!" EV driver: "I got home with 1% left - awesome result!" 👍🙂

[@OfficialMacMotors]

@garysmith5025 haha that's brilliant. I have to admit it's something I'm still getting used to. I was more acutely aware that I didn't want to needlessly block a public charger whilst the car had reached the charge limit I'd set, therefore set to 80%. What is the etiquette on this?

[@djtaylorutube]

@@OfficialMacMotors I wouldn't worry about etiquette just do what works for you. If I've got enough and there's a queue (never seen one yet!) then I'd move off but if you're eating you may need to bump up the charge limit to avoid an overstay but some busy Tesla sites for example, are adding overstay once above 80% anyway. I've gone to 100% at the flexiplus lounge at Calais but I was the only person there and we were waiting for a train anyway so just getting what I could. Normally, it's get the minimum for the next leg. Other fun stuff to do, pull onto petrol pumps in an EV and get out a fuel can for the lawnmower. That had someone do a double take when I did it. When I got an Electroverse and Elli card in preparation for a European road trip, I figured that I'd confirm they were both set up. Popped down to a local non Tesla charger and there was a guy in a van charging. I was there for as long as 1kWh added and then unplugged. He might have thought "damn that one charges fast!" Dunno, amused me at the time. 😁 Glad you're enjoying your car though, takes two or three good roadtrips to get past the unknown and range "processing". Anxiety isn't the word here, just mental calculations and initial adjustments.

[@javelinXH992]

@@garysmith5025Don’t often charge on the road, but a did a few weeks back when we took my Dad out for a meal for his birthday. They had a charger in the car park, so I added just 4 kWH as a safety buffer while we ate (7kwh charger) so it was half an hours worth. Didn’t necessarily need it, but why not it’s there? Popped out and moved the car a few bays while we were waiting for pud, just in case someone else wanted the bay. The cable was long enough to reach the bays either side anyway so it wasn’t really necessary, but it’s just the polite thing to do.

[@kevinmair7571]

I have experienced that on a Tesla charger. I assumed it was because it was not open to all even though it appeared on the Tesla app. Did get it released eventually but there is a release in the boot on the charger sid behind a small pane. Great video, thanks.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I'm somewhat reassured it's not just me, and now I know there's this emergency release, I'm not so worried about it should it happen again. Thanks.

[@johnfrancis4401]

I've had similar problems. I locked up and unlocked a few times and eventually it let me go. There is an emergency unlocking system in the boot - well hidden - which I learnt about on line but although I've had similar occurrences I've not resorted to its use yet. I love my MG4 but it does have software problems, which also manifest themselves when charging at home. Problems at home include stopping the charging process for an unknown reason. However I don't know for certain whether it's the car or the PodPoint charger. Thanks for posting this video. I'm glad other people are having similar experiences and it's not just me an old codger.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Interesting that you've had issues with a home charger too. *touch wood* I've not had issues with my Ohme Home Pro yet, other than my car deciding one night it was going to stop the charge at less than my desired level. Still unsure why it did it! Seems this is a learning curve for many, old codger or not! 🤣

[@johnfrancis4401]

@@OfficialMacMotors The truth of the matter is I don't know which is responsible for the stoppage. Is it the MG4 or is it the PodPoint. The frustrating part is it is intermittent and totally unpredictable.

[@davelenderson]

Mini Mac is smashing it with the filming!!

[@OfficialMacMotors]

He sees himself as quite the videographer! Been brought up around cars since day dot so loves being out in them. Seeing the world through the eyes of an 8 year old with the attention span of a goldfish is quite enlightening!

[@geoffreyjones6019]

Had the same thing with an Osprey (Kempower) charger, everything worked well until I tried to unplug and it wasn’t having it. Fortunately there was an Ionity maintenance chap in the bay next to me and he told me to keep locking and unlocking the car, something which, eventually(!), worked. Bit nerve wracking though as it was only the second time I’d publicly charged so I know how you must have felt, on the plus side it hasn’t happened again. I hope you don’t have any more issues and great video.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Interesting that this is perhaps something that does occur elsewhere. I'm oddly reassured that it wasn't just me that has encountered it, but I'll need to try public charging again to remain confident in the process. Let's hope it was a one off for the both of us!

[@grahamcastle8189]

In my experience you need to stop the charge on the charger before attempting to disconnect from the car. I've also found that if you have problems a quick double cluck on charger release switch (zoe) frees the charger cable.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Good to know! Thank you. Hopefully it won't happen again, but certainly a tip worth trying if it does.

[@rocket3man]

It’s getting used to a new method of filling up your car - remember there are over 250,000 call outs annually in the UK to motorists who have either run out of fuel or put the wrong type of fuel in their cars. So many people still struggle ICE cars after more than 120 years since their adoption.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

So would charging using a super-fast charger, when the car is previously used to a home charger cause that issue?

[@rocket3man]

@@OfficialMacMotors not in my experience, I do home charging every night then supercharging once or twice a month. My Mini sometimes misbehaves at a rapid charger, but that is usually as it requires to sign on the app and put money in the account. However, you go through the close/open routines and the cable will release.

[@tonychallinor6721]

So, if you call the helpline (depending on the provider) they can always release your cable or start a charge that's failing. I often find that if a card or app based start fails, try the other and it might work. Too many charge points don't have working card readers

[@gordonbrown7806]

I have had similar experience, not sure why it happens but I just locked the car and came back to it and everything was fine on my return. Today I received a penalty charge for charging at an instavolt charger. Car park had a 1 hour parking limit and I had stayed for 1 hour 15mins so this is something to watch when charging in a car park. It’s the second time I’ve been caught in three years. Signage not very clear so beware.

[@michaelgoode9555]

We have an ID.3 and only very occasionally use public charging. We did experience one charge session where the charge cable seemed to be locked in. Logic tells me that it is the car because the lock catch is operated by the car. My solution was to start and then end the charge session in the VW app. A friend occasionally uses the car and he charges using a 16 amp mennekes granny cable on his drive to charge. He has experienced problems a coupke of times trying to remove the cable. We have no such problems. I tell him that it's "user error". 🤣 Great video. 👍

[@josephmwilliams6754]

I think the mistake you made was trying to unplug before hitting the end charge on the charger You were right to lock and unlock to reset , usually works ! But , in worst case scenario..... Inside the n/s of your boot area directly behind the electric charging socket is a small cardboard trimmed little flap you can flip out with a penknife and behind is a looped cable , which when pulled is an emergency charge cable release . I've been there ! Glad I knew this valuable nugget

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I think you may be right. Whatever happened just sent the car, or charging unit into a bit of a lock down mode and wouldn't let me do anything. Useful to know there's the emergency release should something similar occur in future.

[@tonychallinor6721]

Another potential thing is that the car can auto lock after 30 secs or so and it won't release the cable why locked

[@paulcarnall791]

I usually tell people to go to a couple of local public chargers and practice first before attempting a long journey. I'm thinking you tried to pull out the plug before the charging had stopped. The pins holding the plug in position could have jammed . Sometimes pushing the plug in hard, starting and stopping the charge as you did will work. I'm 7yrs in and own a nissan leaf. 2021 62 kWh E plus tekna. Thinking of changing to the mg4 so following your progress. I'm an admin on Yorkshire EV club we have regular meetings. If you fancy another jolly our next one is in march 16th at Tesla Sheffield. Test drives with the new Highland M3 on the day refreshments laid on. Anyone can attend. Paul Carnall.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

@@paulcarnall791 thank you very much. Appreciate the invite. Certainly try an MG4, I don't think you'd be disappointed. Thank you for the tip on how to release it if such incident occurs again. I did do my usual of being a dangerous optimist and jumped straight into the deep end with public charging, but we live and learn. Maybe I'll try a local Gridserve and see if the problem reoccurs.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

@tonychallinor6721 perhaps, but I unlocked and got the kids in the car prior to then attempting to unlatch the charger, so not sure if that was the case here, but useful to know for future.

[@zwieseler]

I've just bought an MG4. My first, and only, attempt at public charging did not go well. It simply kept stopping after 1 or 2 minutes. So, I couldn't leave it to charge. After half a dozen attempts over 2 days on different chargers [there's 6 at my location] it finally charged for 90 minutes... but even that session involved a number of clicks on the app to restart charging. So, it's still a work in progress.

[@squareeyz]

Gotta hit the start/stop button on the charger first. I have the MG4 SE LR nearly a year now, and not had any issues with the 10k miles I have driven so far.

[@andydraper6329]

Don’t be put off public charging from your first bad experience. Do make sure you follow the sequence described on the charger of doing things, though, as they’re not all the same. Also, don’t worry about getting stuck in traffic. You’ll get greater range in slow traffic than at motorway speeds.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Nope, not put off. Whilst not an ideal first impression of public charging, I'd be willing to try it again. I also have a Gridserve service station that's local to me so can use that when I haven't got anywhere to be in case it takes my car hostage again. I'll use that opportunity to double check I was carrying out the sequence to the letter.

[@CastleKnight7]

I recommend joining the MGEVs forum as all the issues you are experiencing have been discussed there. 😊

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Thank you. I'll go and check them out. 😁

[@CastleKnight7]

@@OfficialMacMotorsNo problem. See you there. 👍

[@bried1i]

Hi, thanks for the amazing reviews on MG4, really useful! We are looking to replace our lease mild hybrid car with an EV, MG4 Trophy Long range looks very appealing financially as the lease cost is relatively small and very comparable to what we are currently paying, as it has been about 6 months since your last review, is there anything else you have learned, for example over the air updates have been applied? Thank again. Ivo

[@solentbum]

When my LEAF got locked onto a Gridserve charger, the solution was to re-present the credit card I was using after pressing 'stop'. My guess is that this is now a required step after the probem of other people pressing stop on the wrong screen and stopping the charge to the wrong car. Look at the card reader display, not the main screen on the pump. I guess that the info stickers on the pumps will change in time. (or maybe I am wrong)

[@OfficialMacMotors]

That's interesting to know. I wonder if that's what allowed mine to eventually release? Me setting the limit to 90% and starting the charge again, then cancelling it? Obviously took a few seconds to ramp down I'm guessing?

[@davelenderson]

Just an idea, it's probably worth going to gridserve Notley and just plugging in and doing a test and maybe even test out tesco pod points too just to get use to public charging and obviously at gridserve there's loads of staff about to help too, just do it when your not trying to go anywhere

[@OfficialMacMotors]

This was my thought. I'll do that when I've got a spare half hour, just in case I have the same issue and I don't need to be anywhere too quickly. 🤣

[@fredgoul1150]

Most cars have a manual release cable might be worth finding if yours has. I always stop the charge on the machine. Not through apps or unlocking car. A couple of times the cable got stuck I just used the manual release. All good.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I think I'll do it via that method in future. Sounds like the 'correct' way to do it.

[@fredgoul1150]

Greg Harvey has a helpful video on YT showing where the manual release is for this car.

[@crumbschief5628]

​@@OfficialMacMotorsyou have 400v DC drawing up to 375 amps, if you just pull the cable out it's not good. The release is managed by the car so always stop the charge. I always stop it at the charger. I see a lot of people get flustered, the release is just magnetic or spring retract and not powerful with a heavy cable hanging on it, often with people trying to pull it out before it's released. Take the weight of the connector by just slightly lifting, then lock and unlock.

[@simplygregsterev]

Great video!

[@bshah4831]

With our Cupra Born recently we've had issues with Instavolt chargers. Charging starts and then stops. Then the charging unit stops offering CCS as an option and we've had to try a different charger or start and stop the car to reset everything. I blame the charging networks 😅

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I've heard of a few suffering issues with Instavolt now. Is it a frequent occurrence for you?

[@mistymu8154]

I've had issues with Instavolt, but that is mainly because the contactless payment readers are not very good in my experience. I've never had issues where I can use my Electroverse or Shell Recharge card, unfortunately Instavolt and Gridserve are two networks that don't support them. I think Instavolt does have their own RFID card - their app is really not that great either. I really do not understand the appeal of Instavolt in the EV community apart from usually being near a McDonalds or Starbucks. Personally, I like using Electroverse and Shell Recharge because they seem to be more reliable than contactless payment and there are no pre-authorisation fees.

[@chrispenn715]

I have a Trophy and have used gridserve and instavolt quite often. Not had the problem you experienced. Must have been stressful but hopefully a one off. I assume you tried hitting 'stop charging' on the in car charging screen? Thanks for the video

[@OfficialMacMotors]

It was stressful, yep! The stop charging on the in car didn't work, as the unit had stopped charging as I'd reached the 80% limit set by the car. Thanks for watching though. 😊

[@russwest1495]

Had a couple of struggles myself, found if you stop charging on the app or from the cars info screen it helps sometimes. Different chargers have their own ways 😂

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Certainly seems like there's a way that's unique to each one! I would have thought there's be an industry standard, but maybe that's to come once it has been established what the most efficient method is.

[@danuk2005]

On a side note some gridserve will stick on the "preparing to charge screen" but the car will start charge just fine as can be confirmed by the screen inside the car.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Ah I hadn't noticed that. We have a Gridserve local to us, so will give that a go to see if the fault rears its head again and can check whether the 'preparing to charge screen' as you mentioned, occurs too.

[@danuk2005]

@OfficialMacMotors no worries. I've had the preparing to charge bug a couple of times. The first time, I was at a gridserve forecourt, and the assistant walking around told me it could happen, I didnt check in the car , so I initially thought it was faulty.

[@Displays.1234.]

What's a total ripoff for charging on public charges.....

[@michaelgoode9555]

Equates to a similar price for motorway services ICE fuel per mile so no, not a complete ripoff. And if you can be bothered to plan you can find charging sites close to but not on the motorways for half the price or less. I don't drive (registered blind) but my partner does. I can occupy myself finding a lunch stop off the motorway with destination charging or close to car park charging where the fees are low and we are stopping anyway. It suits our lifestyle but I accept that it doesn't fit for everybody. As we only do a long trip about once every 3 months it's really not an issue for us.

[@mrb8438]

I still haven't got my range on 100% to go over 206 miles and I seen yours was 233 in the same temps I'm hoping when the battery gets charged a few more times its gets more range out of it, but I get my charger fitted tomorrow finally!

[@OfficialMacMotors]

That is only an estimated range based on previous driving, so I'd take that with a pinch of salt. As the weather gets warmer you'll find that estimated (and actual) range increases quite dramatically.

[@kennethprocak5176]

Did you press the stop icon on the bottom right of the recharger screen so you could disconnect?

[@esa4aus]

Had a similar issue and the wire inside the bonnet to manually force the release

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Ah I didn't know of a way under the bonnet to release too. I've only just found out about the one concealed in the panel in the boot.

[@cannamorecamping5029]

Multiple fault codes is often caused by low voltage on the 12volt battery. A 12volt jump pack is a good idea and find out where the 12volt battery is. A cheap multimeter or even a battery tester from Halfords or similar to check the battery voltage would also be good. A happy battery is 12.7 or above.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I have a good multimeter, so will test the 12v battery and make sure its got enough voltage

[@EverydayRoadster]

Sorry for the question may sound strange, but it is a serious one: When you fast charge, especially in those cold conditions, do one feels guilty towards the battery? I guess that's a question on how attached one becomes with a car. Would that be like with petrols?

[@cbcdesign001]

Public charging is an absolute rip off at 79P per kWh. At 3.1 miles per kWh based on a per gallon price of £6.50 you are getting 8.2kWh for £6.50 so an equivalent of just 25.5 miles per gallon. At these prices, just putting enough charge in to get home then topping up at sensible rates with your home charge point is the only way to go. This is why we need 400 mile range Evs, so we can largely avoid using these ludicrously expensive public charging points.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

It's outrageously expensive yeah. May as well driving around in my R32 powered Golf and still save money if I were to use public charging every time. Home charging on am EV tariff is where it's at, for sure.

[@georgehiggins3103]

Genuinely thanks for explaining that, never thought if it that way !!!

[@oldgitflying]

Try charging a few times when you don't have to build confidence, just a few KWh and on your way. Then try a few different networks, they all have their foibles. Won't take long and you'll be plugging in, tapping your card and walking away without checking the screen to confirm it's working. Good luck, MG4 SR 22k miles

[@OfficialMacMotors]

That is something I definitely need to do. Currently my only charging has been carried out via my home charger.

[@Gdank72]

My MG you have to lock the doors then unlock them sometimes to get the DC cable detached. It's much better when cars have a button for it... Like my old Polestar... But that just adds cost.

[@keithshayle7027]

Whilst a completely different car - Genesis Electrified G80, and different process, I have had an issue unplugging the cars vehicle to load adaptor. Like you a tried the lock and unlock process, after which it eventually released.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I've yet to try the vehicle to load, but as I don't have the setup required I'm unable to do that. The G80 is some machine though. Only seen one on the road so far!

[@keithshayle7027]

@@OfficialMacMotors if it was a Green one it might well have been me! I say that as there are so few on the road in the UK. Most seem to think it's a Bentley, but it's the best kept secret cos at 80k it's ten grand less than its closest rival the Mercedes EQE to the same spec! Best car I've owned, and i say that after twenty years of various Jaguar's, and seven years with a Maserati Ghibli. However MG really hit the jackpot with the 4. It makes a mockery of the ID3, and is arguably the best all round EV currently on sale! It's makers like MG that are shaking up the market showing the current traditional mediocrity and ubsurd prices simply needn't apply to the EV sector! Keep up the good work with your videos, and your son has the makings of a good camera man!

[@yggdrasil9039]

What size is the battery pack? 64 or 77kWh? If it's 77kWh and gives 233 miles then that is not great efficiency tbh. The Tesla M3 RWD has about a 60kWh battery I believe and gives ~300 miles of range. Why is the MG4 LR not as efficient? Or is that the 64kWh pack, and the extended range is the 77kWh pack? Even if it's only the 64, that's well below the M3 for efficiency.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Mine is the Long Range, which is 64kWh. The Extended Range is 77kWh and will do 300 miles comfortably.

[@justinlowry8075]

Did you consider going for a tesla model 3 instead? If so, why in the end did you not? Thanks. I am currently deciding between the MG4 and model 3. It will be my first EV

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Despite the Tesla supercharger network being superior to what's out there, that's not important to me as I won't be public charging too often. But as well as that I don't want to be lining the pocket of Elon's 😆. Also, the Model 3 was far more expensive to lease through the salary sacrifice scheme. The MG4 was one of the cheaper options, but suits my requirements perfectly.

[@matthewdowning6009]

If you get that again try unlocking it twice rather than locking it again. Works for me!

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Whether I tried that as I became more and more panicked I'm not sure. I know at one point it pressed lock twice, as I set off the 'locate my car' function, so the horn and lights were flashing. 😆

[@brentmeistergeneral1054]

I only once had an issue where it wouldn't allow me to unplug the cable. I sorted it by locking and unlocking rapidly 5 or so times. I was also a bit surprised that you seemed to get the rapid charge started while the car was unlocked. I have had the issue of rapid charges not starting unless my car is locked so bear that one in mind.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Thats interesting. Car was certainly unlocked when charging commenced, and when we arrived back to the car a guy was sat in his Tesla whilst it was charging, so I'm guessing Gridserve allow that function, perhaps?

[@brentmeistergeneral1054]

@@OfficialMacMotors thr mg4 is a bit different from the tesla in that it doesn't have an on/off button so I think my issue wasn't that the car was unlocked but that it hadn't been switched off. (I know you can switch off from the main screen but it is such a faff I normally don't bother and rely on the lock to switch off the car).

[@bumpkini30]

@@OfficialMacMotorsyou can get back in your MG4 when charging as far as I am aware - it will stop for a moment but then when it realises you are just sitting in it will restart again.

[@danuk2005]

if for some reason the charge wont stop or you cant release the plug then on your infotainment screen lower the charge % For example if currenty 73% charge and charging,, lower the charge % to 60%, this will stop the carge and release the plug.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Thank you. The car had reached the limit of 80% and that occurred as I was walking up to the car, but that's a good tip for future, thanks.

[@Nik-sk7qr]

I had this with an osprey charger rang the help number and they remotely disconnected the cable .

[@EXSKIN]

X power does 150kw LR does 130kw in ideal conditions although my LR managed 141kw once so hope my X does 160kw in Ideal conditions this summer.

[@rtfazeberdee3519]

Isn't there a manual release to override the lock? Im sure other EVs have this

[@OfficialMacMotors]

As it turns out, yes it does. But at the time of video I was unaware of it, so was a bit of a panicked experience!

[@rtfazeberdee3519]

@@OfficialMacMotors :) better find the manual release for the doors if they can only be opened electrically

[@davesoton20]

Good olde MG software for you being most likely the cause. It's also worth giving the plug a wiggle as sometimes if it's being pulled hard or the cable weight is pulling on it the the release gets stuck. Manual release is in the boot at worst. Its more the car holding the charge point to ransom.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Yeah I'm not sure which way around it was, it may have been me, it may have been the car, or it may have been the charger. I shall try again at our local Gridserve and see if the issue reoccurs.

[@jeffcranmer5374]

Didn't look like the battery was pre heated before plugging in. Does the car pre heat the battery if you navigate to the charging station using the navigation app?

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I certainly didn't manually set the battery to pre-heat prior to charging. Temps outside were a reasonable 7 degrees or so. Would it be worth pre-heating in those conditions? I thought it was only worthwhile if well below freezing.

[@jeffcranmer5374]

​​@@OfficialMacMotorsyeah, preheating would make a difference. I'm pretty sure the optimal temperature for a battery charge is quite a bit higher than 7C

[@jeffcranmer5374]

​@@OfficialMacMotorslooks like 25-32C is the ideal range for charging, so preheating in to your charging station should make quite a difference.

[@stepheneasson9787]

Hi, Good video I have watched a few. By the way there should be a Manual release somewhere for the charger. I have an ev6 and the release is in the boot behind the charge port, it's a little thing you pull. check it out your car should have one.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Thank you! I'll have a look for this, just incase I encounter this situation again.

[@bumpkini30]

@@OfficialMacMotorsthere is a small plug on the left boot panel, remove it and you will find the manual release cable behind it.

[@tonyireland2234]

I once had to wait 4 mins then 3 mins "charge time" to fill my petrol car.I got 400 miles at an average 50 mpg.I set the cruise at 77mph.Hit 110 mph a few times.Its a 2 litre twin cam 16v.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Don't worry. I still have a 3.2 litre V6 24v for less 'appliance based travel, if I so please. 😊

[@MrNeeds]

honestly, you'll get used to the nuances of the car and the way it likes to be charged, some cars are very analog when it comes to charging and I've noticed that any charging schedules that are set tend to mess around with external chargers a lot, DC likes to be in control to 100% until you press stop on the charger itself, most cars with an AC-DC converter will ramp down the power to remove the cable on the car when unlocked on AC, DC is completely dictated by the charger so make sure to press stop on the charger first in those situations.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Very useful to know that information. Thank you. I'll certainly bear that in mind for next time.

[@cullmaster7361]

I take it the App for the MG4 on your phone now works properly now? I saw one of your earlier vids that you said it was problematic? Cheers.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Yeah it's been fine. It's not the most responsive, requiring the odd refresh to jolt it into life. There was one evening where the was an app-wide failure for a couple of hours, but all is well again now.

[@jcflippen1552]

Interesting. I think I’ve read somewhere that setting charge limit to lower than your 80% would make charger think it’s not needed and may release. Join MG EV Community forum for good advice.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Now that is interesting! Is that particular to Gridserve, or all super fast chargers?

[@LondonMani1973]

What did that cost ?

[@richmaniow]

The public charging costs are ridiculous, 79p per kWh makes it twice as expensive as running my diesel car, bonkers..

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Correct. I wouldn't do that unless I have to. The savings come in from charging at home on special EV night rate tariffs.

[@Andre1980stavanger]

Maybe if you presented your charging card to the actual chargers NFC-reader it would have worked. It failed because you tried it on the VISA/MASTERCARD-addon they have on the reader. Right to the right of it you can see the area to touch for NFC Charge-cards

[@musclerent]

It might be a good idea to locate the emergency release for the charge cable on the car!!

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I'm guessing that's to prevent an oik from strolling past and unplugging it mid charge, like the comedian they'd believe they are. Therefore the manual release is concealed in the boot instead.

[@allanmoger1838]

Another excellent advert for the new electric dream. 🙄 that journey was 1/3 of a tank of diesel that cost less than 79p / KWh!

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Of course if you're using public charging as your main means of charging the car, then the cost savings are negligible, even more expensive than ICE in some cases. But, having a home charger at a night rate means charging costs less than £3. That's where the savings are.

[@djtaylorutube]

Yeah it's sometimes too subtle to understand that this is like the difference between eating at a restaurant for every meal or just very occasionally. The rest of the time you're eating at home. I'm looking at some of the cars on the drive, they sit there overnight and do nothing, absolutely nothing useful and yet have to be taken places to fuel up, wasting my time and at expensive cost. On the other hand, the EV on the drive charged up overnight cheap, as it does every time it needs to. Last time I used charging away from home was December 2023, next time will be May, en route to Italy. It's all about the overall costs, not focusing on a single cost and extrapolating that out in a diesel head to equal the same miles per cost.

[@michaelgoode9555]

How much is your diesel when you pump it whilst parked outside your house?

[@allanmoger1838]

@@OfficialMacMotors that’s nice for you, you are very privileged right now and overnight electricity isn’t heavily rationed due to demand that cannot be met. Imagine you live in a city, the place the EV makes most sense, and can’t charge at home. Also, imagine paying 40K for a 25K car - it’s going to take quite a few overnight charges to make up that difference, and let’s not forget get the cost of battery recycling that no one has bothered addressing…

[@AlexPacker]

Your first focus should be to disconnect the plug from the car when you've finished charging. In fact, I wouldn't recommend setting a charge limit and then walking away on a public charger. Apart from anything else, you're blocking the charger. The car locks cables to it to prevent them from being stolen. Sounds like that happened and then you got into some software bother in the meantime. Remember also that the 12V battery is being drained all that time you're faffing about with the kids, so better not to have the cable connected because the car will not engage the traction battery for safety when there is a cable there, but it's not charging.

[@robertarmstrong3478]

I trust you reported this to both Gridserve and MG workshop. I have seem people report similar problems on other channels wit the MG4. Not sure if it was all Gridserve chargers though. Phone Gridserve and make a fuss. Phone MG and make a fuss. This sort of thing should not happen.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I've not done as I wasn't sure whether it was something I had done wrong or not. But you're right. I think it's worth doing to make them both aware of what happened.

[@showme360]

Rfid cards are NOT used on the debit card payment device, just to the right you can see logo above the place where you pulled the plug out of the charger, which is where you offer up your Rfid card. That is where you offer up your Electroversecard is classed as a Rfid card. Why don't people read there instructions!! Usually you have to offer up your payment car again when you want it to stop, not sure if you did that, and waited for conformation on the screen, before going back to the car. You have to remember its the charge that needs to tell the car to release the plug from your car, not the other way round. By the sounds of it you got your car in a panic mode dew to all your commands to release before the charger had allowed it!!

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I think you're right there. I've since tried again at the same charger and used my debit card to stop the charge and it worked and released it first time of asking. I tried the RFID card but the charger wasn't an Electroverse charging point so still didn't accept it unfortunately. But at least I know where I went wrong. Thank you for the advice.

[@tonyjakotv]

The Unlocking of the cable seems to be a Common Problem with the MG4.

[@andcharge]

Hey Mac Motors, interesting real world review! There is a way to channel your feedback to operators like Gridserve to change things for the better, optimise everyone's charging experience, and even get rewarded for every feedback. Hit us up when you want to know more :)

[@ScottishDashCam]

There is an emergency pull cord in the boot for this problem.

[@sweepsbestpal.1017]

Looks like your in eco mode, limited heater and reduced power , a proper evaluation would be in normal mode using the controls as you would in a ic engine. Who wants to drive cold just to gain more mileage. (Or hot, as aircon uses a lot of power). Network charging has become very expensive. All part of the con I think. And all evs having to pay road tax next year. Again all part of the con! Thanks to the great British government. 🙈

[@kosmhmata]

Why didn't you film your worst experience so far with this car ? That's the whole point... it could also serve you as proof to show to the dealership exactly what the indications on the screen were.

[@MrGMawson2438]

Evening mate

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Good evening!

[@conradcapdevila1882]

Have not had this problem. I have a trophy LR.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

It doesn't seem like it's a common issue, nor one that's localised to the MG4, so hopefully it won't happen again, and you won't encounter it either.

[@honestjohn6222]

Omg , someone not great with computers (me) would be up shit creek without a paddle , hope they fix this problem up or I can see mg 4 s driving around with the charger still attached to the car

[@Gdank72]

It is rare... But can happen. It's strange that I've now had an EV for 4 years and I look back at how nervous I was on my first trips in 2020. Now I'm one of those guys who drone on about how easy it all is 99% of the time and go down to 5% before even thinking about charging 😂 Best chargers are : Tesla (yes you can charge at some), InstaVolt, Gridserve, & MFG. BP are bit and miss. Okay if you activate via the app, but contactless (with credit or BP card) terrible. Osspray I hear are okay but they are not near my typical routes. Shell are reliable but often just 50kw. IONITY only good if you have the discount from the car brand, otherwise very reliable but massively expensive.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Thank you. Good tips for which to look out for!

[@michaelgodbold6247]

But that journey would only use half a tank on a proper car

[@keithb2055]

Should have got a petrol car. You run out of petrol its a lot easier to get some petrol and top it up. And your car doesnt hold you to ransom. No matter what EV drivers say petrol cars are way more reliable than EVs. I have yet to have any problems (other than new tyers) with my car and I have had that car for years. EVs are only as old as the battery. As soon as the battery is a few years you have to get a new one, or pay the price of a new battery. Which in that scenario you would be better getting a new EV... or better still a new petrol car.

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I have a diesel and two petrol cars in my ownership as well as my EV. So am quite aware of the differences.

[@markc6714]

Not sure why you're so excited about the expl#sive vehicle

[@OfficialMacMotors]

Interesting point of view, considering the ICE car I assume you drive will have a bomb for a fuel tank? But people seem to forget that. 😅

[@markc6714]

@@OfficialMacMotors an ice car requires a fuel leak AND an ignition source for a fire. Batteries merely need to have a manufacturing defect in a single cell or damage and charging can cause thermal runaway. Charging is the most dangerous time, and you had your kids in the car at the time!!

[@michaelgoode9555]

​@@markc6714did you know that in the UK 300 ICE cars burn every day? On average, how many EV's do you think burn a day? Well, the answer is not even 300 a year so that's actually less than 1 per day. Makes you think.

[@markc6714]

@@michaelgoode9555 I have no way of verifying those stats but even if true, there are millions of ICE vehicles and relatively few EVs so they're definitely more expl#sive

[@howardgaskin6117]

Future, my arse.

[@michaelgoode9555]

I doubt anybody fancies driving your arse so no, it's definitely not the future.

[@MrGMawson2438]

I'm back

[@MrGMawson2438]

Tesla chargers are cheaper mate

[@The-Salty-Bager]

Welcome to the world of MG’s poor hardware and software combination

[@OfficialMacMotors]

It's the only glitch I've had so far, aside from one evening of the app failing, so I'll reserve judgement until I suffer any further issues.

[@MrGMawson2438]

Just a bug

[@OfficialMacMotors]

I hope so! It was a bit unnerving at the time, but I'll persevere and public charge again, not letting it put me off.

[@MrGMawson2438]

@@OfficialMacMotors How Tesla forced the SHUTDOWN of Diesel power stations in Australia The Electric Viking