MG 4

sh81722

Just to ease the nerves: The tray pictured somewhere above is there mainly to aid aerodynamics. The big silver lump is the reduction gear set i.e. the "gearbox" and all the drivetrain bits are sealed units as with all the cars ICE or electric. You could safely remove the bulging tray altogether with just a small penalty on the efficiency at high speeds.

lotusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119845496#Comment_119845496

Really found the link you sent on the UK MG forum... very informative. There seems to some issues with the MG4 and small number have either cancelled there order or are waiting until these teething issues are sorted out before placing a new order. I was hoping this was going to be my first electric car but will be holding off for another small while. Is there any more €30k cars coming on the market in 2023 to keep an eye for ... thanks

Patser

As mentioned earlier in thread;

The Ora (funky) Cat should be available to order soon - their Irish website is set up

The BYD Atto 3 is a possibility - getting a European launch soon, with UK mentioned but no mention of Ireland. Big seller in Australia so RHD is a given, just whether they bother.

MG, BYD and Ora represent SAIC, Geely and Great Wall; the 3 biggest Chinese EV makers as they expand into Europe. The produce millions of EVs each year, so they are not some start ups just hitting our shores and trying to undersell rivals; there guys can do it due to large scale production.

And as for the MG forum - if you go to any car forum or just randomly google a car type and problem, you'll of course get loads of problems listed. Most people on the MG forum raving about the car.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119849482#Comment_119849482

Here is a link to the Ora Funky Cat thread,

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058247840/ora-funky-cat

McGiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119840297#Comment_119840297

3500 (or 7000 vs the SR) extra just for reversing camera, satnav, heated seats and wheels is too much.

28.5k vs 35.5k is a big difference. 35.5k is no more a budget car and at that price it's better to go with Ioniq 5 at 40k which is a proven EV brand and a very decent hitech car almost matching Tesla in many aspects. Rather than risking a Chinese EV brand with "teething" issues whilst saving a few grand...

That the two lower MG4 trims don't have any of the options is disappointing. But that seems to be a recent trend with most carmakers.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852183#Comment_119852183

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119840954#Comment_119840954

agreed , it’s why I’ve ordered a Tesla model Y , sick of not knowing where I stand and the model Y is now low fifties where as last year it was near seventy ( different range but cheapest available at time ) , the MG 5 has also gotten pricey in the spec I’d want it , 38 k

on the Ioniq 5 at 40 k , that model - spec is near impossible to get hold off, you’re talking 48k for one available

McGiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119849538#Comment_119849538

I don't agree.

I agree we shouldn't be overplaying the issues. But I'm saying we shouldn't be underplaying them either. The statement "all carmakers have teething issues" is a false analogy. It depends on whether the brand is established, what's its reputation dealing with issues and the degree of the issues at launch. VW ID3 only had a few SW issues AFAIK.

There are some warning signs with the MG4, there's many issues reported, also with the SW, not just the oil leak and the undertray. The real test for MG will be how quickly and well they can deal with the many issues (I expect further as more cars are sold).

Unlike say VW, who are established brand and whose customers would be more tolerant to issues, MG are entering the EU market essentially and have to establish themselves. Also, the customers will be skeptical them being a Chinese brand on top. If they don't deal with the issues swiftly and don't handle the communication well they're in trouble. If they do they have a great potential to capture a good EV market share.

As I said before, I'd be wary of the Irish non-dedicated dealers dealing with the warranty and issues vs UK/EU where there are actual dedicated MG dealerships. Maybe I'm wrong here but that's my feeling.

baziled13

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/technology-63557384.amp

all car manufacturers have issues if you look for them

Also no cars under 30k come with reversing camera, satnav, heated seats and wheels.

Still not a wide spread issues with oil and underlay so I'll be watching next couple of shipment into uk

baziled13

I was talking to a couple of taxi drivers and the both loved the MG5 and would not go back to a ICE

Patser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852216#Comment_119852216

Absolutely agree - the old saying is mistakes will always happen, it's how you deal with them that counts.

MG have a few issues with their car, the test now is how quickly it's sorted. Oil issue seems to be identified and a solution on way, but so far no-one seems to have seen a solution to the undertray, and also are waiting on software updates.

So test for me will be when 1st cars hit Irish roads how are things - almost certainly the Irish cars won't be on road til January, and are probably still to go through production - so in 2 months if people here keep reporting leaks, bulges, software issues I'll be really recondisering my order.

Alun

I've seen a few comments on various fora about the emergency braking system being a bit too eager to kick in, but no details.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852400#Comment_119852400

From a purely financial perspective they'd be mad to return to an ICE, with the substantial grants available coupled with the low running costs. The profit from an EV taxi must be very significant compared to ICE. Waiting with bated breath for a fare reduction!!

I think the MG4 is a perfect taxi, reasonably spacious with a decent boot. I just couldn't warm to it as my own car unless I put vfm above all other criteria for a car. Everytime I see one it reminds me of a slightly jacked up version of the 90s era passat estate which was a good car but would never set the pulses racing, even in the 90s.

RM Ernest

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119853307#Comment_119853307

The facelifted mg5 is now out so more modern looking than the last one. Same underpinnings though and still slightly jacked up. More expensive as well than the outgoing mg5. But still vfm compared with other brands.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119853307#Comment_119853307

. I just couldn't warm to it as my own car unless I put vfm above all other criteria for a car. 

What is VFM?

RM Ernest

Value for money I assume.

McGiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119852377#Comment_119852377

There has been no recall yet AFAIK.

Recall <> market launch issues not being recalled!

Recalls are bust life...

pandabat

Btw was taking to a dealer today about a few things and they now seem to think that the first MG4 orders will land here in the Feb-Mar '23 period. We shall see.

DaveyDave

https://youtu.be/S3qoijtAD-w

Fresh review from Autogefuhl.

baziled13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119859132#Comment_119859132

I'm getting no details of delivery dates so would not be surprised if it's March or later

pandabat

Yeah - "some" time in H1 2023 could well be the better expectation to have 😉

Though if it allows some extra time to tune out early niggles then I'm ok with that 🙂

Alun

Can anybody who has one comment on the Lane Assist function? I've been reading on SpeakEV that it's quite aggressive and like being stuck in a rut if you try and override it. Also some comments that it's actually no longer possible to turn it off, even temporarily.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119853307#Comment_119853307

Assumed you mean the MG 5 is a perfect taxi ?

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119861502#Comment_119861502

Yea sorry mixing up my MGs

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119861683#Comment_119861683

They are an excellent choice for taxis , see a good few around but the face lift due out soon has the same underpinnings and is pricey compared to current one

baziled13

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119861326#Comment_119861326

Ya some reviews are commenting about aggressive lane assist and slow start up and don’t keep drive mode in memory resets back to normal. 3 thing that hopefully get sorted in software update.

horse7

I'm a little lost as to which battery types are the best https://lghomebatteryblog.eu/en/this-is-why-ncm-is-the-preferable-cathode-material-for-li-ion-batteries/

The NCM or LFP?

pandabat

This is as I understand it:

The LFP has shorter range and lower energy density so your carry more weight per kWh but you can charge it regularly to 100% without impacting the battery life as much as with the NCM battery and it's less likely to go on fire if there's catastrophic damage. Charging speeds are slower on the LFP but there's less capacity to fill.

The NCM offers better energy density, more range and faster rapid charging but it's €3500 more expensive. You also need to limit charging it higher than 80% if charging very regularly and keep the 100% charges for just before long trips or maybe weekly/bi-weekly "balancing" charges.

It's worth noting that the LFP @ 100% charge and the NMC @ 80% charge both equate to ~51kWh

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119863071#Comment_119863071

I still find this carry on that it's detrimental to charge a highly expensive and sophisticated EV regularly beyond 80% difficult to comprehend in 2022. These cars can all but self drive and yet the driver has to baby their battery. With all the talk about sophistication of their BMS it's seems extraordinary that this remains an actual problem.

pandabat

The LFP is less sensitive to these issues as I understand although I'm sure if you search enough on the internet then you'll find plenty of arguments supporting both battery approaches.

At the end of the day, for the vast majority of people, one weekly charge will be plenty to cover their needs and 1 weekly charge to 100% is actually recommended in the MG4 manual iirc so people shouldn't get overly bogged down on this. It's more if you're doing high mileage over time with many high speed charges - in that case you should stop around 80% - in any case, charging curves often mean that the last 20% of the charge (so 80-100%) occur at such a prohibitively slow rate so as not to make sense when on the go.

McGiver

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119864542#Comment_119864542

It is indeed detrimental, especially with the NMC.

It's a pure physical fact that Li-ion cells degrade at a very low & very high SOC, these are 2 of the main 5 or 6 mechanisms of cell degradation. It's down to physics (and chemistry). This applies to all Li-ion chemistries including the LFP. Just that the LFP (on average) degrades 2x slower than the NMC.

A BMS might alleviate few of the other degradation mechanisms but cells sitting at a very high or a very low SOC for extended period of time or cells repeatedly getting into a very low or a very high SOC is something the BMS can hardly control, it's caused by a human behavior. All this is mentioned in EV manuals by the way...

But the question is - how much should one obsess about it. Is it worth saving some % of battery degradation in few years owning the car? It depends how long you're going to keep it, I guess...

Back to MG4, you're assuming this Chinese EV has a sophisticated BMS 😇