2023 MG4 Electric Vehicle Highway Range Test Sydney to Canberra Drive
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- Опубликовано: 13 июн 2024
- Sydney to Canberra Road Trip in 2023 MG4 Excite 51kWh RWD LFP including highway range and efficiency test and DC fast charging speed test by Tesla Tom of Ludicrous Feed in Australia August 2023 with thanks to Riz Akhtar from Carloop carloop.com.au/
2023 MG4 Electric Vehicle Highway Range Test Sydney to Canberra Drive
Ludicrous EV Road Trip Data
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Ludicrous High Speed Charging Station Scores
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00:00 Fully Charged
01:08 Picking up Riz from the airport
01:35 Driving out of Sydney
02:53 Arriving at Ampol Ampcharge Pheasants Nest Southbound
04:59 Ampol Ampcharge Charging Experience
07:01 Amenities at Ampol Ampcharge Pheasants Nest Southbound
09:22 Unplugging
10:39 Driving away
12:00 On the road to Goulburn
12:52 Goulburn Chargefox
14:46 Goulburn KFC South Chargefox Kempower
17:09 Testing MG Pilot Lane Keeping Autosteer
18:26 Arriving into Canberra
19:19 Pulling into Evie Networks Hotel Realm Canberra
20:32 Charging at Hotel Realm Evie Networks
21:58 Around the location
22:28 MG4 Autostart and predicted range discussion
23:03 Cost of charging
23:26 Enough range?
23:43 Arriving at Ampol Ampcharge Pheasants Nest Northbound
25:50 Plugging in
28:05 Hypercharger specs
28:42 Amenities at Ampol Ampcharge Pheasants Nest Northbound
29:42 Unplugging
29:58 Tyres
30:15 Boot
30:45 Driving away from Ampol Ampcharge Pheasants Nest Northbound
32:32 On the road back to Sydney
33:33 Final charge at Chatswood Chase Chargefox
34:04 Second row no cabin lights
34:23 Cost of charging
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ABOUT LUDICROUS FEED
Ludicrous Feed is a Sydney-based RUclips channel that started in 2018 after Tom purchased his Tesla Model S. He wanted to show the reality of Australian daily life with his family and an electric vehicle. Tom provides straightforward candid insights into key issues around EV adoption such as vehicle range, charging infrastructure and road trip planning. The weekly live stream is an opportunity for industry guests to directly engage with audience members from the EV community. Tom also has a Tesla Powerwall 2 coupled with rooftop solar and has reviewed many other electric vehicles for the channel including brands such as Tesla, BYD, Polestar, Volvo, MG, Hyundai, Genesis, Kia and Cupra.
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So tired of listening to people whining about heavy CCS2 cables. Have you ever used a fuel pump?
@@HairyNumbNuts Granted I don’t regularly use fuel pumps anymore but still … the Hypercharger and Kempower CCS2 cables were fairly unwieldy and certainly much heavier than the Tesla Supercharger equivalent 🤷
Subscribed. But HOW does the much maligned Lane departure facility work? EVERYONE is complaining about this feature. Thanks. I want to buy an MG4!!!!@@LudicrousFeed
We looked at one for a laugh but EV's are way way off until they become viable. @@Sensei_Sifu
Okay, so I’ve arrived here as a result of checking out a few cars as a possible shift to an EV in the next few months. How refreshing to come across an authentic and vanilla exploration of what it takes (and does… and costs…) in the real world. While now living in Melbourne, I grew up I Sydney, so appreciate all of the marker points you identify as logical stopping points on the trip. I’m looking at a MG4, Ora or perhaps Dolphin but the fact that you do this as a no-nonsense examination of what goes on in the real world is brilliant. From a first time viewer, thank you.
My pleasure and I’m glad you enjoyed this video. You’ve summed up what I try to achieve in my content and that is to provide a real world view of EV ownership👍
I am about to collect my MG4 Trophy on 1 September.
After your review I feel a lot more confident.
I have been riding a Zero DSR for over three years and have not experienced any major issues with charging.
Thank you.
This in the UK BTW.
Glad my video helped: I’m sure you’ll enjoy driving it 👍
Yet more great content, Tom (and Riz 🙂). Pleasing that you didn’t encounter any handshake issues. Ampol did well to supply windscreen cleaning gear. I hope they’ve left scope at Pheasant’s Nest to install more chargers in future, being a site on a main thoroughfare.
Ampol have got it right at Pheasants Nest and are to be commended
All work and no play (thanks for the upload), not even a dad joke for the trip Tom. Good to see Riz along for the ride. He's the only one that can make a DC plug pulling out sound like popping a bottle of bubbly, cheers :)
Riz is a classy guy 🍾
Great Review. Thank you Tom and Riz! Great to see the new Ampol charging stops both ways at Pheasants Nest. Also based on the 19.9kw /100k stats, I can see that the 64kw version will be the best choice for my use case. Thanks Again!
Yes agreed if I had to do this trip regularly I would want slightly more range so the 64kWh variants would be useful especially getting out of Sydney
Happy to see you back - I was a bit worried when no live Saturday webcast that the MG4 had broken down.
😁
Nice to meet you today Tom (I had the Black Model 3P). Did stop off here to check out the chargers so it’s good you have done a video on it. Won’t need to charge here though as I can get back from Canberra to my home in one charge
Thanks for saying G’day!
16:40 we used our first Kempower the other day. I love the QR code that gives you more stats whilst not near charger plus the extra derails like kW vs SoC
Brilliant! Can’t wait to use it
Good to know these option before hand, great content as always Tom. ❤
Thanks to Riz as well😊
Pleasure
informative as always. cheers. btw have you ever been booked by the copper when using that handheld camera while driving lol
I normally get a passenger to hold the camera for me. Otherwise I’ll mount it securely somewhere in the car
Thanks for the great content. I missed, why was the reverse camera blank/grey when reversing?
Thanks! This was a pre-production test car kindly on loan from MG Australia
thanks for the waze shoutout hehe :) As always, love your content!!!
😃👍
Great to see more charge choices
Absolutely
Those tree-style solar canopies at both Pheasants Nest sites have neons (well, probably LEDs) along the supports. They look really special when lit up at night.
I imagine they would!
i remember when we rented a tesla model y to bring us (4 adults 1 kid) plus snow gear from canberra to mt perisher on a full charge. we have more than enough to get us back down to cooma for a short recharge bbefpre heading home.
absolutely amazing trip, we went there with fresh snow on the last days of winter
Wonderful! ❄️⛄️
Great video bro!
👍
Great video! 👍👍
Cheers!
Nice review! We always charge at Hotel Realm in Canberra as well. They seriously need more fast chargers there.
A few more DC chargers are popping up apparently. One at a Kia dealership …
Yep as Tom mentioned there's an Exploren DC charger within the Kia dealership in Woden. It's open to all cars (not just Kia's). Some food trucks next door, and across Westfield Woden. I'm sure Tom will review this charger next time he's here ;)
Thanks for the video Tom. Great to see Melb to Sydney has great charging facilities. Pity Bris to Cairns is falling behind. Could you check your Kwh used south bound first stop. 20? Should be 8. Or am I out of wack - which is quite possible.
Yes you’re correct, it should be 8
Thank you for spotting this - corrected on my spreadsheet. I must’ve been thinking % when entering that value …
You missed going to Sutton Forest West. It is one of the few charging stations where you can charge while towing - by going through the truck lane and connecting at the back over the guard rail.
Plugshare has a couple of photos showing how hard it is for a large vehicle to charge in the EV bays. An Ebusco bus was charging while trying to keep out of the way by nudging in at a 45 degree angle.
We will have to get signage and marked bays to formalize charging on the truck road for large vehicles and when towing.
Agreed we need more pull/drive through stalls. Check out my previous video where I visited Sutton Forest West in a BYD Atto 3: BYD ATTO 3 EV DRIVE FROM SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE IN ONE DAY | January 2023
ruclips.net/video/3T9KUInbzWA/видео.html
I really enjoyed this video.
Do you have a GWM Ora lined up?
I’m trying to get one!
@@LudicrousFeed I look forward to see how it performs on the highway. I drove it last week and was really impressed, but a short test drive doesn't give me an indication of how it performs as a road trip car
@@1MrBryn Agreed, but it's the base model Dolphin I'd like to see reviewed doing freeways! Curious if it fares it. On paper it looks inadequate.
@@Spades080 I'm not even going to bother with the base model.
I'll just skip straight to looking at the more powerful one.
I have a first gen MG4 in the UK and I can’t use the auto steering. It keeps trying to steer into the next lane over even on straight bits of road. It’s good to see they fixed it in gen 2/refresh cars
It was consistent throughout the journey
@@LudicrousFeed that’s good news. Who knows they may fix gen1 through updating the software 🤞
I disagree it's still very grabbing, I ended up turning it off, even my wife Nissan Leaf with Propilot is far better as it does not try and rip control out of your hands!
Like the road trip with the two of you. The Gouldburn chargers were filthy and disgusting really, one thing that needs to be better. Petrol pumps generally aren't like that not with cobwebs all over them and dirty. LIke the dynamic range adjustment, something BYD could learn from. That pheasants nest site is good need more of those type of things and hope they allowed for expansion of the more chargers into future.
Agreed, Goulburn Chargefox is not the most pleasant of places to stop. Ampol seem to have got it right, hopefully we see more of this style of highway charging location
Thanks for the video. I'm interested in the road trip charge experience as considering an EV and the MG4.
Do we really have to use a phone app to charge at all of these charge stations? Farting about with an app to take photos of QR code is just dumb and seems a big point of failure to me. Vandals will scribble over or scratch those things off in a jiffy. I'd prefer just to do a card tap 'n' go, or even go inside and pay a service attendant if necessary. Does that option exist?
I hate the thought of being stuck at a KFC for nearly an hour. At least that Pheasants Nest service centre looks reasonable.
At this stage you either have to use a phone app or a linked RFID card (eg Chargefox or Evie) for almost all charging providers. It is a common bug bear for most current EV owners however … there is a trend overseas towards credit card readers. We’ve been promised at least by the NSW gov that partially public funded installations in the future must include such a facility.
Thanks Mate , really in joyed the review , Tom do you think the Mg 4 longevity be as good as a Tesla 3 , cheers
I’ll have to gaze into my crystal ball … 😁
LFP battery for the excite 51 is promising though
True Air Speed (TAS) - it’s fundamental knowledge needed.
Not sure where you started from in Sydney (Berowra or Campbelltown) but to burn through 1/3 of the battery to get to Pheasant's Nest sounds like you'll need to have another 40 minute or so stop again at Marulan or Goulburn?
Seems a lot longer than my current 3 hours North Canberra to French's Forest, ICE option.
I hope you don't get a major flat as I believe the MG4 doesn't have a spare?
I also started from the Forest area. Check out my spreadsheet (link in video description) where I lay out all the details of the journey
Good journey Tom. However I find it interesting that the cost of power at pheasants nest was 69 cents/kW based on your screen shot. At this price the journey would cost only $21 less than using my forester at $2.00/l and 7.5L/100km. MG $70, forester $91. I was hoping to see a larger cost difference.
DC charging prices are relatively higher for speed and convenience to allow drivers to get back on the road quickly again. The savings are made wIth home AC charging where available which usually makes it more cost effective overall when compared to equivalent ICE vehicles
If they started the trip at 100% and only charged efficiently it would have been less - also, they only used Ampol chargers which are the most expensive. You can charge as low as 30c/kW, plus ChargeFox give you 25% at their HyperChargers which brings it down to 45c.
NRMA Goulburn (formerly Chargefox Goulburn) has always had a garbage problem. It's literally next to the tip. And the Bogan ATM is just opposite them.
One time I brushed a year's worth of cobwebs off the chargers.
But I hate driving through Goulburn, and there are better options now, so I rarely stop there anymore.
The Kempowers at KFC south will be a nice alternative
Hey Tom, another awesome review 😊 I’m looking at a MG 4 64 Essence. Loved the drive, just concerned regarding the battery? The 51 has an LFP type battery, where the longer range 64 has a nickel manganese & cobalt, that does not like to be charged to 100%. I like the MG, price between the two is around $9,000. Can I please ask your thoughts on these two? Or should I go to the BYD Atto3? Thanks heaps in advance 😊
I personally love the fact that the 51kWh has LFP for the reasons you stated. I do however like the fact that the Essence has better inclusions …
The Atto 3 certainly is a bigger car though so it depends on your requirements
Stay tuned, I’ll give further thoughts when I get a loan of the MG4 64 kWh Essence variant 👍
@@LudicrousFeed if you were to pick one on purely driving experience, would you pick the MG 4 or the BYD atto3?
From a pure driving experience only: MG4 for RWD handling wins
@@LudicrousFeedTom, thank you so much for taking the time to reply 😊😊
Another great video Tom, but you have been missed, nothing for about 2 weeks,
Hope everything is OK and you are safe and well, just having a break. ?
Yes taking a break 🙏
Will be back on deck soon
Appreciate you were not doing Sydney to Melbourne, however, based on your results and assuming cruise control + air con being used, any realistic estimate on the number of times would need to recharge this vehicle on this trip? Thanks.
In this car you’d probably need to stop at least 4-5 times. Here’s a good indication of a car with similar-ish range: BYD ATTO 3 EV DRIVE FROM SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE IN ONE DAY | January 2023
ruclips.net/video/3T9KUInbzWA/видео.html
@@LudicrousFeed Many thanks, have made paid subscription to your channel 👍.
Thank you so much! 🙏
Can you please double check the DC fast charge speed of MG4 base model? EV database says it should be 117kW (UK model). You only got 80 max?
Yeah only 80ish but state of charge wasn’t super low
Hi Tom, great video! I’m very new to the EV game and we just purchased this MG4 Electric 51 (this one I think?) I saw that your Tesla home charger was compatible with the car- was there a reason that you chose to use Ampol chargers instead of Tesla chargers on your drive? Cheers
Congrats! At the time of this video, the Tesla superchargers en route were not yet open to non-Tesla EVs. Currently (Nov 2023), 30 Tesla supercharger locations in Australia are open to non-Tesla EVs so I suggest always checking the Tesla app for latest info when you are planning your journey. Yes my Gen 3 Tesla wall connector at home was compatible with the MG4
@@LudicrousFeedthanks for getting back to me so quickly! That’s great!
Thanks Tom and Riz for reviewing the 51kWh MG4 which I suspect will be by far the most popular spec given the price it's going to be coming in by. The fact that you can use this not just for city trips but for road trips too is a big game changer given the price point.
Absolutely and not to mention the LFP battery 👍
@@LudicrousFeed LFP is a big selling point too, yep, being able to charge to 100 pc. Also Tom, when you can, please do a review of the Polestar 2 RWD Long Range, and see if it really does get 654km! It's claiming the longest range BEV in Australia, but like to know what the real range might be.
They have the LIP battery and the NMC battery. These are important factors and should be mentioned if you are reviewing an EV. It's like review a diesel vehicle but not telling anyone it's diesel. Who would do that?
Hi, did I notice the MG4 did not have a reversing camera? If it's the Excite 51....I think the Essence gets Panoramic camera
Yeah I mentioned it several times during the vid and also in my previous MG vid. This is a UK spec car and the camera has not passed ADRs
Thank you! Great review. I receive a new MG4 excite next month (NZ here). Thank you for including the details for your trip; it gives me better insight into what to expect and to avoid hilly terrain when travelling (NZ=hills)as much as possible.
Glad it was helpful!
Does it give you and accurate range estimate en route like. Tesla? I rented a BYD Atto recently and the range estimate was terrible and not integrated into the navigation.
From memory the range estimate was reasonably accurate, certainly more so than the Atto 3
do you guys get free Chargefox 32amp 22kw chargers all over shopping center car parks? we get those here in Queensland you don't need to be a member of any insurer its just free.
Some are occasionally free
Range on that thing is exactly why ice drivers should be reluctant to switch. No issue as a small second vehicle and have a need for limited trip usage.
Yup for sure
Live in Canberra, just put deposit down on the base MG4, only going to use it around town as a cheap run around. Will use the ICE car for Sydney and Coast trips.
Thank you for the review, but may I ask since it is a 300km trip will you risk to do the full trip on 1 single 100% charge ??
Hmmm perhaps worth trying in the Essence 64 variant
Thank you for the reply.
Do all the chargers at Goulburn make that horrible high pitched noise? Or were you unlucky choosing the only one that does?
If they're all like that at that stop, I'll try and find another place.
I think it’s an audio artefact from my mic. Not sure why it occurred at that point. In reality it’s not that noisy
Did the AmpCharge sign show electricity cost with petrol, diesel, etc.?
No it was a static sign
Whats going on with the reversing camera. No reversing image?
Yeah I mentioned it several times during the vid and also in my previous MG vid. This is a UK spec car and the camera has not passed ADRs
Are they water-cooled cables? (Making them heavy.)
Yes they’re more than likely water cooled
You get a nice and bright display on the AmpCharge chargers
Yeah it’s a good setup
Looks like we’re getting a AmpCharge at West Gosford. A great sign for the central coast. Hopefully more to come.
A footnote, the only Tesla chargers are Tuggerah and Newcastle. The other 2 fox charge fox and Tesla charging stations are 11 kv.
You're on a major highway between Sydney and Canberra so what happens when all the charging stations are occupied? You have to twiddle your thumbs and only after get food/coffee.
For now yes until more chargers are installed
Great long run in the MG4 511Kwh SE (Excite) just to let you know in the UK there is NO reversing camera on the base model SE MG4 only on the Long Range Variant and above Artful
Is that right?? Interesting …
My gosh I'd struggle without one these days. So good for knowing exactly how close you are to obstacles. I wish my M3 had a camera in the front bumper for this purpose too.
@@LudicrousFeed yes no reversing camera. Saw it on a UK review. That’s a big minus.
charging in UK is very poor if you don't have a Tesla, nice vid thanks Tom
👍😃
The efficiency is pretty disappointing TBH. Any idea if the other battery/ motor options are any better?
Most BEVs drop their efficiency at higher highway speeds, including Tesla
The bags were not just a couple of bags. One bag was a vehicle to load cable which comes with the MG4. It's not an optional extra. That's quite important and you didn't mention that either.
Again stay tuned for a further detailed review when MG loan me an Aus-spec vehicle 👍
I had an MG ZS Mk2 as a rental car for a week and I found it consumed far more than my old MK1. I used to get 13.6kWh/100km average but the MK2 was around 20 for the same use case. I thunk MG has done something that has increased the consumption. The MG4 should be much better aerodynamically than the ZS.
That’s a big jump from 13 to 20!
@@LudicrousFeed yes. I have the feeling it may be the AC. I never used the heater in my old MG but on the new the AC seems to automatically turn on the heater even when the temperature is set to low. I did notice some times warm air coming out of the vents even when the temperature was set low and the outside temperature was higher than the set temperature.
I wonder if it is doing this to dry up the air.
Most petrol cars will run the AC continuously and add hot air to adjust the temperature instead of backing off the compressor. I wonder if it is trying to do the same.
Haven't been impressed by the ampcharge site in Brisbane. Advertised as 185kw but it only does 80 (model 3 can do 180ish) and it's super expensive compared to chargefox and even superchargers
Is that the ABB chargers? I believe they're slower because of the lower amperage ...
@@LudicrousFeed it is an abb charger yes.
Does the car have trip planning and or battery conditioning?
For this Excite51 variant: No and No
@@LudicrousFeed Looks like a nice car but EVs need both of those features
I think the higher Essence variants may have trip planning. I’ll confirm once I get a loan later
Received an email from MG saying the MG4 has arrived, rang to book a test drive. I was told sorry they aren’t here yet 😳😳😳 …but you can book a test drive I was told, great I thought only to be told I need to sign a contract to buy.
Confused I asked why I would sign a contract too buy a car I have not driven, they said it’s to stop people wasting their time.
Told them I won’t sign any contract until after I test drive and oddly only if I intend to buy so they refused to book the drive.
Zero chance I’m buying an MG if it’s this hard to drive the car, Tesla might be more expensive but I booked a drive and drove it, no conditions, no contracts, no sleazy sales people ringing every day for a week asking if I’d changed my mind about a test drive as experienced with MG.
A company that makes it this hard to drive won’t be in business long, buyer beware
That’s very disappointing that they want you to sign a contract to secure a test drive. Very shady tactics and they wonder why consumers are shying away from the dealership model of doing business 😔
Ampol has become an electricity provider, at least in Qld. Get 10c a litre of Petrol if your home is powered by them. I think they have realised adapt or disappear
Yup for sure they are realising this long term
What was wrtong with the reversing camera?
It was a pre-prod car from the UK
@@LudicrousFeed thanks for the reply mate. I'm seriously thinking about getting a MG4. Can't decide between the Excite, Excite 64 or Essence 64.
For me, the sweet spot is the Essence 64: 2024 MG4 64 kWh Essence Australia Range Handling Walkaround Review ruclips.net/video/ZAjGYHBrxUc/видео.html
Great for getting around town, going to the shops or gym 😂 but enough range to comfortably go on a road trip if needed. The Essence variant also looks better and has a few nicer features
@@LudicrousFeed thank you so much for the reply. I have been leaning towards the Essence but I was concerned the extra cash may not be worth it. I've actually found an ex-demo for $43,888. Might have to pull the trigger.
When I charged my 66 kWh MG4 today at a charger rated at 110 kW, it barely managed to charge at 50 kW. I would like to see some evidence that the MG4 can actually achieve the claimed charging speed of over 100 kW.
Me too, I'll keep testing
You have to be at a lower state of charge if you want to see faster charging. You see highest kW from 5 to 60% then it gradually tails off.
No such thing as a 66kWh MG4, I smell troll.
The high pitched noise from the Golburn charger was horrific. What's it like in real life?
My mics are sensitive. They’re loud but not unbearable
You will be doing a review of this car?
I will be doing a more comprehensive walkaround once MG loan me a production vehicle 👍
I know you needed to show the charging options along the way but I would like to know if you could have actually driven the 300k to Canberra without stopping to charge.
Unlikely from Sydney to Canberra due to elevation. Possibly Canberra to Sydney
What was wrong with your reversing camera?
It was a pre-production provisional car for testing hence camera wasn’t operational
How random that besides English the other language options on the first charger were Bulgarian and Bosnian..?
Yeah that was odd
You can swipe across to access more languages
Does the blinker stalk on the incorrect side for a RHD car...drive you crazy?
Meh I cope with either side
@@LudicrousFeed ...cope. I see
Thankyou TT,
Base model is what I'm getting.
I feel like I know the car so well now, thankyou 👍
I'm Sunny Coast hinterland 99% local usage, occasionally Brissy.
Pleasure! It’s a great fit for that purpose 👍
Sydney sits at an elevation of just above zero. Goulburn is 642 metres. Canberra is 578 metres. You'll always be disappointed by your battery range in any direction when leaving Sydney, given it's kinda surrounded by mountains. But especially in the Southern Highlands and Blue Mountains.
It's disturbing that the freeway gets you up from Pheasants Nest (292m) to Mittagong (635m) while only travelling 20km in 15 minutes at 110km/h. Climbing the Bargo Ramp doesn't resemble most hill climbs, let alone mountain climbs, but it is. They don't call them the highlands for nothing!
And I started from sub-zero on this day given I used the Sydney Harbour Tunnel to pick up Riz from the airport 😆
Very true. My fuel economy from Narellan to Goulburn is 5.6 but 4.8 on way back consistently. Lots more lift and coast on the way back.
Our Atto 3 and TM3 can both easily do Sydney Canberra non stop. It's a question of speed, driving at 110 uses a lot more energy than 100. A slightly slower speed, thus avoiding the need for enroute charging is well worth it. Also no risk of speeding tickets.
I just plug in adaptive cruise and lane keeping put on some nice music and relax. Just under three hours later you are there.
@jimgraham6722 Last night, I left Gymea on 77%. I had a bathroom break and bought an iced coffee at Pheasants Nest (47% to 85% in 20 minutes).
That's normally enough to reach Canberra in my antique SR+ with an unusually small battery pack. But as the weather worsened, the nav prediction kept getting closer to zero.
I stopped at Exeter Supercharger (59% to 69% in 4 minutes) and reached the Canberra Supercharger on 13%. I wanted to do a few hours of uber later on, so I supercharged (13% to 71% in 20 minutes), went home, freshened up while on 7kW (68% to 77% in 34 minutes), and set off. 2h50m & $161 later I got home on 34%.
These stops aren't difficult. And some folks can't leave Sydney on 100%, especially if you don't live there. I can't stress how much I appreciate the Pheasants Nest setup.
It's weird for those of us who travel at night that the Northbound fast food sites all close at 11pm. I wasn't going northbound, but it matters at Sutton Forest/Exeter regardless. While it's easy to charge at Pheasants Nest in either direction (once you know how to find the underpass), it's awkward at Sutton Forest/Exeter. Charging there is either Northbound Maccas (closes 11pm) or at the pie shop (closes 9pm). Walking from the pie shop to the 24hr Southbound Maccas after 9pm to use the restroom is doable, but avoid the temptation to shortcut through the gully, as there may be snakes.
@@PCLoadLetter Thanks, interesting experiences.
In the BYD (LR) we normally top to 90% at Camden BP, and go non stop to Tuggeranong, where we usually arrive with 12-15%. Then plug in at home.
With the TM3 we normally use the superchargers at the Sutton Forest pie shop (and stop for one of their great pies). Unfortunately the Sutton Forest super chargers arent open to non Tesla, so in the BYD we save money as and sail straight by.
Both the BYD and TM3 are fitted with 60KWhr LiFePO batteries. They seem to work very well. The TM3 is about 10% more range efficient at 110kmh. However, at 110kmh the KW/100km on the Tesla is the same as on the BYD at 95kmh. So in principle you could go the same distance but it would be a bit slower by BYD.
I have a friend who also has a BYD. He regularly takes it Canberra to Melbourne and says he has no range issues at all on that trip. He also recently took it to Swan Hill and back with no issues.
Other annoying things so far: (1) The trickle charger supplied is rated at only 8 amps and did not even achieve that. (2) It reverts to NORMAL mode every time you stop the car after driving in ECO. (3) It reverts to Lane Keeping Assist every time you stop the car after driving with it disabled. (4) It does not use the map to present the current road speed limit - it relies entirely on sign recognition, and it often gets it wrong, eg reading an 80 sign as 50.
I'll test these things next time I get a press car. Interesting it relies purely on posted speed signs rather than a combination of that and saved nav data 🤔
I'd never go far enough to use a public charger, that's what a 2nd petrol car is for
Many would feel the same
I wonder what MG's ratio of RHD to LHD cars is? Presumably their ownership of a British marque obligates them to right hand drive vehicles, so maybe they're concentrating their efforts on countries like ours more strongly than someone like BYD would?
Hmm ... but then again China has the biggest EV market in the world atm and they are LHD
@@LudicrousFeedIndeed they are, which is why I was wondering. MG will be obligated to have *more* of a RHD to LHD ratio than many of its competitors, but what that split actually looks like would be interesting know.
@@LudicrousFeedAnd also: are its RHD vehicles compromised in the conversion the way many LHD vehicles are, or has it been designed up to be both RHD or LHD?
Let me get this straight. Chargers are covered in Australia but not in the UK where is rains all the time. Brilliant. Haha. Of course you have some solar which is probably why.
Trust me, not all our chargers are covered! I’d say the majority aren’t sadly, unless they’re in a basement carpark
How much approximately was the total cost of the 600k return trip?
Check the video description: I have a link to my road trip spreadsheet where you’ll see the costings and other stats
It was about $A55
should have driven in eco mode for best stats especially for longer driving
Yes that would add a few more kms
TbH, im not ready to have the EV anxiety of having only 212kms in my tank on HWY driving with still only few EV chargers available. City drving maybe ok.
That’s fair. No doubt we need more reliable highway infrastructure
Hi Tom, very thorough and informative. Thank you and Riz.
One disappointing thing however how the legacy auto are referring to the old consumption rate per 100/km. Honestly we never did buy petrol or anything else in units of 100. But they keep referring to it still. Good to see Tesla gives you consumption watts per/km.
True. Luckily it’s relatively easy enough to convert between the two
Why do they always compare evs on basically flat highways. Try a range test Sydney to Dubbo via blue mountains in winter
"They" do sometimes! Start with "their" previous video driving to Bathurst over Blue Mountains: ruclips.net/video/ks5MgCM_3VE/видео.html
There are also others 😃👏
Tom, nothing beats Tesla for efficiency
This is true
Except Lucid :)
@@rtfazeberdee3519 lucid starts at 84k USD,
If you want to give much more money to one of the world's biggest arseholes
but tesla looks boring, like a kids toy
Is the reversing camera not working?
Yeah I mentioned it several times during the vid and also in my previous MG vid. This is a UK spec car and the camera has not passed ADRs
I see you edited out that super annoying speed recognition flashing if even 1kmh over! I do not share your like of the lane keep assist, it's very grabbing if you hold it and the lines are not clear, I ended up turning it off but the adaptive cruise control works fine if a little slow to react in stop and go traffic. Not a fan of the infotainment screen, could not even find how to easily change from normal to sports setting! And the controls on the steering wheel are odd. Not the EV for me. Will look at the 60kwh Dolphin, it's interior is much nicer.
Speed recognition flashing? I honestly don’t recall seeing that … I’ll need to take another look when I drive today
Add: just went for a drive and noticed it. I think the tolerance is more like 3kph+ before it flashes. I’m just glad it doesn’t beep like other cars!
@LudicrousFeed my test drive, it seemed like any speed over the posted sign, but annoying nevertheless. It's probably worse at night time..
The "save" icon is still a floppy disk. I don't think there's much hope for a charging symbol. Not when you think about the money needed to roll out the change.
Fair point
What's a freeway? There is nothing free about them. In fact you go through quite a number of toll ways before you reach the motorway heading to Canberra and Melbourne. And Sydney can boast the most expensive toll way in the world by distance. It's a ramp to get on the motorway heading south near Neutral Bay. Yip the most expensive on the planet.
Yup we certainly do have a lot of toll roads on our motorways
Australia is probably the worst developed country for toll roads.
The problem in the eastern states (not so much WA as we have a huge surplus of clean power throughout the day) is that the kW price is extremely high. It should not cost more than a hybrid to DC fast charge an EV. Max price should be around 45 cent a kilowatt. 60 cents the highest limit I am willing to pay and over this, count me out. It seems in the eastern states, 70+ cents is the norm. It's just not right. Imagine paying 70 cents a liter with a car that does 17 to 20l/100km, it's be pretty pricey. Same here. When you can run a corolla hybrid that does realistically 4.5l/100km and fuel that cost 1.70/l, the math is quick (on road trips that is). Something positive needs to happen to the price of DC chargers.
I have to agree with you, we are unfortunately following the UK and Europe where the price of DC charging is on the rise. Many charging providers are finding it difficult to turn a profit selling electricity only without any further revenue from food or beverage like conventional service stations. In Jan 2024 there has been a momentary dip in retail petrol pricing but will be interesting if/when they return back to $2+/L then DC charging prices will look more reasonable again
13:57 why didnt you use the 350kW charger?
One was taken by the Model Y
The other was bwoken
Bit pointless as it has a max charge speed of 80kw on the 51kwh model
@gregb1599 I thought they had the higher spec MG4 that had 140kW charging. Didn't realise till end of Video it mixed out at 75kW
But on flip side 75kW is 50% faster than 50kW charging. Depending on how much time you want to spend at a spot
Hi Tom always good to watch your videos, and the BP Units you mentioned at Marulan pronounced Mar roo lan
They have the LFP battery and the NMC battery. These are important factors and should be mentioned if you are reviewing an EV. It's like reviewing a diesel vehicle but not telling anyone it's diesel. Then telling them the fuel consumption. Mmm
Love the fact that the Excite 51 is LFP 👍
This video was focused mainly on the road trip and charging aspects. I’ll be doing a further detailed review on an Aus-spec vehicle soon so stay tuned!
Was that Toyota comment a heckle directed at you Tom?
I guess it was directed at us?
👍
👍
To the Toyota guy “How’s filling up at over $2 a litre?”
Gotta laugh right 😁
@@LudicrousFeed Absolutely. Wouldn’t want to offend anyone replying the way I did
I would pay $5 in order to drive proper vehicle!
And waiting at least 12 months for your new Toyota!
The correct comparison should be how far car an ICE car go on $2 of fuel compared to how far can an EV go on $2 of charge at $0.70 per kwh
Just for the record: it's "actchew-AGL" not "act-waggle".
Is there an official pronunciation guide from the company?
@@LudicrousFeed Haha, nope, just a really well-known local brand. It's an amalgamation of 2 companies, Actew and AGL and kept the pronunciation of each company in ActewAGL
Great option for city driving ' just not highway.
👍
Why didn't you use eco?
As I explained in my earlier video, eco driving mode makes the car feel buoyant. I prefer a slightly firmer ride which makes the car feel more stable: My First Time Driving 2023 MG4 Electric Vehicle in Sydney Australia
ruclips.net/video/K3rQmrQknJo/видео.html
Thanks Tom. I'm still a bit confused over eco to sport. All the UK reviews suggested that on a longer journey eco was the most efficent mode by far . It also only allowed high regen when in that mode?
@@garryellis3085 I was on No. 3 Regen while driving the entire journey in Normal Mode
Thankyou for taking the time to reply.
EV good to move drivers off the main highway and into small town rest stop business
That’s right. New business opportunities abound!
You've demonstrated well why there's growing consumer resistance to buying EVs. 1 trip easily completed on a full tank of petrol or diesel, you had multiple stops, fortunately available and working chargers. Add to this high purchase price of vehicles and horrendous depreciation and why would you?? Saving the planet - if you want to take that seriously you wouldn't buy a car at all...
If you’re fortunate enough to be able to live in an area with fast and reliable public transport that is accessible to everything you need eg work, leisure, amenities then yes one could conceivably live without owning a car 👍
Slower panning please chaps"
My petrol Ford is coming to end of life and I want to buy an EV when it goes to the scrapyard in the sky, but the tech and infrastructure still isn't there. Different apps for different charge systems, WT actual F?? I don't need an Esso app to fill my Ford at an Esso pump, ludicrous if this is to be a mass-transport system. Less than 200 mile range, meaning you need to plan your journey around charger availability / coffee stops and get excited over charger speeds and chargers not being MIA?? Kinda kills taking the scenic route and finding a nice café in a country village for a break. The actual cars now seem viable alternatives from a driving perspective with the MG4 (hopefully) being a breakthrough on cost giving parity with IRC vehicles which is great, but outside town (where I cycle and walk) still not there for long distance journeys.
Agree with you that outside of major arterials, charging infrastructure in Aus can be hit and miss. Things will improve
you should have told that guy yelling at you about the Toyota that you didnt want to waste your money !!!
😆 Why waste precious seconds responding?
@@LudicrousFeed thats true and I agree with you but sometimes fools do need to be delt with.
Next time wear your radio mics.
Yup I know for next time
$5 to go 50km. So expensive.
As you saw on the spreadsheet, DC Fast charging is on par with a fuel-efficient ICE. The savings are made by charging at home
You can make electricity from home solar too to charge your vehicle, unlike liquid fuels.
Sydney to Canberra is a "road trip"? Expectations are so low aren't they ? so we have a chance to cheer mediocrity.
I just finished 800klm from regional VIC to regional SA. Only fueled up at the destination.
Give yourself a pat on the back 🏆
Considering the ridiculous price of fuel (and it’s only going to get worse), I don’t understand why anyone would be critical of electric vehicles.
🙏👍
That efficiency is awful. It really shows how good Tesla is.
Just drove down from far north coast to Sydney and as usual the Chargefox sites at Coffs and Port Macquarie are down with minimal update in the app.
Tritium is an absolute disaster, good to see the kempower units being installed
Very few cars can beat the Tesla efficiency 👏
Can't wait to test out the KFC Kempower site 👍
Tesla efficiency might be better but it’s significant more expensive and for a marginal improvement in efficiency it’s questionable what the cost benefit is. The MG is the sweet spot for the average driver wanting to transition to an EV. Also, there will be software updates that will inevitably improve the efficiency of the MG. Early day for the MG and they have landed in the right place for the average consumer.