MG4 Electric: Guide to charging the low-cost electric car

Range and charging capacities of the MG4 Electric

Battery Types

A novelty for the manufacturer MG: The MG4 Electric has a completely new platform in which the battery set is arranged horizontally. The result? A lower center of gravity provides more stability and riding comfort.

The MG4 Electric is available in 3 versions (Standard, Comfort and Luxury) and offers 2 different types of batteries:

• For the entry-level MG4 "Standard" variant:
  • LFP (lithium, iron phosphate) type battery, which is characterized by a lower energy density but better endurance, as it can withstand more than twice as many charging cycles.
  • Gross capacity of 51 kWh

• For the MG4 "Comfort" and "Luxury" versions:
  • NMC (cobalt-nickel-manganese) battery
  • Gross capacity of 64 kWh
    
    

Range of the MG4 Electric

In terms of range, the electric MG4 specifies 350 kilometres (WLTP*) in the standard equipment and 450 kilometres in the Comfort and Luxury trim levels.

In terms of performance and battery consumption:

• The MG4 standard consumes between 17 kWh (combined) and 21 kWh (motorway). On average, a charging stop will be required every 300 km in combined driving and every 200 km on the motorway.
• The MG4 Comfort and Luxury have similar fuel consumption (Luxury is a little thirstier). The average consumption is between 15 kWh on a combined journey (410 km range) and 22-24 kWh on the motorway (270 km range).

*Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure: Procedure for a more realistic assessment of a vehicle's range and fuel consumption. This has been in force since 1 September 2018.

Loading capacities of the MG4

Version	Max. AC power (type 2)	Max. DC power (CCS combo)
Standard	6.6 kW – single-phase	117 kW
Comfort / Luxury	11 kW – Three-phase	135 kW

To learn more about this, we recommend that you read our articles on Charging power and duration as well as on the different types of connectors for electric cars .

How and where can I charge the MG4 Electric?

All of the charging time estimates provided below are based on the Autoe Propre Loading Time Simulator (French medium).

Charging the MG4 at home

At a Household socket or a reinforced Green'up* socket, the MG4 Electric can accommodate up to 2.3 kW. This corresponds to a charging time (20 to 80%) of 13.30 hours for the standard version and 16.50 hours for the Comfort and Luxury versions.

*The Green'up socket provides a maximum power of 3.2 kW, but requires a special charging cable, which is rarely supplied by manufacturers. Without this cable, the power is throttled to 2.3 kW, like a conventional household socket.

To enable safer and faster charging, the Installation of a wallbox (wall-mounted charging station) is an ideal solution. If you charge your MG4 at a 7 kW wallbox, the charging time is significantly reduced. To charge from 20 to 80%, you can expect 4h40 to 5h15 depending on the vehicle's battery.

To make your life easier, our equipment partner Mister EV has put together various solutions for home charging that are available for the MG4 Electric are suitable.

Charging the MG4 at public charging stations

If you need to charge your MG4 Electric on the go, we know a small, practical app called Chargemap. Take a look, it's really worth a try (and we don't even get paid to say 🙃 that). This allows you to view all available charging stations in your area and throughout Europe.

Remember to use the available filters so that you are only shown the charging stations that are suitable for the charging capacity of your MG4 and your preferences.

Accelerated Charging Stations (AC)

To prevent premature wear of the battery of your electric car, can only recommend that you prefer slow charging to accelerated charging in everyday life.

With the built-in charger, the MG4 Electric Standard has a maximum AC power of 6.6 kW. This corresponds to a charging time of approx. 4.5 hours from 20 to 80%.

The MG4 Comfort and Luxury will be able to extract up to 11 kW of AC power, allowing for a 20-80% charge in 3.5 hours.

Fast charging stations (DC)

On long journeys, you can attach your MG4 Electric to Fast charging stations networks such as Ionity, Fastned, Enel X or Allego load.

With direct current, the MG4 Electric can take a maximum power of 117 kW in the standard version and 135 kW in the higher models. Regardless of the version, about 20 minutes is enough to charge from 20 to 80%, thus recovering 220 to 270 km.

In a test of the MG4 Luxury conducted by Automobile Propre, the electric vehicle even showed better charging performance than stated. The vehicle reached a peak power of 143 kW and showed a more than satisfactory charging curve with an average output of 96 kWh (10-80% in 30 minutes).

MG4 or Renault Mégane E-tech electric?

The MG4 electric compact car has entered the market with an obvious competitor: the Mégane E-tech Electric. The MG4 Luxury version comes closest to the French compact car in the EV60 220 hp Super Charge version.

Let's take a look at some of their features:

• Both vehicles have the same battery type and a usable energy capacity of 60 kWh.
• The stated WLTP range is 435 km for MG and 450 km for Renault.
• The display and accessibility of the settings are more ergonomic in the Mégane.
• Renault's regenerative brake is livelier and more powerful, making it easier to control the handling.
• When it comes to charging, the MG4 is better equipped than the Megane E-Tech and delivers better charging performance.
• Even in the entry-level class, MG offers bidirectional V2L charging, which makes it possible to charge an item outside the vehicle with a maximum power of 2.2 kW.
  
  

However, the MG4 Electric widens the gap when it comes to pricing. With the same equipment and performance, the two vehicles have a price difference of almost 11,000 euros.

Planning the charging of MG4 Electric

To ensure that you can travel relaxed with your MG4, the Chargemap route planner. Set your route in less than a minute and the tool will calculate the ideal route for you, tailored to the characteristics of your MG4 or any other electric car. You also have access to personalisation options to best suit your driving and charging habits.

To edit or add a charging station, simply activate the "Charging Stations" button to see all available charging stations around your route that are compatible with the MG4. There are also filters available to narrow down your search.

💡 Tip: Save your route in the Chargemap app and access it via the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on-board systems on your dashboard. Note that you will need a cable to connect your phone to the MG4 (Bluetooth is not available).

👇 Let's continue the discussion in the comments. What do you think about MG's new electric compact car? Have you already fallen in love and reserved your model?