MG4 as an Uber-style service. 197,000 km driven in 3 years with only a 10 percent degradation.
The ForoCochesElectricos portal came across an MG4 registered in June 2023, which is being used for transportation services (Spanish: VTC), meaning taxis in the area around Madrid, Spain. After slightly over three years, the car has accumulated 197,135 kilometers of mileage (source). A technical inspection conducted by MG’s Spanish branch showed that the battery retains 90 percent of its factory-rated capacity. This means it wears down slowly, contrary to opinions found online.
MG4 with slow charging and LFP = low degradation
The MG4 in question is the cheapest version of Standard, equipped with a 125 kW/170 HP engine and a 49 (~47) kWh LFP battery. It can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 37 minutes, which is a very good result for SAIC’s vehicles from that period, but merely average compared to the market. However, it is this relatively slow “fast” charging that may be responsible for its low degradation. MG itself claims that factors such as cell chemistry and battery temperature management have contributed to the relatively low degradation — and it’s hard to disagree with that.
The mentioned 350 WLTP range units correspond to approximately 299 kilometers in urban or urban-suburban driving conditions, and around 350 kilometers at moderate or slightly higher temperatures. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to calculate the car’s actual range from the photos given the current battery degradation, as it has been moving at the speed of a capable cyclist (23 km/h) over the past 6 hours. Additionally, the range forecast is likely set to “Chinese” mode, where the figures are still based on the NEDC procedure. According to the odometer, the car can travel up to 404 kilometers on a fully charged battery:
The advantage of this model is its reliability: despite nearly 200,000 kilometers driven, the car only required routine visits to the dealer for warranty-related services and tire replacements. Surprisingly, however, the front brake pads needed replacement at 123,000 kilometers and the rear ones at 130,000 kilometers. The MG4 features a one-pedal driving mode, but as is common with Chinese electric vehicles, it must be activated each time after turning the car off — could it be that drivers are reluctant to do this? [Editorial speculation from Elektrowozu]
The MG4 in press photos. In some countries, a newer, completely redesigned version is already available, sold as the MG4 Urban, but in Poland, the distributor isn’t rushing to update its lineup because the car hasn’t taken over the market.
Editor’s note from Elektrowozu: Many electric vehicle manufacturers do not disclose the origin of their Li-ion cells. In China, lacking proprietary cells is seen as a company’s weakness, almost a disgrace, since they are a crucial component of electric vehicles. However, there are strong indications that this model uses LFP cells supplied by CATL.
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