[v01d]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Well, even if there is a ToD policy, I am not sure how long it will take to implement it as the meters that do the measurement are the normal meters without being able to measure units across various time segments. Or are the meters already capable of doing those?

If the meter is decades old, it will surely not be able to handle ToD. But I have heard the buzzword 'smart meters' a lot. Certainly such meters are available in the market today. The discoms will need to replace them. Get ready to pay more security money...

[EV Fan]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Well, even if there is a ToD policy, I am not sure how long it will take to implement it as the meters that do the measurement are the normal meters without being able to measure units across various time segments. Or are the meters already capable of doing those?

All Digital meter's are TOD ready, only the billing system needs to be updated.

The problem is real time TOD system where we can see rates over real time, is not possible. This TOD is more akin to the slab metric system, so basically even slab rates over the daytime. And this might be over and above the monthly consumption slabs.

Originally Posted by v01d

This article[/url] tells me that ToD tariff will reach domestic consumers by next year.

That still looks overly optimistic.
Maybe some pilot runs in specific areas but no way statewide , let alone nationwide.

[herculesksp]

6 Month review

It's about 6 months since I took hand over of my MG Comet car. We have been using it consistently for the last 6 months and I can't recall now as I am typing this, but probably close to 2000kms driven.

The car is very convenient to use and drive in the city and at speeds under 50kmph has very good road manners and good braking capability. Pick-up is fine, but not electric exciting. I have had wheel-spin worthy pick-up off traffic lights in my Mahindra E2O, but Comet always has slight lag to get started off.

In fact, this is sometime a pain when I have to suddenly move on after a complete stop due to some bad driver in front taking a turn without indicators or a vehicle cutting across. The car takes 1-2 seconds to start moving even when I jam down the accelerator, and the car behind who also had to stop unplanned typically starts honking.

Brakes also bite hard and once has to really learn how to keep the regen and braking in sync. Btw, I feel that when we actually brake, the regen cuts off. So regen works only while coasting. Of course it's difficult (dangerous) to play close attention to the dash while driving and esp while braking in traffic, so I can't confirm this though I feel strongly that I have noticed this.

About the ride quality - on the moon-surface-like Bangalore roads, the car is very bumpy and bouncy, and whenever I ride shotgun with my wife, I can feel my head moving to an imaginary rock tune. Not the most comfortable of cars, and even small bumps (or cuts on the road to lay pipes) are very jarring and the tyres crash down with a thud. However I have never had a scraped underbelly and once we even drove into a massive pothole (filled with water during rains) and thankfully the body panels weren't touched. I'm sure the entire tire went in and back out.

The seating is not very comfortable as I've always been saying, but for about 30-45 mins drive, and within 10-15 kms, it is fine. Just as you start getting uncomfortable, it's time to get out. I default to my Alcazar when I have to drive into the heart of Bangalore and this one is just for office and nearby shopping / mall / doctor runs.

Fun part - I have parked in 2 wheeler parkings many times much to the surprise of shop owners and onlookers.

Other than this, I have been hearing some periodic squeaking from the car. I have a feeling that it might be the seatbelt buckle or the rear seat, and (hopefully) not the body of the car or the mechanicals (suspension etc). I'll be very disappointed if the car developed squeaks just 4-5 months in.

About the entertainment system, this is super super buggy and a pain. Many times, the display just switches to the stock phone dialler in the middle of a drive. Sometimes, it has switched to the radio too for no reason. A few times the wireless Apple CarPlay doesn't connect and I have to manually connect via the Device Management section. Just today I updated to the latest update and I hope that fixed some of these niggles. The update didn't have any details of what was fixed, so there is no way to know or check for the fixes.

Even the HVAC is buggy. Firstly, I would really like a setting between L2 and L3. L2 is too cold once the cabin has sufficiently cooled down, and L3 starts getting too warm. So many times, I have to keep it at L2 and keep turning the A/C on and off. It would be great to have a smoother gradient for the A/C temperature setting.

Talking about the A/C, there is definitely something wrong with the dials. There have been so many times where I have turned off the A/C, but suddenly I see that it is back on. Either there is something wrong with the electronics, or the dial shakes the A/C back on when I go over a bump or something. I haven't observed what causes it, but it has definitely happened more than a dozen times - definitely not a one-off.

Finally, regarding MG itself and this is a reflection of the Dealership (Mahadevapura Bangalore) - I still don't have my iSmart set up on my phone app. As you know the car has only one keyfob and the only way to bypass this is via digital keys via the MG app. Now unfortunately, the car is a company leased car and hence in the booking form, they had the company's contact numbers stored (or maybe it's the dealer's number - I don't know). In order to activate the app on my phone, I need to confirm my phone number and receive an OTP - neither of which I am able to do. The dealer lady promised that they will set this right and link the correct mobile number within 2-3 weeks. I have been following up frequently with them too, and it's now 6 months, and no app activated for my car.

This is super irritating and I've got fed up with MG and the Dealer. Hence I cannot check anything like battery %age, kms driven, lock / unlock state etc unless I physically go to the car. This is like stone age for electric cars.


So, in summary -
Positives: Super compact, easy to drive in city, spacious for 4.
Negatives: Bumpy ride, bad ergonomics, terrible after sales and no support, major software and some hardware quality issues, dismal battery range, poor HVAC temperature setting and buggy HVAC dials.

Given a choice I would probably go for a Tata EV, but truly there is nothing else in this size and convenience and I don't have an alternative for my requirements. Whether it's worth paying Rs 10 lakhs for this car? - I don't think so!

[herculesksp]

I tried to update the post and was in fact editing the post. However by the time I finished typing up everything, I think I ran past the edit timer and couldn't save the post. Sorry about that. :-(

Mods, if you can edit the above post and include this just before the Summary, please help out.


Contd...

Oops! Forgot to write about the battery range and drive modes.

I have been trying various combinations of driving style - Eco, Normal, Sport along with various regen options - Light, Normal, Heavy. They all work very differently. The Regen modes are the ones that are most apparent when you use.

With Heavy mode, the car slowly down aggressively and you have to accelerate to keep the car moving along. Eg: It slows down far too much at a turning, and even when I come down a flyover, and I have to accelerate to get the car moving. The net result is that it is not active long enough to be able to gain regen energy and charge the battery. It is also very aggressive and dangerous for the car behind. The thing about regen is that it cuts off when physically braking, so basically heavy is never useful and don't do anything.

With Eco mode, the car just keeps coasting and doesn't seem to make up any charge to top up the battery. It drives like as if you were pressing down the clutch in an ICE manual car.

So the best mode to use is Normal. It works like engine braking on an ICE car and is not too aggressive. It seems to have the best balance to extract the max charge out of regen.

The driving modes aren't very different from each other. Eco and Normal are very very similar and many times I don't even realise which mode I am on, when I try to switch. The performance and response is 99% similar. The sport mode is slightly better and seems to give a little more pick-up. I could be wrong and it is only a placebo, because in general the electric motors have a decent pick-up when floored. On my TVS iQube, the power mode increases the top speed to 60+ whereas the normal mode caps it at 45. Maybe the sport mode in Comet is similar, but I can't drive those speeds in city, and definitely not on this car.

Coming to the range, I have been using the trip-meter of the car itself and trying to see how much real world range the car gives. Unfortunately, this has been very disappointing as well. On an average I have been getting 100 - 120 kms range on the car with about 20% charge left - this is with both me and my wife taking turns driving the car. Once when driven really consciously, I have taken the trip meter to 158kms with 15% charge left and this is with Eco + Normal. With Heavy and Light regen modes, the regen is non existent and I have only got about 100kms range.

So, with that, I have found that the best combo is Eco (drive) + Normal (regen). It gives the max range on the car and I have been able to get about 150+kms with 15-20% charge left on the battery. It seems to be that 200kms promised range is with ideal driving conditions (slow and steady) and maximum recharge. Driving it "normally" or spirited will bring the range down to 100kms or lower, so please don't rely on the range reading on the car. This was not expected from a 10 lakhs car. I think at least 180+ kms of real world range should definitely have been ensured.

I hope this is not the battery deteriorating. Today when I plugged in the car, the trip indicated about 80kms driven starting from 90% charge. I think there was some user error, and I will monitor this closely. Else I will need to start looking at the battery warranty and see what to do about battery life deteriorating.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by herculesksp

6 Month review
About the ride quality - on the moon-surface-like Bangalore roads, the car is very bumpy and bouncy, and whenever I ride shotgun with my wife, I can feel my head moving to an imaginary rock tune. Not the most comfortable of cars, and even small bumps (or cuts on the road to lay pipes) are very jarring and the tyres crash down with a thud. However I have never had a scraped underbelly and once we even drove into a massive pothole (filled with water during rains) and thankfully the body panels weren't touched. I'm sure the entire tire went in and back out.

It has its motor sitting very low on rear axle-beam or whatever you call it in an EV. Almost in the centre of rear wheels. You might wanna watch out for big stones we take for granted in a high GC SUV. Don't line up big stones in between front wheels.

[herculesksp]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

It has its motor sitting very low on rear axle-beam or whatever you call it in an EV. Almost in the centre of rear wheels. You might wanna watch out for big stones we take for granted in a high GC SUV. Don't line up big stones in between front wheels.

Very valid point. I actually line up manhole covers in between the wheels and I always realise I should not be doing this.

That said, what exactly is the GC of the Comet, does anyone know? I tried looking it up and the brochure doesn't mention anything about Ground Clearance.

[ALTIMAed]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Sorry. My bad. Missed it.



But I was only referring to fast-charging. Not slow-charging. In any case slow-charging from 20% to 100% will take 6 to 7 hours, I am pretty sure. It is practically impossible to wait for 6 to 7 hours mid-way on highway, even if that place has a restaurant. Right?

Agreed Sir, MG has pitched the Comet as an "Urban Mobility Solution". I have been keeping records of the time and units I charge from the day I took delivery of my Comet. For 1 hour charging, the range increases by 36 kms. I travel from my residence at Dwarka to my office at Gurgaon everyday (one way distance is 40 kms). Maximum of the day, I am alone in the car, once in a while a colleague joins me. I carry a laptop bag to office. Apart from this, once in 3 months I visit my Uncle's place at Paschim Vihar (a distance of 13 kms one way), once in 4 months, I visit another Uncle who resides at Greater Noida (61 kms one way) - for both these visits my mother (senior citizen) accompanies me. The high seats of the Comet are really comfortable for her (keeping the ingress and egress in mind). Additionally, once in 6 months, I have to pick up my sister from the airport (she travels heavy), all her suitcases easily get swallowed at the rear with the rear seats folded. Use wise, it perfectly fits the 'need'.

Driving comfort
The light steering feel is a boon in cutting in and out of traffic jams at the notorious Gurgaon Delhi border. Also the small footprint helps further in tucking between vehicles. I am 55 years old, rarely do I cross 70 kmph - that too for a few minutes on the road which runs parallel to the Delhi airport boundary wall. Honestly I do not have the need for a boot and 2 extra doors. People having usage like what I have stated, its the perfect vehicle. Took delivery on 11th November and today its done 4416 kms. I am 6 feet one and a half inch tall. The car has ample leg room and I love the small steering wheel. Fit, finish and looks of the interiors are far superior than vehicles at a much higher price point. A feel good factor comes to my mind, when I check the Co2 saving I have done on the iSmart app. Add to this, the acceleration of an EV is addictive, I am pretty sure, I shall not be able to switch to EVs again. If all goes well, as it presently is, my next purchase too shall be an Ev for sure.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by herculesksp

Very valid point. I actually line up manhole covers in between the wheels and I always realise I should not be doing this.

Nothing wrong in lining up for manhole in between the front wheels, unless something pops up out of the manhole, as you pass by, overhead. But, if any two-wheeler is tailgating you (as do most riders), his front wheel would dunk right into that manhole. While riding a two-wheeler, if I'm behind a car, I make sure I ride behind the left wheel of a car ahead of me, for this very reason. Tailgating bikers get nasty surprises thrown at them from cars ahead of them.

Originally Posted by ALTIMAed

... Add to this, the acceleration of an EV is addictive, I am pretty sure, I shall not be able to switch to EVs again. If all goes well, as it presently is, my next purchase too shall be an Ev for sure.

Once an EVian, always an EVian. Good that you're enjoying your car. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. We all have differing requirements, budgets and taste. The worst thing that can happen with a car purchase, as with any other major purchase, is buyers' remorse. Big ticket purchases can't be undone without losing substantial amount.

[ALTIMAed]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

Nothing wrong in lining up for manhole in between the front wheels, unless something pops up out of the manhole, as you pass by, overhead. But, if any two-wheeler is tailgating you (as do most riders), his front wheel would dunk right into that manhole. While riding a two-wheeler, if I'm behind a car, I make sure I ride behind the left wheel of a car ahead of me, for this very reason. Tailgating bikers get nasty surprises thrown at them from cars ahead of them.



Once an EVian, always an EVian. Good that you're enjoying your car. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. We all have differing requirements, budgets and taste. The worst thing that can happen with a car purchase, as with any other major purchase, is buyers' remorse. Big ticket purchases can't be undone without losing substantial amount.

In agreement with you 100%. This is exactly the reason why the front line automobile sales force are taught how to do 'need analysis' before pitching a model variant, unfortunately they are under so much pressure to 'sell', all this goes down the drain and the customer lands up with something which he later regrets, unfortunately it cannot be undone. The sales force is also taught upsell / down sell / cross sell - but all this takes time and patience which unfortunately, again due to sale number pressure, the poor salesman, even if he has the best of intentions, end of the day, its the numbers that talk. Additionally, a particular sales person from dealer A would have done his best in customer handling / need analysis / product demonstration / test drive so on and so forth, he would be extremely presentable, fantastic product knowledge, but the customer, even for an additional 5000 rupees (or even less) shall switch to another dealership - this is the dirty reality. I have seen sales persons break down and cry when this happens!!! The customer on the other hand, shall not mind spending 5000 in fuel to go to an alternate dealership just for the additional discount. Kindly agree or disagree with me, but what am stating is the hard core reality

[rbk]

Some EV thoughts:

Just took delivery of the MG Comet 2 days ago. My first EV. And Just started exploring the little thing and it is quite a different sort of car I must say. There are some things in life which you very vehemently want to dislike at first but then you somehow succumb to its charm! The MG Comet is one such car. Let the days and months ahead prove me right (and maybe even redefine the concept of an Electric Car in my head).

The pictures attached in the post (of course not the Comet) were taken by me at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. This was about 14 years ago. I very particularly remember seeing the Nissan Leaf plugged into an electric power outlet and that was my first time actually seeing a full sized Electric Car. That too being charged from a power socket. It was quite a fascinating sight at that time, at least in India. I spent a long time looking at it.

We had the Maini Reva before, but well, there were too many things weird about the Reva at that time. This was also the same Auto Expo when Mahindra relaunched the Reva in a whole new avatar also shown in the post. It took roughly 14 years for Indians to slowly start adapting EV’s into our mainstream lifestyle. The fact that you can just drive by to the mall next door and plug in your car while you shop is quite exciting when you think about it.

I also got a chance recently to check out the Lucid Air on a visit to Saudi Arabia, and the thought of cars like this just is not available in our country kept haunting me. The car I felt was EV pinnacle.Sitting behind the wheels, knowing that this is a car that can put out 1100+ hp was plain exciting. But on the other hand the fact that the sub par charging infrastructure in India keeps such cars and buyers away was a depressing thought. Why do they get Teslas and Lucid’s but we don’t? Such a sad thought that is.

I also got a chance in the recent past to drive the Porsche Tycan 4S. The experience was literally jaw dropping! That drive kind of chanced the way I thought about electric cars up until that moment.

I hope the charging infrastructure in our country improves by leaps and bounds, potentially instilling confidence in car buyers to explore the avenue of performance Ev’s. The Comet for me would probably be like that little pink spoon of ice-cream you taste before ordering your Sundae at Baskin Robbins.

[callmeneo]

Does anybody feel that the accelerator and brake pedals a re placed a bit higher than usual cars?

When i test drove the Comet, i felt that my ankle angle when pressing the accelerator or brake was an awkward one and will start paining if driven for more than an hour in traffic.

Do not face the same in my Alcazar.

[SidTheChamp]

Originally Posted by cvkone1

Yes the Tiago Base Model doesn't have a flip key. It comes with a simple looking key I had with my Tata Manza with no remote lock/unlock facililtes. You need to turn the car on by turning the key.
The same is true for my Comet as well. The car doesn't have keyless entry and you need to turn the key around for it to start.

First of all congratulations for getting the Comet. I like Comet, the futuristic look EV. What's a EV if it's not a head turner , IMO. And you got the perfect car for your family's requirement.
One question, how do you start the car. Is it by pressing brake twice as mentioned in official review or you can start by turning the key

[cvkone1]

Originally Posted by SidTheChamp

First of all congratulations for getting the Comet. I like Comet, the futuristic look EV. What's a EV if it's not a head turner , IMO. And you got the perfect car for your family's requirement.
One question, how do you start the car. Is it by pressing brake twice as mentioned in official review or you can start by turning the key

Thanks!
To my knowledge that feature is reserved for the top variant. The base and the mid model has a flip key which you need to put in the ignition and turn the key like a conventional car, no push button start.

[Dippy]

Originally Posted by callmeneo

Does anybody feel that the accelerator and brake pedals a re placed a bit higher than usual cars?

When i test drove the Comet, i felt that my ankle angle when pressing the accelerator or brake was an awkward one and will start paining if driven for more than an hour in traffic.

Do not face the same in my Alcazar.

Yes I can certainly agree with this. I got my long termer Comet about 2 weeks ago and have been using it regularly. Im ok with the brake pedal but the accelerator pedal is surely placed high. In other cars it is usually at a level lower than the brake pedal.

[_DON_]

Originally Posted by cvkone1

After much deliberation and the offers given by MG, we brought home a White MG Comet Pace, delivered to us within two days of booking the car.

Congratulations on your purchase and wish you all the best for a nice experience.

Strangely, my question is not about the car itself. My plans are so matching yours in the sense of how you planned the EV. On reading your descriptions, I cannot help but ask you this :

Which Solar company have you signed up with? I have been hunting for a good one (and there are a lot to choose from with not much track record), but did not have any recommendations or history data to go with. But your experience of the solar looks really good

I get the point that Nagpur weather will have something to contribute to it, but looks you found a reliable product, so if you could please share which one, it may help others like me.

Thanks in advance
_DON_