[speedmiester]

Quick Summary:

This is an initial ownership review of my white MG ZS EV, which I have christened as Lightfury.
After spending little over a month with the ZS and clocking more than 3800Kms on my MG ZS EV, here is a quick summary of Positives and Negatives

Positives:

• Smooth silent vibration free driving experience
• Quick acceleration and sub 10sec 0-100 time means a lot of fun on the highways
• Full suite of safety features. This includes 6 airbags, TC, ESC, ABS, Blind spot monitoring and 3-point seatbelts for all passengers
• Long range of 350-400Kms even at good highway speeds makes it a competent highway car
• Excellent build quality with pleasant interiors.
• Long list of features including 360 camera, connected car technology, sunroof, cruise control, Bluetooth key, remote monitoring, selectable regen, music app etc
• Excellent coverage on warranty, service pack, RSA
• Full size spare wheel
• Negligible running and maintenance cost.

Negatives:

• Some important missing features for a car costing 27L, this includes steering reach adjustment, lumbar support, auto dimming IRVM, ventilated seats
• Softer suspension leads to bouncy ride on undulations at higher speeds
• Lack of Lumbar support mean that I cannot drive as long as my other cars without a break.
• Headlamps are adequate, but not great. Non availability of fog lamps only compounds the issue
• Minor irritants while using the touch screen infotainment system

First Road Trip


Background:

Though I consider myself a petrol head, I always had a soft corner for EVs. This started with a quick test drive of Reva-i in 2012. I was happy with the convenience of an automatic and the effortless drive on traffic clogged roads, but the negatives outweighed the positives and this was not the car for me. This didn’t stop me from following the EVs' journey across the globe, I always had a want than a need to buy an EV.

In the mean time, Mahindra bought Reva and launched E2O in 2013. Zoomcar then had a fleet of E2O for self drive rental, this gave me a chance to test the car for a longer time to convince myself on it’s utility as a city car. Even my wife loved the ease of driving E2O in city as she had just learnt driving. Though E2O was better than Reva in all aspects, the high initial cost was a downer and the plan to buy was put on the back burner. In Mid 2014, Mahindra started offering battery lease as an option to owing E2O which significantly reduced the initial purchase price and also offered peace of mind on the unknowns of owning an EV as any issue with the battery would be taken care of by Mahindra. In Oct 2014, took the plunge and bought the E2O with the battery lease option. This is the top variant but with lesser range of 80Kms, but range was a non-issue as it would be used strictly as a city car. We used the car for next 30months and covered around 22000kms before selling it

Positives:

• Quiet and effortless driving in the city
• Ridiculously low running cost.
• Zero maintenance cost, didn’t even spend a rupee for the three periodic services performed on the car
• Ease of parking
• Scratchproof and dentproof body

Negatives

• Build quality, a lot of issues with the body panels.
• Lack of well trained personnel for servicing the cars.
• High cost of spares.
• Stiff suspension offered a very bad ride. As a city car, this became a major problem as the Bangalore city roads compete with Moon’s craters.

With the E2O, I never worried about the range. We used it extensively within the city. The SOC and Range prediction was accurate and even with AC I always got 80Kms or more. There was no degradation of battery till the time I had the car. I decided to sell the car as the bad ride was affecting my then pregnant wife and lack of rear doors also made it an impractical car for us. I looked at exchanging it for E2O plus which came with 4 doors, but the new battery offered in it was worse than the one in the E2O in terms of regen and range. Even the eVerito was a big let-down. With no viable EV in the market, I had to put the EV plan on hold.


Launch of mainstream EVs:

I was keenly following the EV market and the news of Hyundai launching Kona in 2019 put my EV plans into focus again. I was at the dealership on the day of the launch and took a short test drive, I was very impressed with the Kona and this was an EV that can replace the ICE car. But I had moved to a new role which offered permanent WFH so it made no sense to buy an EV if I am not commuting. Also there was news of Tata launching Nexon EV at a lesser price and MG coming up with ZS which offered much better space then Kona. I prebooked both Nexon EV and MG ZS on the day of it’s launch. Test drove both Nexon EV and MG ZS early 2020. Found both to be competent EVs in spite of few negatives. I was more inclined towards ZS as it offered more space and I could do Bangalore-Mysore-Bangalore in a single charge (which accounts for 70-75% of the yearly 25K Kms I drive). By the time, I made up my mind and convinced my family on MG, covid was making inroads into India and it was time to be cautious. The lockdown and associated pandemic issues put all car purchase decisions on hold.

2022 and the new car itch begins:

There was absolutely no need for us to buy a new car as our two cars were doing their duty without any hiccups. The itch to upgrade was always there, I was only interested in pre-owned cars if going for an ICE car upgrade, but the used cars are no longer VFM as it’s a seller’s market out there
The news of extended range versions of Nexon and MG ZS also kept the EV bug firmly planted in my head. I had booked both Nexon EV max and MG ZS EV much before the launch.
My heart was set towards Nexon EV max, but my family liked the larger ZS. It also made sense as ZS came with a larger battery and full suite of safety features. It helped that the ZS was available earlier to Nexon EV max.

Booking and Delivery Experience:

I booked the ZS at MG Motors Electronics City branch. Booking and other formalities were smooth and found no issues there. Only issue I faced was when the dealership insisted on paying full for the car to be allocated. I was assured that if there are any issues in the car, there will be full refund or another car will be allocated. Though the dealership insisted on getting their own insurance, I pushed back on it with the quote I received from the market. Finally, they relented and I saved 40K just on insurance. In term of accessories, I only opted for 3d mats and mudflaps.
The car was in Bangalore in the first week of July, but I wanted to take delivery on my Father's birthday. So I did my PDI and gave consent to registration closer to delivery date
I would rate the booking and delivery experience as 4.5/5.

Delivery Day


About the Car:

Exterior:

Since the official review covers this part very well, I will let the pics do the talking
The front is dominated by the big grill, which is body colored, which also houses the charging port. The front camera is located below the MG logo.



The side profile is nearly identical to the earlier version. Changes include chrome on all door handles and the wheel caps over the alloy wheels which aids aero. Door request sensors are available on both Driver and Passenger side.



Chrome Door Handles with request sensor


Alloys with Aero Wheel caps


Front three quarter view



Rear three quarter view



The rear of the car has a few changes. This includes the LED rear lamps that is similar to Astor. The bottom part of the bumper has redesigned reflector elements. The number plate housing is now body colored. The rear wiper arm also houses the washer unit



Rear lamps


Only one rear fog lamp on the right side.


Headlamps are LED with DRLs.

LED DRLs


Headlamp in action


The ORVMs house the cameras for 360 view and the mirror has blind spot monitoring lights. They flash if you use indicators when the system detects a vehicle in the blind spot. Very useful in the rains and in low light conditions



360 degree camera


Tyres are Michelin branded 215/55 R17 profile, earlier version had 215/50 R17 profile. These are low resistance tyres. The recommended air pressure is 41PSI, strangely I have not noticed any harshness in the ride. These are imported from China and cost of whopping 22K per tyre as per the service advisor.


The shark fin antenna is coloured black. Roof rails is standard and so is the sunroof.


Ground clearance is 177mm which is adequate. The underbody is flat and well protected.


Charging ports with redesigned flaps. The earlier one had rubber cover, the new ones have a spring loaded mechanism to open the flaps.

[speedmiester]

Interiors:

The interiors have major changes compared to the earlier version.

The flat bottom steering is of perfect size and a delight to hold. Horn pad is little hard to press. Horn is quite loud. Steering is adjustable only for height. There is no reach adjustment mechanism, not good MG



The left side of the steering wheel houses the volume control and playback buttons. The source selection and call receive button is on the bottom part. A long press on the call button cancels the call.



The right side of the steering has the MID control buttons. The bottom part contains the iCall and voice assistant activation button.
Pressing the iCall button will send a request for a callback from the MG support. MG support will call you continuously till you answer the call even if this button is pressed accidentally.



Light controls are on the left side stalk. Auto headlamps is offered. Quality of stalks could be better.



Cruise control is stalk is placed below.



Wiper control is on the right. Auto wipers is available, but with questionable sensitivity. I have ended up using the wipers manually most of the times.



The headlamp leveller and the ORVM control button are on the right side of the dashboard.



Throttle, brake and a useful dead pedal.



The start/stop button.



Driver side door pads houses the power window control. All windows have auto down option, but only the driver side has the auto up feature. The power window switches are illuminated.
The door lock switch is next to the driver side handle. Doors are auto locked above 20Kms.All doors have armrest with soft padding. One litre bottle and few items can be stored.





Driver’s seat is electrically adjustable



Rear seats are strictly for 2 adults and a child. Good thing is that the car seat can be installed in the middle of rear seat as it has 3 point seat belt. This makes it little easier for the two adults to sit with the child seat.
Ingress and Egress is easy. My mother found it easier to get into the ZS compared to the Nexon EV Max. Rear seats get adjustable headrests and 3 point seatbelts for all passengers.





Rear seat armrest with cupholders, this is a new addition.



Front seats have storage pockets behind them.



Rear AC vents are new addition, the volume of airflow is not sufficient



Bootspace is sufficient for our requirements. Can easily carry luggage for week’s trip.



Spare tyre in it’s usual space. It’s shod on a steel wheel and is a full size spare wheel.



Front seat armrest



Glovebox is of medium size, no cooling vent.



Wireless charging and 12V socket. 12V socket. A total of 5 USB ports are provided in the car. One USB C and USB A port besides the 12V socket. Both of these can be used for playing media from USB drives, but only the USB A supports Android Auto/carplay One USB A socket for the dashcam housed in the sensor module. One each of USB C and USB A in the rear below the AC vents



Gear selector. Driving mode, selectable regen and battery information buttons. Below the gear selector is the Electronic parking brake and auto hold button. Switching off the car applies the EPB automatically. Auto hold works only if the seatbelt is worn by the driver.



No seat belt height adjustment offered.



Physical buttons for accessing Home screen, volume and AC control. A long press is needed to switch on/off the AC



Sunroof control, Bluetooth mic and light controls are on the top. The lights fail to provide any illumination for people in the rear seats. Separate buttons for sunroof cover and the sunroof.



Panoramic Sunroof. My wife and kid love the sunroof. The wind deflector is very useful in reducing air draft inside the car with the sunroof open

[speedmiester]

MID:

The 2022 ZS offers digital MID compared to the analogue one offered in the previous version. This adds to the appeal of ZS as an EV.
On the left is the Speedometer with digital readout and a graph while on the right you find the dial to show the percentage of power utilised.
In the middle, you have information on power delivery animation with Motor RPM and battery voltage information.
Bottom part of the MID has the ODO, battery SOC, range, driving mode, current gear and regen.
Seatbelt warning chimes is provided for all seats and is a very useful feature in making people always wear the seat belts. An important feature which needs to be included in every car.



TPMS and aux battery voltage information. Tyre pressure is a high 41PSI, but not found any issues with it. This screen also shows service reminder and information on any fault.



The third screen is used to control the brightness of the MID.



Infotainment system:

The 2022 MG ZS comes with an updated infotainment system. This is 10” unit. It has an embedded 4G sim from Jio for connectivity features.



MG offers inbuilt navigation from MapMyIndia. It offers live traffic information and has data of most charging stations, but not fully updated. During navigation, it also shows charging stations enroute and also estimated battery SOC left on arrival at the destination, this is quite accurate and is useful in planning longer drives.



One can choose from the following music sources. Sound quality is decent, no complaints from my end.



No numbers while changing volume, just a pointer on a volume bar.



Jio Saavn premium subscription is included. This is free for the first three years.



While most of the AC function can be operated using physical buttons, we need to use the AC control screen for changing airflow settings, auto AC mode and the air recirculation settings. AC performance is muted in ECO mode and is a chiller in Normal and Sport mode.



Options for selecting various driver assists.



360 degree camera display is turned on automatically when using indicators and at speeds less than 15Kms. The resolution of the video could have been better. One can toggle between 2D/3D rendering on the display.

[speedmiester]

Driving Experience:

One word: Excellent

I did enough research on the possibility of having the ZS EV replace my current ICE car and be my primary car. So far I am not disappointed. Though I have a backup car, since the time I have got the ZS, the other car has been driven for less than 200Kms.

I have completed 3800Kms on it which includes a 1200Kms drive to Hyderabad on office work and a 500+kms drive to a temple atop a hill and about 4 highway drives between Bangalore and Mysore.

I usually drive in Eco/Normal Mode depending on the need for AC. The availability of torque even at low speeds makes it a sprinter and a comfortable highway cruiser. The lack of vibration and noise makes driving a pleasure. Sports mode turns the ZS into a beast, but I have not felt the need for it often.

Power is always available on tap, even in the eco mode there is no dullness in acceleration if you put your foot down, overtakes are taken care with just a little prod on the throttle pedal.

Lack of gears means the acceleration is smooth and one doesn’t feel the speeds if you are gentle on the throttle. The car picks up speed quickly and you will be hearing the speed warning of 80KMPH quite often. The top speed is rated at 176KMPH, this can be achieved in sports mode, this number is lower in Eco and Normal mode with Eco mode losing steam at 138KMPH and Normal at about 152KMPH.

Speeds above 100KMPH have an adverse effect on the range. Best is to cruise between 80-100KMPH, this helps my case as I drive within this range and I focus on average speeds than top speed. It also helps that I do most of my driving at off peak hours which helps in maintaining higher average speeds. On the drive back to Bangalore from Hyderabad, I averaged 65KMPH and covered the distance in less than 9 hours. This doesn’t include a 90 minutes break for an early dinner and to charge the car.

The car always starts on Normal mode, the rotary gear selector is used for selecting D, N or R. Electronic parking brake gets disengaged once the drive gear is selected. With Auto hold on, you need to provide throttle input to get the car going. It is recommended to use Auto Hold or move the gear to N while stopping at Traffic signal, else the battery will continuously send power to the motor which can reduce range unnecessarily.

I use Eco mode in the city with regen level at 2 or 3, this gives me the best drive experience. I switch to Normal mode only if need more cooling from the AC. Sports mode is best left for open highways as it will not result in a smoother drive.

On the highways, it’s a mix of Eco and Normal modes again depending on the need for AC cooling. I drive it just like any regular car at speeds between 80-100KMPH and with AC. I am getting the indicated range as per the MID. Have not faced any range anxiety as there are plenty of charging options available.

Braking is excellent and surefooted aided by all wheel disc brakes and regen braking.

I am happy with the Build quality. No rattles heard even on the worse roads.
Steering is effortless and weighs up nicely at higher speeds. No complaints there.

I found the suspension to be on the softer side compared to my earlier cars. This helps in slow speed drives, but at higher speeds this induces more body roll and higher vertical movement.

Ride comfort is good, but the handling could be better. The low resistance tyres doesn’t inspire much confidence in the corners, but do their job well for what they are designed for.

2022 MG ZS comes with ACC unlike it’s predecessor, cooling is excellent in Normal and Sports mode, it’s performance is subdued in Eco mode to maximise range. If you are driving in Eco mode, it is best to choose a lower temperature. It also comes with PM 2.5 filter for air purification. Unlike ICE car, even using blower without switching on the AC has an impact on range.

Drive modes and Range:

Eco Mode: A conservative map which dulls throttle response and reduces AC efficiency to maximise range. This mode is a sufficient for majority of the drives unless higher AC cooling is required. Top speed in this mode is also restricted.

Normal Mode: A balanced mode offering the best of economy and power. Since the car always starts in this mode, I end up using it more often than required.

Sports Mode: An aggressive map and is best suited for spirited driving on the highways. Even a slight throttle input is reflected in good speed numbers. Not recommended for city usage. Range reduces drastically in this mode.

Range:

MG claims a range of 461Kms, this is optimistic but feasible even while maintaining speeds around 70-80Kmph.
Range offered in different modes.



On each percentage drop I am averaging a distance between 3.6Kms-4.2Kms. The best I have got is 5.2Kms per percentage drop over 165Kms and the worst is 3Kms. This equates to a number of 10.2Km/KWH and 6.1Km/KWH on the MID. In terms of range, this is equivalent of 300-490Kms on a single charge.

Regenerative Braking:

MG ZS EV offers three selectable regenerative braking options, level 1, 2 and 3. There is no option to switch this off.

I drive with level 3 regen as it enables me to drive using just one pedal. This also helps in recuperating max energy into the battery. Best suited for highways with high traffic density as you will be braking more often. The braking offered is similar to engine braking in 3rd gear in a ICE car. One can feel the inherent resistance offered by the motor while driving in this mode.

Level 2 regen is in between. This is best suited for open highways.

Level 1 offers least resistance. Good for coasting on expressways with minimal traffic.

Using level 3 regen, the cars decelerate without braking from 80Kmph to 30kmph in about 150M. It is particularly helpful while approaching junctions on highways. This distance increases to about 250M and 400M in Level 2 and Level 1 respectively.

Word of caution from personal experience: If you are used to driving with level 3 regen, be very careful when switched over to level 1, the braking effort required is significantly high and can catch you off guard.

[speedmiester]

MG iSmart app:

With the MG’s iSmart app, one can monitor and control few functions of the ZS remotely. This is linked to VIN of the car and the customer mobile number.

The main screen shows the vehicle status, which keeps a tab on 8 items.
Other functionalities include an option to switch on and off AC, send travel co-ordinates to inbuilt maps, geofencing, monitor charging and drive statistics.

You can also use the app as a digital key in lieu of physical one

Charging:

MG ZS EV supports CCS2 DC fast charging at 50KW which can charge the car from 0-80% in about an hour. The type 2 AC charger that comes with the car is rated at 7.4KW which can fully charge the car in about 9Hrs. The portable charger slow charges at 2.2KW and takes a mammoth 20+ hours for a full charge. It is recommended to slow charge for at least 9 hrs in a month and do a full equalisation charge to balance all the cells in the battery.

So far I am using only the portable charger at home, this is sufficient for my needs. Our apartment association are in talks to install EV fast charging points within our premises, so I have decided not to install the type 2 AC charger yet.

Portable charger is well built and comes in a handy bag of good quality



Fast Charging Network:

The fast charging network is growing at a rapid rate. There are fast chargers along major highways and in most cities.

There are many private and public fast charging service providers. Plugshare.com offers a comprehensive list of charging infrastructure across the world include India, this is a must have app for all EV owners.

There are several EV charging infrastructure providers. This includes Zeon, Statiq, Tata Power, Fortum, Jio BP Pulse, Adani Gas, Chargezone, Chargegrid, Relux, Lion Charge etc. Each one have their own app and most of them have similar user interface. Cost of charging varies from 15Rs/KWH to 24Rs/KWH.

I have used fast charging 5 times so far. First two were within two days of delivery, one each with Statiq and Zeon. The last 3 were during my trip to Hyderabad, twice with Tata Power and one with Chargezone. The experience has been great so far. With each passing day, the number of fast charging network are increasing.

First Service Experience:

The First service checkup is at 1000kms or one month.

I got to this number in under 8 days of delivery. Fixed up an appointment and was at the service centre next day. Job card was opened on time, since there was a software update it took a longer time to get back the car. It’s a thorough check of electric drivetrain elements. Got the car back in about 5 hours. It took a longer time as there was a software update.

Overall experience is very good. Hopefully this experience continuous throughout the ownership.


First 1000+kms drive: Bangalore-Hyderabad-Bangalore

Though I had driven for over 2500Kms primarily on highways, I never had to worry about charging or range as they were primarily between Bangalore and Mysore. I had slow charging option at both these places, also I can easily do this round trip on a single charge.

I had to travel to Hyderabad for personal and official work. Though I could have taken a flight, I opted to drive down as it gives me an opportunity to experience a longer drive. There are about 10 fast chargers between Bangalore and Hyderabad, but only 6 were functional. Since I wanted to minimise the number of fast charging cycles, I opted to do a one longer stop for charging rather than two quicker stops.

The charging stations opted was Tata’s fast charging station at Blue Moon Hotel which is located 268Kms from my residence in Bangalore. This is a 25KW station and has a higher rating on Plugshare for reliability.

I left Bangalore at 3:20AM on a full charge. I was restricted to speeds under 80KMPH as there was heavy rains till the first charging stop. I reached the charging point at 7:50AM. SOC was at 37% with about 165Kms range left.
I put the car to charge and had a quick breakfast. Charged till 95% which took about 1 hr 15mins.

The next leg of the drive was 313kms to my hotel. This was uneventful, the rains had subsided, and I could average a 62Kmph over this distance. Reached my hotel with 18% charge left.

The total time taken was just under 11hrs, this included a driving time of 9 hrs 32 mins.

The next day, I charged at a nearby 30KW fast charger offered by Chargezone. Took 1 hr 25mins for a full charge to 100%.

For the return leg, again I opted for a one stopper at the same charging station. Left Hyderabad at 1:15PM and reached the charging station at 6:05PM. SOC was at 24%. I charged till 84% which took about 1hr 20mins. Reached home with 8% SOC left.

The total driving time for the return leg was 8hrs 52 mins, avg speed over the distance is 65KMPH.

I had kept backup options should one of the charging stations malfunctioned or was under use, but it was unnecessary during this drive.
Total cost of charging: Rs. 2084/-

• Onwards: Rs. 575Rs for 30.2KW
• At Hyderabad: Rs 909 for 42KW
• Return: Rs. 600 for 32KW

A similar drive in my earlier car would have costed me around Rs 5000/- in diesel.

At a fast charging station in Hyderabad



Modifications:

Got the car debadged and dechromed the MG logo. Also got Gloss black wrap for the ORVMs.
I like the clean look at the rear especially after removing the ugly Internet Inside badge.






I plan on using the ZS as my primary car and will be undertaking more road trips in the coming months.

EV’s has come a long way and today they are on the cusp of replacing the ICE cars. The next few years will be transformative in the EV space and I look forward to the new future of Petrolheads (Voltheads)

Parting Shot

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today . Congrats on buying the best mainstream EV on sale in India. SAIC-MG have a ton of experience with EVs and it sure shows in just how "sorted" the ZS EV is. Wishing you a minimum of 150,000 km with your EV & many fun road-trips.

[BhayanaV]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

MG iSmart app:

Total cost of charging: Rs. 2084/-

• Onwards: Rs. 575Rs for 30.2KW
• At Hyderabad: Rs 909 for 42KW
• Return: Rs. 600 for 32KW

A similar drive in my earlier car would have costed me around Rs 5000/- in diesel.


Attachment 2355268

The number seems to be off. you drove 581 km one way, don't think fuel cost will be 5,000 in a diesel car for 1162 km.

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by BhayanaV

The number seems to be off. you drove 581 km one way, don't think fuel cost will be 5,000 in a diesel car for 1162 km.

The total distance travelled for the entire trip is 1238Kms, this included driving within Hyderabad as well.
So considering a FE of 21KMPL, diesel cost would be around 5200/- @88Rs/litre

[RROD]

Appreciate sharing this.
Will definitely help people on the fence like myself.
I have been looking to upgrade from my S-Cross for over a year now, but haven’t been able to finalise on the car because of other priorities which keep coming up.

I have not yet considered an EV yet , primarily because
* Range anxiety .
* The planning overhead when heading out for the long drive.
* Few in my circle have warned me against buying an EV.

[BhayanaV]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

The total distance travelled for the entire trip is 1238Kms, this included driving within Hyderabad as well.
So considering a FE of 21KMPL, diesel cost would be around 5200/- @88Rs/litre

FE of 21 KMPL is in very few cars, hence asked. Though i drive a diesel ecosport and get a FE of 20+

[CLS_06]

Congrats on your new buy...EV's are becoming mainstream really fast.
wish you many many kilometers of happy motoring.

[Actuator]

Congrats on your new MG EV, the debadging mod works quite well in lending a clean- minimalist look along with the wrapped ORVMs. You have compiled an insightful ownership review which delves nicely into the specifics of owning an EV.

Is there a way of ascertaining the overall battery health in either the car or the app, like the number of charging cycles and other such metrics?

What is the battery attrition rate when the vehicle is stationary with the Aircon On, such as in a traffic snarl?

Would appreciate your response the aforementioned queries…thanks!

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by Actuator

Congrats on your new MG EV, the debadging mod works quite well in lending a clean- minimalist look along with the wrapped ORVMs. You have compiled an insightful ownership review which delves nicely into the specifics of owning an EV.

Is there a way of ascertaining the overall battery health in either the car or the app, like the number of charging cycles and other such metrics?

What is the battery attrition rate when the vehicle is stationary with the Aircon On, such as in a traffic snarl?

Would appreciate your response the aforementioned queries…thanks!

Regarding battery health, MG mentions a degradation of 3% every year. This again depends on the driving conditions, charging cycles, slow vs fast charging etc. Frequent driving with heavy foot will also have an adverse effect on the battery.
As of now, battery health cannot be monitored through app. MG Service centers will be able to do a battery health checkup.

Using AC will consume about 1% charge per hour, that's about 500w/hour.

[SanSabh]

Congratulations for being an early adopter, speedmiester!

The factor I found most interesting in your exhaustive analysis is the commercial recharge costing, varying from 18/- to 22/- per KWh

It seems to me that these figures are probably the most important to watch when extrapolating for widespread adoption of EVs. The fact is that most people do not and will not have the luxury of a secure power outlet where they park for the night

A simple real, present example is an apartment complex I personally am aware of, where the MC has tightened its collective sphincter regarding installation of individual points in the basement parking, instead of looking at it as a problem to solve constructively and creatively. Providing 5 points outside is not a solution

So the real world cost of running an EV is going to have to factor in this commercial cost for most people, along with

1) Plus : Lost investment opportunity cost for the initial higher price, even with tax incentives
2) Plus : Excess insurance cost
3) Minus : Less maintenance required
Other really long term costs ignored

All things considered, my impression is that EVs will turn out to be only marginally lower cost, but AWESOME !

[Rada]

Thank you for a wonderful, in-depth review and ownership experience of the MG ZS EV.

Both of us must have taken delivery of our respective vehicles at around the same time. I got mine during middle of July, after waiting for almost 7 months. My ZS is also a white one, by the way. Have done only around 1200 km during the first month. For my kind of city driving, it is enough if I slow charge once a week using the portable 2.2 KW charger. Have done only one DC fast charging so far (Zion. 25KW)

Cannot add anything more to your comprehensive review. To all those EV sceptics out there, I have only one thing to say : test drive the car, do some research of your own about the burgeoning EV charging infrastructure and simply go for it!

It is a delightful vehicle to drive and will give you an entirely new driving experience!