[Corvay]

Picked up my MG today and thanks to everyone posting the info on here has been most helpful.

The dealer was a lovely chap and suggested as I was getting a tethered unit I probably wouldn’t need a cable and if I did he had heard it was cheaper to buy one elsewhere. He did have a stack of cables so was happy for me to come back I think they were £160 if I remember right.

Since been to my local charge point and it needs a cable. There are a few other ones a bit further but I’m wondering if it’s worth investing in a cable and if 5m is long enough. Guessing it would be a type 2 to type 2 32amp I need. Would appreciate advice if anyone knows a good deal.

oh and for comedy value for some reason I got confused and forgot the one foot rule the second time I got into the car, scared the hell out of me and my family. The brake changes to emergency stop mode even with a light tap when you have the accelerator slightly depressed. Must have looked like a first time driver stop/starting up the road until I pulled over and realised what I had done.

 

[CasperStorm]

It's not emergency braking - it's "clutch foot braking" you experienced I suspect!

If you're used to driving manual cars your left foot needs re-educated before you can try 2-foot automatic driving (most of us use 1-foot driving anyway I expect).

You are right about the cable: type 2 -> type 2 32A will get you the max 7kW from 7+kW AC chargers.

I got a 3 phase cable via Webasto for £135 delivered - it's well made and slightly chunkier than a single phase cable, but is less flaccid and easier to coil than the single phase one my dealer supplied (for free - cheers Frasers of Falkirk)

It also comes with a natty carry bag made of Webasto sunroof fabric and handles made from seatbelt straps!

There is no technical benefit to a 3 phase cable other than if you get a subsequent EV that can charge at 11kW+ AC it will be of value - single phase 32A is limited to 7kW.

Webasto Charging

webasto-charging.com

 

[davesul]

I suggest looking at EV OneStop | EV charging Cables & Charging Stations - free delivery and can also request a zipped carry bag at a small additional price.

 

[CasperStorm]

4.5-5m cable is fine for most users.

If you need to reverse into charge bays (as can be the rules in some employers' car parks) you will need 7-10m cable length.

 

[Corvay]

Thanks cable from one stop arrived and first charge performed.

 

[Carty]

I had my cable from "One Stop".
Very pleased with the quality of this cable, excellent !..

 

[Graham toyn]

It's not emergency braking - it's "clutch foot braking" you experienced I suspect!

If you're used to driving manual cars your left foot needs re-educated before you can try 2-foot automatic driving (most of us use 1-foot driving anyway I expect).

You are right about the cable: type 2 -> type 2 32A will get you the max 7kW from 7+kW AC chargers.

I got a 3 phase cable via Webasto for £135 delivered - it's well made and slightly chunkier than a single phase cable, but is less flaccid and easier to coil than the single phase one my dealer supplied (for free - cheers Frasers of Falkirk)

It also comes with a natty carry bag made of Webasto sunroof fabric and handles made from seatbelt straps!

There is no technical benefit to a 3 phase cable other than if you get a subsequent EV that can charge at 11kW+ AC it will be of value - single phase 32A is limited to 7kW.

Webasto Charging

webasto-charging.com

I don't get it,I ordered my cable at the same time as I ordered my zs ev,along with the spare wheel kit and the carpets and boot liner.Yet some of you people have just spent £24.000 on a new car and you quible about saving a few quid on a charging cable .The cable I bought was the one recommended for the ZS ev £150 and it comes with a proper bag with the MG logo on it and there is plenty of room to put the granny cable in as well.Im quite satisfied with what I paid considering I saved £ 7.000 on the price of the new car and getting £500 from the olev grant.

 

[CasperStorm]

I like paying less for a superior product.

 

[Graham toyn]

I like paying less for a superior product.

What makes you think its more superior.

 

[Corvay]

My feeling is that anything that is needed for the day to day running of a car should come as standard. A charge cable isnt currently an optional extra nice to have. If all chargers came with a built in cable it would be different, but the first few weeks we tried without a charge cable and realised nearly all the local chargers needed them.

Anyone who has tried driving a car for any length of time without matts know that this a necessity, it’s long overdue that all manufacturers stopped treating this as an optional extra and just fitted as standard. When you consider the long list of ‘features’ a car come with yet free matts is considered an upgrade.

 

[Carty]

I do feel the Type 2 cable should come as standard.
It’s a little like providing a new ICE car with 5 gallon of fuel to help you on your way, then saying if you want to add additional fuel ( energy ) you have to purchase the locking cap key in order to continue on your way !.
Mats, mud flaps and window blinds etc are of a personal choice.
The car is fully usable without them, but not a means of making it drive you from A to B like a charging cable.

 

[Graham toyn]

I do feel the Type 2 cable should come as standard.
It’s a little like providing a new ICE car with 5 gallon of fuel to help you on your way, then saying if you want to add additional fuel ( energy ) you have to purchase the locking cap key in order to continue on your way !.
Mats, mud flaps and window blinds etc are of a personal choice.
The car is fully usable without them, but not a means of making it drive you from A to B like a charging cable.

You do get a cable with the MG zs ev, it's the three pin cable.when you buy an ice car you don't get a petrol pump thrown in.Besides that if you get the olev grant you get £500 towards your wall charger which can either be tethered or untethered it's your choice.

 

[Corvay]

That doesn’t help when you don’t have a drive or are trying to plug into a charger when you are away from home.

I‘m sure I am not the first person to arrive at a charge station and be surprised that I need a “special” cable to use it that was not supplied with the car. In the first week of owning an EV I tried 5 charge stations 4 needed a type 2 cable and one was a CCS...which was not working.

I assumed there would be a lot more tethered cables, but until there is really all manufacturers should provide one with the car.

 

[freddym]

You have got this all wrong. There won't be a time when all public chargers have a cable, the European std is to have a Mennekes socket.

It's also useless raging: just buy a cable and get on with it like most other EV owners.

 

[Graham toyn]

I do feel the Type 2 cable should come as standard.
It’s a little like providing a new ICE car with 5 gallon of fuel to help you on your way, then saying if you want to add additional fuel ( energy ) you have to purchase the locking cap key in order to continue on your way !.
Mats, mud flaps and window blinds etc are of a personal choice.
The car is fully usable without them, but not a means of making it drive you from A to B like a charging cable.

I don't know of any car dealership that gives 5gallons of fuel to see you on your way.May be 1gallon unless it was part of the deal when you buy the car.years ago I used to get a full tank of fuel and a bouquet of flowers for the wife not any more,as fuel is too expensive and eats into the dealers commission.

 

[Carty]

I don't know of any car dealership that gives 5gallons of fuel to see you on your way.May be 1gallon unless it was part of the deal when you buy the car.years ago I used to get a full tank of fuel and a bouquet of flowers for the wife not any more,as fuel is too expensive and eats into the dealers commission.

I have “bullied” a full tank of fuel ⛽ on the last three cars I have purchased !.
I was even offered it on the recent purchase of our ZS EV in January !..
That’s all I was offered OBTW.

 

[Corvay]

You have got this all wrong. There won't be a time when all public chargers have a cable, the European std is to have a Mennekes socket.

It's also useless raging: just buy a cable and get on with it like most other EV owners.

Ha, chill mate I’m not raging just mildly ranting about things that don’t make sense (to me). I bought a cable the first week as I realised it was a necessity. Just because it’s the way it is doesn’t mean it has to be.

I think all chargers will have cables eventually for convenience or some other method like induction charging if that ever becomes feasible. It may take another 10 years to standardise but I’m sure it will happen. Plugging in is currently a bit of a faff especially when it’s dark, cold and wet and the cable can get a bit dirty from muddy puddles. Not something I can see a Chelsea tractor driver ever wanting to partake in their commute to school, i can’t see there being a big market for an EV range rover until this problem is resolved.

 

[freddym]

Ha, chill mate I’m not raging just mildly ranting about things that don’t make sense (to me). I bought a cable the first week as I realised it was a necessity. Just because it’s the way it is doesn’t mean it has to be.

I think all chargers will have cables eventually for convenience or some other method like induction charging if that ever becomes feasible. It may take another 10 years to standardise but I’m sure it will happen. Plugging in is currently a bit of a faff especially when it’s dark, cold and wet and the cable can get a bit dirty from muddy puddles. Not something I can see a Chelsea tractor driver ever wanting to partake in their commute to school, i can’t see there being a big market for an EV range rover until this problem is resolved.
[/QUOTE

Yeah, some of the charging stuff is silly. Just different in the end. Then again, I looked under the bonnet of a modern diesel the other day How did we ever get to that state of sillyness.!

 

[freddym]

Just think of the crazy idea of getting a car serviced every year, hazzle of driving to a garage, getting back to work/life. With an EV, most of this should be eliminated or done remote diagnostics, simplified for self servicing eg air climate filter changes etc.
Cambelt changes, you must be crazy.

 

[Boatgeek]

A PHEV range rover already exists, I work on campus next to the National Automotive Innovation Centre and plugged in next to one the other day