David Martin drives a MG5 EV Exclusive Long Range 61kWh 2021 electric car.
This is David’s third electric car, he’s owned the MG5 EV from new and drives 10,000-15,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 5,000-10,000 miles and he achieves 220 miles range from a full charge.
Why did you choose the MG5 EV?
In 2021 I took my 40kW LEAF to Portugal via the Santander ferry and it was then I discovered its flaw, repeat rapid charging wasn’t possible. This added 3 hours to my trip! I went to Fully Charged Live in September 2021 intent on finding a better EV, suited to long trips and fully expecting to get a Kia e-Niro but it, along with many other EVs disappointed me with their small boots & harsh ride.
I drove the MG5 EV & ZS EV and I loved the MG5 EV so bought one a few days later by e-mail! I didn’t need to test drive it and the 6 week wait for an appointment to order it was telling. It has everything you need in a car if not everything you want.
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Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car
This is a car you can drive all day. I did 625 miles in one trip and got out relaxed, that says it all. Top reasons:
1 – A good sized estate car, good value, long range, does everything you need
2 – Rides very well, not harsh, only car my son isn’t travel sick in
3 – It gives you 95% of a £50k posh EV for half the price. I like good value for my money!
4 – It out charges many other EVs. I’ve had 92kWh at 50% charge, others have had 94kWh, so why only advertise 80kWh?
5 – Simple buttons, easy to operate, no fuss.
Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric car
1 – You need a towel on the seats in summer, hot & sticky!
2 – Needs a charge indicator/pre-heat timer/App – all fixed on the new model
3 – Infotainment system is a bit rubbish but Android Auto covers that.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
None
What are the standout technological features of your MG5 EV?
The MG5 EV is a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing! It has a very robust underpinning technology-wise making it a simple, long haul, durable car that clearly Taxi drivers love. It gets the range claimed in the summer without an issue, I get 220-230 out of 250 miles range on the motorway, not via mixed driving. 4.0 miles per kW are the norm in the summer months, I had to cruise fully loaded at 75-80 mph to get it down to 3.8kW, utterly amazing car.
It charges much faster than the quoted 80kWh at up to 94kWh and I have had 92kWh at 50% leaving some very expensive EV owners red faced when they question my use of 150kW+ chargers in a ‘cheap’ EV.
It shifts and yes I’ve driven many other EVs, overtaking struggling expensive German cars on mountain passes in the Pyrenees, passing powerful cars up long motorway drags when fully loaded, it’s a machine!
Its stand out features are that it delivers more than you expect and is very robust.
Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car
This is a basic, simple car but it has a spare wheel with enough space around it for cables etc. You could add a frunk, lots of space for one. It has a simple standard set of roof bars, any old rack fits. The boot is huge, 3 suitcases, box of 15 bottles of wine, bags of stuff, food etc it just goes in there and I didn’t even use the unmeasured space above the cover. In the back row of seats there’s a flat floor and 3 full seats with air vents and USB ports, more storage for each vacant seat.
The MG5 EV may have a few quirks but it sits on the motorway in adaptive cruise control steering itself fine, that’s standard not an extra as is collision avoidance even if it’s a bit sensitive at times.
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
I do not currently see anything available better than the MG5 other than the new updated MG5 that’s worth twice the cost.
Home charging unit – outline both positive & negative elements
myenergi zappi v1 – it has the ability to do smart charging using spare excess solar power in a variety of ways. It can work with Eddi to heat my hot water too, sharing the solar power. It has all sorts of smart apps to use cheap tariffs, have DNS control etc and is the Tesla of home charging. The negative side is that you have to do regular updates manually and it can be a bit moody on occasions but the helpline is outstanding when you need it.
Electricity supplier & tariff – outline both positive & negative elements
Octopus Go – the customer service is 2nd to none, I have been amazed at how outstanding it’s been and this alone prevents me from wanting to switch and would pay a premium for this if it wasn’t for the fact they are the cheapest for EV owners.
My 13p day/5p night tariff is ending soon and I will finally be hit by the painful new tariff at least with a 7.5p night rate to compensate. I have signed up via Ripple for a windmill with Octopus and that will counteract the price rises again returning me to cheaper rates. Thank you Octopus!
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
I have used many of the UK networks and more than a dozen in the EU over 6 years. In the UK, InstaVolt is always good and I have found Osprey good too. Pod Point has a soft spot for me due to their free & cheap charging, every Lidl helps! Gridserve is a pain simply because of regular queues and waits, then slow charge rates but I know they are getting better. MFG are also very good but like Shell & other petrol forecourts you need to add your registration in the shop to avoid a fine, utterly daft! Avoid Chargemaster/bp pulse and often Shell, they are poor in many cases.
Zunder in Spain is my absolute winner. I arrive, plug in and it automatically charges. Brilliant app too so you can monitor the charge in detail. I got 92.25kWh from these beasts and 33p/kW too. IONITY is good but very pricey, fast at 90kwh but often has a queue to access.
Insurer – outline both positive & negative elements
Direct Line – decent customer service and they cover EVs well but I’m not sure they actually understand what that means beyond a statement of intent.
Please itemise (in detail) where you’re saving money owning & running a MG5 EV
Monthly payments are £50 lower than LEAF, no deposit so capital cost to be lower than either LEAF so under 40p/mile. Still at 1p/mile so overall the cheapest of the 3 EVs to own. Insurance still lower due to safety features, no tax and no maintenance or MOT costs.
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