A video has been going around on social media showing a TikTok user (Iman Kamil) wasting 3 hours just to charge his MG4 XPower EV. His video has accumulated over 1.3 million views and sparked debate about the practicality of using EVs for long-distance driving.
As usual, there’s a lot of negative reaction with many concluding that EVs don’t work for interstate drives. However, after watching the video, there are glaring rookie mistakes that could have been avoided with simple planning and mindset change.
MG4 Xpower user spent 3 hours at Gambang Westbound R&R to charge
@yes_iman Ni makan dia nak sangat pakai EV. Nak charge beratur. Kalau musim raya agak-agak berapa buah EV beratur? 1 kereta sejam cas, pishang🥵
♬ Funny – D'PROJECT
As shared by Iman, he arrived at the Gambang Westbound R&R station at 2.05pm and there were two Teslas at the location. He decided to wait in line for the two cars to finish before charging his EV.
Finally, after the second Tesla was done, he plugged in at 3.40pm and charged from 14-96% in a staggering 1 hour and 20 minutes. By the time he completed charging, it was already 5.00pm. In total, he spent about 3 hours at the station just to charge and obviously, most drivers would have reached Kuala Lumpur by then.
So what went wrong? And what we can learn from this situation?
Stop charging at 80%
The first mistake Iman made was to charge his EV to full, resulting in over 80 minutes of charge time. If you’re going to use DC fast charging, it is advisable to stop at 80% as the last 20% often takes a longer time than charging from 30-80%.
As shown in the example above with a Kia EV6, it takes only 12 minutes to charge from 37% to 80%, while 37% to 100% takes 38 minutes. That’s a whopping 26 minutes to charge the final 20% which is a waste of time and money.
The reason why this is happening is due to the charging curve. The higher the EV battery’s State of Charge (SoC), the slower charging rate it gets. As shown above, the MG4 XPower can get over 130kW of DC fast charging until somewhere around the 55% mark. Then starts to dip below 100kW at 60%, and eventually less than 50kW after 80%.
Look for EV charging locations with multiple nozzles
The second mistake Iman made was to rely on a 50kW charger with a single CCS2 nozzle. Not only this DC charger is slow for quick top-ups but the single nozzle means that the chance of it being unavailable or occupied is significantly higher.
Instead of charging at Gambang Westbound R&R which costs RM1.50 per kWh, he could have top up at Kuantan which has plenty of faster and cheaper DC charging options. This includes Starbucks Indera Mahkota Drive Thru which has a 60kW DC charger with two CCS2 nozzles and it costs RM1.20 per kWh.
Alternatively, there’s also Proton Pesat CTM which has a 120kW DC charger with two CCS2 nozzles and Proton 3S YS Autoworld with a 60kW DC Charger with two CCS2 nozzles. The chargers at these Proton dealerships are on the Gentari network and they are priced at RM1.50 per kWh.
If Iman had charged at these locations in Kuantan, he would have completed charging in less than an hour and reached Kuala Lumpur by 5.00pm. For a higher chance of available chargers, just look for EV charging locations with at least 2 nozzles or more. You can discover EV chargers around you using apps like Plugshare.
Drive within the speed limit
Obviously, EVs will consume more power if driven at higher speeds. The MG4 XPower is an insane electric hot hatch with twin motors pushing 320kW (429hp) and 600Nm of torque. It is capable of doing 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds, up to a top speed of 200km/h.
Equipped with a 64kWh battery, the MG4 XPower has a WLTP-rated range of 385km and it should be able to deliver anywhere between 300-350km in the real world depending on your driving style and situation.
However, as shown in the video, his EV showed an estimated range of just 229km at 96% charge which is barely enough to reach his intended destination. Take note that this estimated range is usually shown based on historical driving data and you’ll get less range if you’ve been driving less efficiently.
Before he plugged in to charge, there was a moment in the video where his instrument cluster showed some interesting stats. For his last drive, it recorded an appalling efficiency of 29.8kWh per 100km. It recorded a distance of 143.8km covered in just 1 hour and 12 minutes, which translates to an average speed of 120km/h! If he had driven his EV within a speed limit, he would have had more than enough range to spare to reach his destination.
Whether you’re driving an EV or petrol, your efficiency will suffer at higher speeds as the vehicle needs more energy to overcome wind resistance. The thing about EVs is that it is so effortless to drive fast especially when there’s a lack of engine sound and vibration. The power from the electric motor with its instant torque is very addictive and as the saying goes, great power comes with great responsibility.
If you want to get anywhere close to the advertised WLTP-rated range and maximise your EV’s usable mileage, drive sensibly within the speed limit. If you have an EV with sufficient range, you probably won’t even need to stop halfway to charge and be able to reach your destination on a single charge.
Mindset change when switching to an EV
Owning an EV is more than just buying a product as it requires a mindset change from your typical petrol or diesel vehicle ownership. It is an old habit to “pump full tank” each time we stop for petrol, but with an EV, you don’t need to charge to full all the time. Similarly, you don’t need to wait until your battery is low before charging your EV.
Similar to smartphones, you should top up your EV periodically even if it is at 30% or 50%. If you’re on a long-distance trip, you can always perform a quick battery top-up for 20-30 minutes while having a coffee or toilet break, then resume your journey.
Of course, there’s still a lot of room to improve when it comes to Malaysia’s EV infrastructure especially in the East Coast. However, you can get a seamless EV experience with some simple planning and the right approach to driving an EV. We’ve driven a BYD Seal Premium from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu during Raya Eve on a single charge and we have driven a Hyundai Ioniq 6 RWD from Taiping to Johor Bahru on a single charge as well.
@soyacincautiktok End of Terengganu to KL EV Roadtrip with GWM Ora 07 #ev #roadtrip #gwm #gwmora07 #ora07 #terengganu #kuantan #kl #soyacincautiktok #fyp #longervideos ♬ original sound – SoyaCincautiktok
Recently, we took the GWM Ora 07 Long Range on a road trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu on a single charge via Gua Musang with no range anxiety or charging issues. On the return trip from Kuala Terengganu to Kuala Lumpur, we had a lunch stop at Indera Mahkota in Kuantan while the Ora 07 was charged from 28-84% in about 45 minutes.
If you want a quick crash course about maximising your EV experience for long-distance driving, you can watch our EV guide below:
