MG Motor New Zealand is advising users to read the handbook for their ZS EV before charging it, to avoid an issue that has left a number of users stranded – including some hundreds of kilometres of home.
EVs and Beyond became aware of an issue with the vehicle’s software in December 2022, when parked at the ChargeNet Hypercharger in Taupo.
A new MG owner explained they plugged their vehicle in to charge and were met with a ‘functional limitation’ issue, with the car unable to be turned on or off or be put into drive.
The user called MG’s roadside assistance service which had the car towed to the Hamilton dealer, with the user then needing to stay at a motel at their own cost.
In the time since, we have become aware of a number of other occurrences of the same issue.
Then last week an EVs and Beyond team member, driving a test MG, experienced it again at the same Taupo charger. While we initially thought this was related to the Hyperchargers, we have come to understand it has also occurred at 50kW units.
We put the issue to MG Motor New Zealand, who explain the issue arises when the vehicle detects an issue in the charging process, though their belief is most cases are being triggered due to the vehicle being plugged in to charge in an ON state.
“There is a charging protocol associated with the ZS EV and, if not followed correctly, can result in a ‘functional limitation’ when owners have attempted to charge their vehicle,” the statement says.
“Vehicles can experience this ‘functional limitation’ as an inbuilt safety precaution when it detects a possible fault, either with the charger or the vehicle itself.
The statement goes on to say owners must turn off their car for at least ten seconds before initiating the charging sequence.
“As highlighted in the ZS EV owner manual, to avoid the ‘functional limitation’ occurring, drivers are advised to ensure their vehicle is fully shut down before initiating the charging procedure. The vehicle needs to be powered off and wait 10 seconds before charging commences.”
The need to turn an electric vehicle off for charging is not new. For example, the most common electric vehicle on the road in New Zealand, the Nissan Leaf, will only charge when switched off. The difference being is that with other models, the car will simply refuse to charge or provide a warning message.
It is not a requirement for Hyundai, Kia or BYD vehicles, while most others live in an ‘always on’ state. First generation ZS EVs do need to be switched off, but do not have an issue if this is forgotten, just a warning.
In its statement, MG doesn’t indicate if a fix is on the way for the issue, leaning more into it being a customer issue.
“In the event of a vehicle experiencing this ‘functional limitation’, a certified MG technician will be required to perform a system check to scan the vehicle for any faults. If none are found, it can be cleared and the vehicle can resume operation,” it says.
“We understand that in instances where this has occurred, it can be an inconvenience and we empathise with both drivers and their families. MG Motor NZ encourages owners to familiarise themselves with the above steps which are outlined in the ZS EV owner’s handbook.”
“Our dealership staff are trained to ensure we offer consistent quality at every step of the customer handover for both electric vehicles and ICE, including specific details about charging, care, features and functions.”
An MG spokesperson says a directive to tell customers to switch the car off has been sent out.
Owners we spoke to indicated they were not told at handover to switch off their cars to charge. The vast majority of EV users do however turn off their cars according to an informal poll we ran on the NZ EV Owners Facebook page – 78% indicating they do.
In the case of our team member, luckily a member of the industry was nearby and able to scan the vehicle of faults and clear the system, allowing the trip to continue.
