It’s entirely possible that Santa Clause won’t be able to drop into your home this year. The smoke from our home/industry/vehicular chimneys would’ve made it difficult for him to spot what’s on the ground below. We’ve evidently stressed out our environment to detrimental levels. To address this, MG is launching its stress-buster for mother nature – the ZS EV. Can it take the shock out of electric car ownership?
If you were expecting the ZS EV to announce that it’s an electric vehicle, it doesn’t do so in design. It’s a big contrast to the MG Hector in that it’s not a very big car (road presence is similar to the Hyundai Creta) nor is its styling polarising. The only real gripe we have in the looks department are the tacky stickers on the front fenders that say “Electric”; they just look like fridge magnets.
Coming back to the size, it’s larger than the Kona on most counts, save for its wheelbase. However, while the Kona’s styling can be a bit loud for some, the ZS EV’s is cleaner and more European. Apart from the Aqua Blue colour you may have seen in MG’s promotions, you can also have it in red or white.
Features & Technology
The ZS EV makes Santa’s nice and naughty list. Nice – you do get a 6-way power adjustable driver seat, a smart-key with push button start, a 6-speaker music system, a panoramic sunroof and even a PM 2.5 air filter so you can breathe easier.
And yes, the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system (with Android Auto & Apple CarPlay) is smaller than the Hector’s (10.4-inch) but the new software it runs is noticeably smoother and is virtually lag free (rear camera feed had some delay). Like the Hector, you also get the iSmart internet linked connected car features and an added benefit of WiFi support. So if the integrated eSIM in the car drops network, you can use an external device (e.G. Your phone’s hotspot) to support web-linked services like the navigation, Gaana music streaming, Accuweather updates, etc.
Charging
Here’s a quick breakdown of the MG ZS EVs charging options vs the Kona Electric’s.
Kona EV
ZS EV
Charge Option 1
DC fast charger – 57 minutes for 80%
DC fast charger – 50 minutes for 80%
Charge Option 2
Home AC charger – 6hr 10mins for 100 per cent
Home AC charger – 6-8 hours for 100 per cent
Charge Option 3
Portable charger – Approximately 19 hours for 100 per cent
Portable charger – Approximately 19 hours for 100 per cent
Some points to note:
MG will setup DC fast chargers at many of its dealerships pan-India. These charge points will be setup in affiliation with Fortum and can be used by any electric vehicle (not exclusive to MG cars). To use it, you need to setup an account on the Fortum app and all payments will be managed through the app directly. As per MG’s analyses, an 80 per cent charge won’t cost you more than Rs 250-300!
One home AC charger (7.4kW) will be setup at your home/workplace by MG, the cost of which is included in the car’s price. This charger will come with a key card to activate the charger so no one else can use it. Hyundai does the same with a 7.2kW charger and in either case, this charge point cannot be moved. It is hardwired into your home/building’s wiring.
The charging gun locks to the car i.E. Once you plug the charger in, you must lock the car for the charger to work. Once locked, the gun cannot be removed unless the car is unlocked, so no need to hover around your car for security.
DC fast charging is recommended only once every 4-5 AC charge cycles. Frequent DC fast charger usage does reduce the battery’s life in the long run.
The portable charger can be plugged into any 15A plug point.
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