SAIC’s MG Motor brand will be launching its MG4 Electric compact electric car on European markets the fourth quarter of 2022. The company is now confirming the MG4’s technical data, as well as the MSP electric platform it is based upon.
The MG4 – and the almost identical MG Mulan version recently unveiled for China – is the first MG model based on the new MSP (Modular Scalable Platform) platform from parent company SAIC Motor. The particularly flat battery is initially available with 51 kWh or 64 kWh capacity and is said to enable a range of up to 450 kilometres according to WLTP. Further variants of the MG4 Electric are planned, as is an all-wheel drive.
In combination with the larger battery, the electric motor transmits a maximum power of 150 kW to the rear axle, with the battery version with 51 kWh it is 125 kW. MG has not yet confirmed the electric car’s charging power, or which cells are installed in the “One Pack” battery since both LFP and NCM cells are offered in other models.
MG is now revealing a few details about the new battery pack itself. Since the cells are arranged horizontally, the entire battery is only eleven centimetres high. Thanks to a high degree of integration and a new cooling system, not only the service life should be particularly high, but also the protection against thermal runaway.
The platform itself can map wheelbases between 2.65 and 3.10 metres with different body styles – from hatchbacks and notchbacks to SUVs and vans. MG Motor says that itis this flexibility that means the Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) can play a critical role in MG Motor’s growth strategy for Europe. MG does not revealed the wheelbase of the MG4, but it does name the other dimensions: the compact model is 4.29 metres long, 1.84 metres wide and 1.50 metres high.
In future, it will be possible to retrofit larger batteries in existing vehicles. “Under this design concept, theoretically, batteries ranging from 40 kWh to 150 kWh can be easily achieved,” says Zhu Jun, Deputy Chief Engineer of SAIC Motor. “It can meet the energy requirements of the A0 to D class models, providing users with flexible and diverse choices. Users can buy a small battery first, and then replace and upgrade when a longer range is needed.”
MG says the MSP architecture and related components are prepared for 800V technology: The drive unit with hairpin windings and oil cooling can also be upgraded from 400V to 800V to charge the battery even faster in the future.
Keyword: MG4 to launch in Europe by year’s end