MG ZS EV charger: which one suits your car best?

The MG ZS EV charges at home at up to 6.6 kW. Its onboard charger runs on a single phase, which makes this electric SUV a typical single-phase car. A three-phase 11 kW charger does not make it faster. It makes it slower: the car takes only one of the three phases, so it drops to 3.7 kW. Do you want to compare across the wider range first? Then look at the overview of all MG EV chargers at Wallbox Discounter.

For the MG ZS EV we recommend a charger from our 7.4 kW EV chargers.

Charging specifications of the MG ZS EV

Why a single-phase charger is the smartest choice

The onboard charger of the MG ZS EV accepts alternating current on one phase only. An 11 kW three-phase charger delivers 3 x 16 A. Your car uses just one of those phases, so it drops back to 3.7 kW. On such a charger the ZS EV charges slower than it can, not faster. A single-phase 7.4 kW EV charger pulls the full 6.6 kW out of the car. That roughly halves the time you wait for a full battery.

The ZS EV has a Type 2 port, the European standard for alternating current charging. On the road at a public charge point you plug in with your own Type 2 charging cable. At home you use the fixed cable or the socket of the charger itself.

Which charger suits the MG ZS EV?

Start with the charging power. A single-phase 7.4 kW charger matches this car exactly, so that is where your shortlist begins. The second question is whether you want to see what your charging costs. That is what a MID meter does. MID stands for Measuring Instruments Directive, the European standard for meters whose readings you can rely on for billing.

Here we have to be straight with you. At 7.4 kW our range has no charger with a built-in MID meter. Every model that carries one starts at 11 kW, which you will find under our 11 kW EV chargers. You can see them all on our page with EV chargers with a MID meter. Stepping up to a three-phase 11 kW model does get you that meter. But it also slows this car down: 3.7 kW instead of 6.6 kW. You gain a meter and you lose almost half your charging speed.

There is a simpler route. Keep the 7.4 kW charger and add a separate certified kWh meter next to it. You then measure your home charging apart from your household use, so you know exactly what a full battery costs you. Ask your electrician to fit it while wiring up the charger.

Our full range of home EV chargers is a good place to start comparing. It runs from plain, no-frills units to EV chargers with an app that you set and monitor from your phone. Do you have solar panels? Then look at the chargers for solar surplus, which charge on the power you generate yourself. Both features are available at 7.4 kW, so you do not have to trade away charging speed for them.

How long does the MG ZS EV take to charge?

You work out a charging time by dividing the battery capacity by the charging power. On a 7.4 kW charger the MG ZS EV draws 6.6 kW, since that is its own ceiling. Divide 42.5 kWh by 6.6 kW and you land at roughly 6.5 hours. In practice you should count on about 7.5 hours. Part of the energy is lost as heat in the charger and the battery. Plug in when you get home and the car is full by morning.

Do you only have a 16 A single-phase connection? Then the car charges at 3.7 kW and a full session takes around 13.5 hours. For daily commuting that is still plenty. You rarely arrive home on an empty battery, so most overnight sessions are far shorter than a full charge. On a longer trip you skip the wait altogether. The ZS EV also takes DC fast charging through its CCS connector, the European standard for rapid charging along the motorway. That turns a top-up into a coffee break instead of a night.

Other MG models at Wallbox Discounter

Do you drive a different MG, or are you still comparing? Wallbox Discounter has charging advice for the other models too:

• MG MG4, charges at 11 kW across three phases
• All MG EV chargers, an overview per model and version

Frequently asked questions

Why does the MG ZS EV not charge faster on an 11 kW charger?

The onboard charger of the MG ZS EV works on one phase. An 11 kW charger spreads its power over three phases of 16 A each. The car draws from only one of them, which caps it at 3.7 kW. A single-phase 7.4 kW charger hands it the full 6.6 kW. So for this MG the 7.4 kW charger is simply the faster choice, and you are not paying for power the car cannot use.

Do I need an EV charger with a MID meter?

You need one if you want a certified reading of the electricity you charge at home. It keeps that figure separate from the rest of your household use, so you know what charging really costs. For the MG ZS EV there is a catch. A built-in MID meter only comes on chargers from 11 kW upwards, and that power level slows this single-phase car down. If the certified reading matters to you, a separate kWh meter alongside the charger is the better answer.

Should I have the charger installed by an electrician?

We always recommend it. A qualified electrician connects the charger safely, and your insurer will usually expect that too. Requirements differ from country to country, so check what applies where you live before you start. Wallbox Discounter arranges the installation in the Netherlands, Flemish Belgium and Germany, carried out by a certified partner. We ship worldwide, but installation is limited to those three countries.