Alex and Jim swap travel-and-man-flu stories before diving into a packed EV/tech roundup from MG and Chang’an events in Germany/UK. The headline is MG’s new “conventionally” solid-state battery approach: less liquid, better cold/heat behavior, and potentially improved efficiency/range—though Jim worries real-world winter range may still be tricky. They also cover MG’s hybrid update (3-cylinder, turbo + electric turbo, different gearbox strategy), rapid over-the-air fixes, and even electric aviation and charging networks. The rest shifts to EV vans, Lucid/Rivian UK hopes, and plug-in hybrid realities.
Jim and Alex discuss their recent trip to Frankfurt where they saw what MG is up to with semi-solid state batteries. Also, they both have come down with man-flu and discuss electric vans and pickup trucks as well as the new Changan Deepal S05.
"But yeah, we went to Germany to go, we went with MG to go and see, it was basically like a conference and they were talking about their new battery tech... semi-solid state seems to actually be here... and solid state to come."
Solid-state batteries use a solid material inside instead of liquid. That can help the battery work better in cold weather and may improve performance, but it still has to prove itself in everyday driving.
A solid-state battery replaces the liquid electrolyte with a solid electrolyte. This can reduce issues like freezing and may enable better energy density and charging behavior, though real-world results depend on the final design and thermal management.
"Yeah. Yeah. And, um, I was with Changen yesterday and they've, they've got some kind of project on the CATL. They get their batteries from CATL and they said they're currently testing, um, sodium ion batteries and then solid state to come."
CATL is a major company that makes EV batteries. In this episode, they’re mentioned as the supplier behind the battery tech MG is talking about.
CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology) is one of the world’s largest EV battery manufacturers. The episode discusses MG’s supply chain and CATL’s role in testing sodium-ion and solid-state directions.
"...it has the same energy density as normal LFP batteries, but the biggest difference is because it has less liquid..."
Energy density is basically “how much battery energy you get.” Higher energy density can mean more range without adding as much weight.
Energy density is how much energy a battery can store relative to its size or weight. The episode discusses energy density comparisons between the new battery approach and conventional LFP, and how that could translate into range and efficiency.
"...it has the same energy density as normal LFP batteries, but the biggest difference is because it has less liquid..."
LFP is a common type of EV battery chemistry. It’s generally known for being safer and lasting a long time, and the episode compares the new battery’s performance to LFP.
LFP stands for lithium iron phosphate, a common lithium-ion battery chemistry known for good safety and long cycle life. The episode compares the new semi-solid/solid-state approach to LFP’s energy density and how reduced liquid content could improve cold-weather behavior.
"...for me, like the thermal management with MG has been an issue and real world range in the winter on MG's in particular..."
Thermal management is how the car keeps the battery at the right temperature. In cold weather, if the battery can’t warm up quickly, you often lose range and charging speed.
Thermal management is the system that heats and cools the battery (and sometimes the motor/inverter) to keep it in an optimal operating range. The episode connects thermal management to winter range and fast-charging performance, since batteries often deliver less power when cold.
"...because they were sort of Toyota and how they use CVTs or ECVTs, but Europeans don't like them."
Toyota is mentioned because it’s known for using CVT-style transmissions in some hybrids. The hosts say Europeans tend to dislike that feel, so MG is choosing something else.
Toyota is referenced as an example of a manufacturer that uses CVTs/ECVTs in its hybrid systems. The episode uses this to explain why MG’s hybrid transmission strategy is being reconsidered for European preferences.
"someone noticed that, you know, the speed limit sort of indicator that's on the, the head up display. [519.7s] ⁓ it flashes when you go over the, over the limit"
A head-up display shows important info on the windshield. So you can keep your eyes on the road while still seeing things like speed warnings.
A head-up display (HUD) projects key information—like speed limit warnings—onto the windshield so you can see it without looking down at the instrument cluster. In EVs and modern cars, HUDs are often tied into navigation and driver-assistance systems.
"Over air update. And they said that the customers won't even be aware that it's updated. Yeah. That's good."
It’s like updating your phone, but for the car. The car gets new software over the internet, so you don’t have to take it to a shop just to change settings.
An over-the-air (OTA) update is software sent to a car wirelessly, without a dealer visit. It’s commonly used to fix bugs, adjust features, or update vehicle systems after purchase.
"I didn't even look at the energy consumption, like real world range, because I just didn't drive the car for long enough."
Real-world range is the distance you can really expect to drive in normal use. It can be different from the advertised range because real driving isn’t the same as testing.
Real-world range is how far an EV actually goes under everyday conditions, which can differ from official test-cycle numbers. Factors include driving style, speed, temperature, terrain, and whether you’re doing repeated acceleration/braking.
"There's only one trim level. You can have a black interior or this quite funky orange interior, which is a no cost option."
A trim level is the version of the car you buy, like what features it includes. Fewer trim levels can make shopping simpler, but it also limits how you can customize.
A trim level is a specific configuration of a car that bundles equipment and options. The speaker discusses having only one trim level and then lists a few no-cost/paid options, which affects how buyers compare value.
"...and a tow bar, which is either 600 or 800 quid."
A tow bar is the hitch hardware used to tow trailers or carry items on a tow-mounted rack. The transcript’s mention of tow bar pricing shows how towing capability is handled as an optional add-on.
"You can have a black interior or this quite funky orange interior, which is a no cost option."
A “no cost option” means you can choose a feature without paying extra. They’re pointing out which interior color is free to pick.
A “no cost option” is an add-on feature that doesn’t increase the vehicle’s base price. In this segment, the speaker uses it to explain how the car’s limited option strategy works.
"And the only options are the glass roof, which is a grand and a tow bar, which is either 600 or 800 quid."
A glass roof is a roof section made of glass, usually letting in more light. They’re saying it costs extra on this car.
A glass roof (often a panoramic sunroof) is a roof panel that lets in more light and can improve the cabin’s feel. The speaker notes it as a paid option, which is relevant to how the car’s pricing is structured.
"37, 990 for the rear wheel drive, 39, 990 for the all wheel drive."
All-wheel drive means the car powers more than just the rear wheels. It can help the car grip better, especially in rain or snow.
All-wheel drive (AWD) sends power to more than one axle, improving traction in low-grip conditions. The speaker compares pricing between rear-wheel drive and AWD, implying AWD is offered as a higher-cost configuration.
"37, 990 for the rear wheel drive, 39, 990 for the all wheel drive."
Rear-wheel drive means the power goes mainly to the back wheels. It’s often cheaper than all-wheel drive.
Rear-wheel drive (RWD) sends power primarily to the rear axle. The transcript contrasts RWD pricing with AWD, which is a common way manufacturers differentiate trims and performance/traction capability.
"The frunk is huge. I got most of Tish in the frunk."
A frunk is the storage compartment in the front of an EV. Since there’s no engine there, you can put stuff there.
A “frunk” is the front trunk space on many EVs and some hybrids, created because there’s no conventional engine up front. It’s often used for storage and can be surprisingly practical.
"The screen, which obviously it's got a big 15 inch iPad type screen actually tilts in towards you, which is nice."
They’re talking about a big touchscreen in the car’s dashboard. It’s tilted so it’s easier to see while you’re driving.
This refers to a large infotainment display mounted in the cabin, described as “iPad type” and tilting toward the driver. The size and tilt are part of how modern EVs present navigation and media.
"it's not an exciting car to drive. Like it's not a car that gives you tons of feedback on you get involved with, but people buying those kinds of cars don't want that. necessarily do they? You're not going to take it round the Nurburgring, you're going to take it to Tesco's."
The Nürburgring is a famous race track in Germany. They’re saying most people with cars like this won’t take them to a track—they’ll use them for normal errands.
The Nürburgring is a famous German motorsport circuit known for its challenging layout and “Ring” culture. Mentioning it contrasts enthusiast driving with everyday use, emphasizing that many SUV buyers don’t drive for track feedback.
"So I've been driving my Tesla a lot. Um, I've done loads of miles in that and, uh, still really like the model three I'm talking about. Still really, really liked that car a lot."
Tesla’s Model 3 is an all-electric car. They’re saying they’ve been driving it a lot and still enjoy it.
The Tesla Model 3 is Tesla’s mainstream electric sedan. In the segment, the host mentions doing lots of miles in it and still really liking it, which frames it as a practical EV daily driver.
"There's one trim level, no options. It's very basic really, but it offers about 160 miles of range. ⁓ But there's no pricing yet."
That’s how far the van is expected to go on one full charge. Whether it’s enough depends on how far you drive each day and how you charge it.
“160 miles of range” is the quoted driving distance on a full charge. For city delivery vans, that can be enough if the vehicle returns to base for charging, but it may be tight for longer routes.
"You can have it in L sorry, H1 or H2 chassis cab. ⁓ there'll be a longer version as well."
A chassis cab is basically the van’s cab plus the frame, without a specific cargo box already built. Businesses can then add the custom equipment they need.
A chassis cab is a van sold with the cab and basic structure, but without a fully finished cargo body. This is common for commercial customers who want custom upfits like shelving, service bodies, or specialized equipment.
"They're using LFP batteries, so 56 kilowatt hours, front wheel drive. And it looks, it, it looks quite generic, but it still looks like a transit at the same time."
That number is how big the battery is. A bigger battery usually means you can drive farther, but it’s not the only factor.
“56 kilowatt hours” is the battery capacity figure being quoted for the Transit City. Higher kWh generally means more potential range, though real-world range also depends heavily on vehicle weight, aerodynamics, and driving conditions.
"when we went to Munich, I did ask one of them, one of the staff members, he said that the cost involved in doing right hand drive is quite high for quite low numbers, but they didn't, they didn't say no. we saw."
Right-hand drive is how cars are set up for countries like the UK. It can cost more to make, especially if not many people are expected to buy them.
Right-hand drive (RHD) means the steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle, which is required for UK markets. The speaker notes that converting to RHD can be expensive when sales volumes are low, which can slow down brand entry.
"Left hand drive, there are loads of other left hand drive markets. I think people often forget that, it's whether they're the right kind of markets."
Left-hand drive means the steering wheel is on the left. Different countries prefer left- or right-hand drive, so it changes where a car can be sold.
Left-hand drive (LHD) means the steering wheel is on the left side of the vehicle. The hosts discuss LHD vs right-hand drive (RHD) markets, which affects which countries a car can be sold in and how manufacturers plan distribution.
"it's obviously going to help MPG because it's doing regen"
Regen is when the car uses braking to recharge the battery a bit. That can help you use less fuel overall.
Regen (regenerative braking) converts some of the vehicle’s kinetic energy back into electricity during deceleration. The hosts connect regen to improved MPG because it helps recharge the battery while slowing down.
"one of them is the fact you've got a high voltage battery that you can power stuff off."
The high-voltage battery is the big battery that powers the electric drive. Here they’re saying it can also power things outside the car.
A high-voltage battery is the main traction battery used to power the electric motor(s) in an EV or PHEV. In this segment, it’s highlighted as a practical feature because it can supply power to external devices.
"potentially towing because it's got the most torque out of any Rangers ever existed."
Torque is the twisting force that helps a vehicle accelerate and pull loads. The segment emphasizes that this hybrid Ranger has strong torque compared with other Rangers, and they debate how that translates to towing capability.
"I preferred the infotainment system on Fiat's to a lot of the other, ⁓ Stellantis group cars as well."
Infotainment is the car’s main screen and controls for things like music, maps, and phone apps. The speaker is judging how good that experience feels.
An infotainment system is the car’s touchscreen/controls for media, navigation, phone integration, and settings. The episode uses it as a major differentiator—especially when comparing brands and software features.
"I preferred the infotainment system on Fiat's to a lot of the other, ⁓ Stellantis group cars as well."
Stellantis is a big car company that owns multiple brands. They’re saying Fiat’s infotainment felt better than some other cars from the same parent company.
Stellantis is the large automaker group behind brands like Fiat and others. The speaker contrasts Fiat’s infotainment with other Stellantis-group cars, implying differences in user experience and software polish.
"petrol or hybrid, mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV."
A plug-in hybrid can be charged like an EV, and it can drive on electricity for a while. If the battery runs low, the gas engine takes over.
A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) can run on electricity for a limited range using a battery you can charge from an outlet. It also has an engine for longer trips, aiming to combine EV convenience with extended range.
"petrol or hybrid, mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV."
A full EV is a car that runs only on electricity. There’s no gas engine—just an electric motor and a battery.
“Full EV” means the vehicle is powered entirely by electric motors and a battery, with no gasoline engine. The discussion groups it with other powertrains to emphasize how pricing is being handled across the lineup.
"So yeah, petrol or hybrid, mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV."
A mild hybrid is a car that uses a small electric assist, but it still mainly runs on the engine. It helps with efficiency, especially during stop-and-go driving.
A mild hybrid uses a small electric motor and battery to assist the engine, but it typically can’t drive the car purely on electricity for long distances. It’s often used to improve efficiency and smoothness rather than replace the engine entirely.
"Yeah. Hmm. Yeah. really liked the Santa Fe and I liked the slab back end on it, which a lot of people hate in the comments."
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a Hyundai SUV. Here they’re talking about how its back-end styling looks—some people think it’s cool and different, while others don’t like it.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a midsize SUV from Hyundai. In this segment, the speakers are discussing its rear-end styling and how some people either love or hate the design.
"I think Hyundai like to make divisive designs, don't they? I think that's their thing."
“Divisive designs” means a car’s styling is controversial. Some people think it looks amazing, and others think it looks weird or unattractive.
“Divisive designs” refers to styling that splits audiences—some drivers love it while others strongly dislike it. It’s a common way to describe modern automotive design language, especially with bold lighting, shapes, and proportions.
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Speaker 2: I'm Alex, he's Jim and this is the Charging Status EV Podcast.
Speaker 1: I'm alright mate, yeah we've both had differing levels of man flu, haven't Mine has just affected my throat and it's largely okay now. But you came down with full blown man flu, didn't you?
Speaker 2: Dear me, it's been not great. It's literally a few days before me and you went for our little trip in Germany I was just coughing and sputtering and being genuinely disgusting so I had to record a video the other day with a sore throat so that wasn't great fun but
Speaker 1: All good. Thanks for, ⁓ sitting next to me both ways on the flights though. Yeah.
Speaker 2: You're so welcome. Your hands moved around a few times. I was sat in the middle. You kept touching me but it was all good.
Speaker 1: No, I think that might have the man sitting the other side to be honest. Yeah, I think he might have had busy hands. A wandering hand. see. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2: ⁓ But yeah, we went to Germany to go, we went with MG to go and see, it was basically like a conference and they were talking about their new battery tech, which is quite interesting. And also a new hybrid drive train system, which wasn't initially clear about what it was, but we've managed to figure out what they're actually talking about. But yeah, it's a very technical few hours and ⁓ some exciting stuff coming soon.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's, I mean, the thing we all would have liked, I think was a little bit more detailed because it was, it was a bit vague. but yeah, so semi-solid state seems to actually be here and it's, it's, what is it only 5 % liquid in that battery pack.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. And, um, I was with Changen yesterday and they've, they've got some kind of project on the CATL. They get their batteries from CATL and they said they're currently testing, um, sodium ion batteries and then solid state to come. they were talking about solid state, uh, with some, some numbers behind it. Okay. Um, but I think they were saying 400 kilowatts per kilo.
Speaker 2: It's 400 watt hours per kilo. It's what that's what donut lab. Yeah.
Speaker 2: That's what the Donut Lab batteries claim to have that's been tested and talked about the past few months. yeah, think, think we managed to glean information from MG. So MG announced this new solid state battery, like the tail end of last year for the Chinese market.
They've now basically announced it for the European market. We'll come into the MG for Urban, their little affordable EV later this year. From what I understand, it has the same energy density as normal LFP batteries, but the biggest difference is because it has less liquid, it's less susceptible to colder temperatures and it hasn't got to work as hard to keep the battery at a good temperature.
So that in theory should mean better efficiency and better range on paper. So obviously we'll have to see how that does pan out, but it's looking promising.
Speaker 1: The really interesting bit was they said to how it's way more effective at cold temperatures and obviously extreme heat as well. But I wonder what it's going to do to real world range because for me, like the thermal management with MG has been an issue and real world range in the winter on MG's in particular, certainly in the older cars.
I don't think I've had one for a week, for a while, because we've been going to the launches. ⁓ but certainly when I had the, the first incarnation of the MG four and I had that in January and it was a freezing week, was, it was pretty dreadful, the range.
⁓ so I'm hoping it has an effect on that front. They were talking about the cold weather performance very much from its capability to fast charge, weren't they? Yeah. But I wonder how much better it's going to be for real world range.
Obviously it's going to be lighter as well, ⁓ fair bit lighter. So. That should help efficiency, one would think.
Speaker 2: Just simply having less liquid. From what I understand that the liquid is the problem, basically. can freeze or whatever happens to the battery. The car has to work harder to keep it as a liquid. So there's less liquid. Surely that means there'll be less, have less of an issue in those more extreme temperatures, but we shall see. It's exciting. ⁓ From what I've been reading online, it's not actually something that MG has made themselves. There's a company that they've invested in.
Speaker 2: quite heavily the last few years, think four or five years that has come up with this battery and it's theirs to use. that's, that's, that makes sense.
Speaker 2: But yeah, it was interesting. The hybrid stuff took me a while to understand because the guy that was doing the presentation was extremely technical. I think he was the lead.
Speaker 1: He's a genius guy. could tell the guy's a genius. But with genius often comes eccentricity and a sort of lack of understanding that you're not a genius as well. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think he was the lead R &D engineer at SCIC, I believe. But basically their existing hybrid engines, are in the MG3 and I'm the MG HS as well. They're basically going to move them from four cylinder to three cylinder, add some turbocharging, add in some electric turbochargers, which is a little bit beyond me to be honest. ⁓
Speaker 1: Hmm. And it's going to have an automatic gearbox, because they were sort of Toyota and how they use CVTs or ECVTs, but Europeans don't like them. And therefore they're going to go with a more traditional automatic gearbox, a planetary free speed, I think.
And they said that's going to be a much happier place for Europeans. he said like in China, because there are cameras literally everywhere, people that drive in a more relaxed fashion and in Europe from all the data they take, we're much heavier footed.
So we want to get up to speed and that's why we probably don't like the ECBT's. Yeah. I love hearing from those kinds of people though, because you hear how
Speaker 2: because they're quite moody in their noise.
Speaker 1: they actually do take notice of some of this stuff, know, the driving data and you've got other manufacturers that obviously couldn't give a talk because they just, this is what we do and there you go. then you've some of these, particularly the Chinese manufacturers seem to be so receptive to feedback. Yep. ⁓
Speaker 2: exactly. That's one of the things that Emoda was telling us recently, is that they always want more feedback and they'll take it on board, which is exactly what you want.
Speaker 1: There was a funny thing at the Chang'an event. I was there yesterday, which was Thursday. ⁓ but on Monday, someone noticed that, you know, the speed limit sort of indicator that's on the, the head up display.
⁓ it flashes when you go over the, over the limit and someone noticed that it was flashing all the time. So They logged that with the R &D people in Birmingham, think. The R &D center in Birmingham has been there since 2001 and there's a hundred engineers there.
On Tuesday, they diagnosed it and fixed it and they were testing it on Wednesday and Thursday and it got rolled out into every car today.
Speaker 1: Over air update. And they said that the customers won't even be aware that it's updated. Yeah. That's good. And you think, mean, if that happened in, you know, another brand, not every brand, obviously, I mean, some companies do updates all the time. My Tesla is constantly getting updates, but in a lot of brands that would be next time the car comes in for a service, we'll sort that out. Or you have to book in an appointment.
Speaker 2: But even if the software update gets pushed through.
Speaker 1: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. It might just be, well, yeah, we'll, get onto that and it takes eight months or something. So I thought that was really impressive.
Speaker 2: That's really good. Yeah, it's exactly what you want. yeah, it almost sounds like it's a software patch rather than like a whole new, like a system level update, like with your phone, for example, it's more like a one-off little update. So that's quite good.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's probably a remove a comma somewhere in a line of code or something. Yeah. ⁓ we actually went out to, ⁓ I think it's Campbell airport or the Cotswolds airport. we did like a handling course, slalom course and stuff on the taxiway of the airport.
And it's a really cool airport because they've got loads of old seven, four, sevens and loads of really cool planes that they're just to be broken, basically recycled. whatever they do with them. ⁓ and while we were there, unbelievably, this plane came in, which somebody there who is an avio file, I don't know if that's the thing, told me that it's the only one in the world.
And it was an electric plane. And it came down, it had like the fan engines and as it was landing, they all rotated upwards. So it had a slight look of a helicopter about it. was still very noisy.
Speaker 1: It was very, very cool. And then just a couple of miles the other way was RAF Fairford, where all these big American doombringers were taking off. And that was very scary. ⁓ And apparently they consume so much fuel to take off that they get over the sea at like Devon or something, and they then have to be refueled in the air to continue their journeys because they're so big and heavy. But seeing these huge bombers take off, loaded with bombs. That was a bit scary.
Speaker 1: the B word. I don't know if YouTube will demonetize us or something. We should probably beep that.
Speaker 2: ⁓ I should have known. Yeah, I'm not really sure. I don't know. I don't really know the rules to be honest. I probably should, but Yeah, electric planes are quite interesting. There's a company called AeroVolt, is, they've got the first, I the world's first or the UK's first charging network for airplanes, but they use CCS too, like cars do. So, yeah, that's quite interesting.
Speaker 1: It was cool. It was very cool. With the paddling course, the last part of it, there was a, like a slalom, then you had to come down to emergency stop. Then you had to do a quite tricky reverse, friends and cones and a few other things. And I think there was an error with the stopwatch ⁓ because they, well, they claim I didn't win. ⁓ I mean, I'm clearly an incredibly talented driver.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Hmm. Interesting. Yeah. What did you think of the car? Because you can't talk about it because we're the embargoes today.
Speaker 1: That seems unlikely. Yeah. So the video ⁓ will be out next week and there's loads to like about it. And there's just one thing that I found odd. And in the video, I may have misdiagnosed it.
So I've actually put some text on the screen because the only negative thing I've found with the car and as you know, launch fence, haven't, I didn't even look at the energy consumption, like real world range, because I just didn't drive the car for long enough.
Yeah. And of course some of it was like handling course and stuff and we'd ragging these things around an airfield. So it just seemed utterly pointless to look at it. But I think when I first got in the car, it was like 90 % and when I took it back, was 76 or something.
So it hadn't done anything awful. And we had about 20 minute drive each way as well. I
Speaker 2: It sort of is the way, isn't it? Yeah, hasn't gone down.
Speaker 1: You know, Spidey sense suggests that actually it's reasonably efficient, I'd need one for a week really. Um, there's a really weird thing, which when you're at constant speed, like 30, 40, 50, whatever it is, it just felt like, I mean, the pedal didn't move or anything, but it felt like you were slightly coming on and off the pedal.
Like it was almost breathing. and I mentioned it in the video and said, like, this probably is something that just needs a tweak. And, you know, the more people that drive, the more data they'll have, et cetera.
And we know they can do really quick updates from the aforementioned story. ⁓ but I think it might have been the sat nav because I had the sat nav on and lots of sat nav systems now will do the preemptive stuff, won't they?
So you're coming up to a roundabout and. I'll slow you down or a bendy bit or something like that. ⁓ but it's got absolutely everything. Like they've thrown so much spec at it. There's only one trim level.
You can have a black interior or this quite funky orange interior, which is a no cost option. And the only options are the glass roof, which is a grand and a tow bar, which is either 600 or 800 quid. ⁓ and that's it.
Yeah. And I think it 37, 990 for the rear wheel drive, 39, 990 for the all wheel drive. they'll be on least deals I'm sure. possibly chucking some discounts and things around. If anything, they've over spec'd it.
Maybe they'd have been better off having two trim levels or not throwing quite so much at it, but I mean, pats off to them fair play because it's a very nice car. The frunk is huge. I got most of Tish in the frunk.
⁓ Tish from Auto Social. I was helping her film a little short thing and I don't mean you by the way, Alex, I mean the car. ⁓ And she said, I'm going to get in this. And I said, ⁓ okay. And then I just...
got picture and stuck it on Instagram while she was in there. ⁓ I mean to get, me. See, I'm with you again. And my, my man flu has come back. This is not good. it's definitely your fault.
Speaker 2: Even though I'm like, a hundred miles away.
Speaker 1: It could just be an allergic reaction to your face, I suppose.
Speaker 2: ⁓ Yeah, I've heard that before to be honest. It's not a new thing to
Speaker 1: That is, yeah, that is possible. I mean, it usually brings me out in hives, but not, not sneezing. ⁓ but yeah, to get like the lion's share of a human in the front of a car is impressive.
And you could get like three really good size rucksacks in there. you could possibly get a full carry on suitcase and something else in there. so it's. Well done. And loads, loads of passenger room in the back.
⁓ very well equipped. The screen, which obviously it's got a big 15 inch iPad type screen actually tilts in towards you, which is nice. Yep. very impressive.
Speaker 2: This is interesting because you haven't driven the S07 and I drove the S07 last year. sounds exactly the same. You were, But yeah, it sounds exactly the same. A kit, just a smaller car. So they haven't really lost any features or any extra bits and pieces like the tilting screen.
Speaker 1: in it yesterday. No, all they've done is the, I think the SO7, say the design has nautical themes. inside there's bit of nice wood trim on the door shuts and things, the door handles. ⁓ And in this one, they say it's aviation themes.
So there's like a little reference to a wing on the front and a couple of things, I mean, kind of things you don't notice unless a designer points them out to you. ⁓ I think it's a good looking car as well.
Yeah. It does look good. Like if you compare it to the rest of the pack, it looks way less generic and quite almost sporty looking for an SUV. it's not an exciting car to drive. Like it's not a car that gives you tons of feedback on you get involved with, but people buying those kinds of cars don't want that.
necessarily do they? You're not going to take it round the Nurburgring, you're going to take it to Tesco's.
Speaker 2: Yeah, usual stuff is that. That's interesting. Yeah, good. Looking forward to your video. Be good.
Speaker 1: Uh, well, I was supposed to have an IM5 this week, but, um, MG's marketing department nicked it. So I didn't get one. So I've been driving my Tesla a lot. Um, I've done loads of miles in that and, uh, still really like the model three I'm talking about. Still really, really liked that car a lot. Um, it's got a lot going for it I'm always happy to get back into it.
Speaker 1: Um, and that's about it. think I've got crazy. I've got a holiday coming up and then after that, um, like a couple of, in about two or three weeks time, I've got a crazy day where I'm going to be driving an AI on V5. sure what it is. And then Tigo, I'm doing that in the morning, then Tigo four in the afternoon. And then I've got the VW T-Rock the next day.
Speaker 1: And then the following week, I'm going to Milan to find out about a new brand that I can't talk about yet. And then the following week I'm in Marseille and I'm going to be driving. ⁓ actually probably some cars I can't talk about yet.
So, ⁓ interesting. I've got the, I've got the PV five passenger booked in as well. When I get back from, from my holes. ⁓ and then I've got the. Xpane G6 long range. I'm looking forward to that. I haven't driven one yet.
good. What about you? You've had the electric transit, haven't you?
Speaker 2: I'm Before that I had the Igo X, I don't know if we spoke about it. Oh yeah. I don't know if we spoke about it on the podcast, I can't quite remember. But that had, that reminded me, that had a clever system where it slows down.
So on the dashboard, it had two red lights in the driver's cluster to let you know the brake lights are on. And I noticed it was braking for you preemptively, usually based on what the car in front of you was doing, but it was quite nice.
It was sort of saving you from having a bump sometimes, which was quite good. Just reminded me of that. Yeah, had the e-Transit custom last week and that went back yesterday and in its place ⁓ has been swapped for a Ford range of FEV.
Speaker 2: So that price is excluding VAT, so whatever that is, I'm not really good at maths, it's probably over 50k. So that was the DCIV variant, which stands for double cabin van, means three seats behind the driver and three seats in the front.
Speaker 1: 60 grand for a van is a lot of money, it?
Speaker 2: It's a lot, yeah. And I was realistically getting 200 miles out of it. It's okay.
Speaker 2: I know. So in the, video, which I'll, which we'll put in the show notes, I, it doesn't look very good compared to the PV five, but at the moment as of March, 2026, if you want something a bit more than a panel van with like that sort of setup with three seats in the back, Kia have got stuff coming soon, but not available right now. ⁓ yeah. So, and there's a bit more flexibility in terms of load capacity with the.
Speaker 1: Mm. quite a nice thing though, we obviously had a trip around a car park at Heathrow when you got lost. ⁓ It's quite nice thing, but just too much money I feel.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's very well made. I've driven the panel van version before and the panel van version of the e-Transporter, which is its very closest sort of relation. And the addition of the three seats in the back, the weight and the additional carpet and all the bits and pieces go along with it has done a lot for the ride. The ride is very nice and it drives really well. It's a very comfortable vehicle. It's just the range isn't quite as good because the battery is not very big, but
Speaker 2: ⁓ Actually while on the subject of Ford, there's, don't know if you saw the news cause you've been busy past few days. Ford have announced another new transit electric. So this one is called the Transit City. It's called the, it came out of nowhere yesterday afternoon. It's called the Transit City. And they're looking to, I think they're looking to compete with a lot of these newcomers into the van market. So it's made in China.
Speaker 2: It actually isn't really made by Ford. It's, it's a partner product with a giant Jan link. Um, so it on a custom platform and it basically goes right back to the bare minimum of what's required out of a relatively medium sized electric van. There's one trim level, no options. It's very basic really, but it offers about 160 miles of range. ⁓ But there's no pricing yet.
Speaker 1: So, and what size is it? It's like Transit Connect.
Speaker 2: It's Transit Custom sized. Yeah. ⁓ but it, it will come in either one, sorry, two different roof heights. You can have it in L sorry, H1 or H2 chassis cab. ⁓ there'll be a longer version as well. So it's basically meant for, it's meant to fill the gap really. bit, be a bit cheaper than the Transit Custom. ⁓ and a bit more practical than the E Transit.
Speaker 1: ⁓ It needs to be a hell of a lot cheaper really, didn't it?
Speaker 2: Yeah. They haven't really said. They, one of the things they did say is that the average electric van driver does about 60 miles a day. Yeah. And if this is going to be used in the city, that makes a lot of sense.
⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah. They're using LFP batteries, so 56 kilowatt hours, front wheel drive. And it looks, it, it looks quite generic, but it still looks like a transit at the same time. ⁓ and the payload's quite good.
The payload's over a ton, which is exactly what you need. So yeah, it's weird. It's really weird. So, but it just came out of nowhere. So.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, again, it needs to be priced well. does. But yeah, the payload obviously beats the PV5. It does. Just got that going for it.
Speaker 2: does. Yeah, so more details are going to come later this year.
Speaker 1: I wonder if they're going to price it against the PV5.
Speaker 2: wouldn't be surprised if they do. ⁓ but it's, it reminds me of the Rivian vans cause it's quite stripped back. but DC charging not anything to shout about it's like 67 kilowatt. ⁓ but if it's meant for city use, that's ideal. So.
Speaker 1: ⁓ because obviously that's a joint venture with a Chinese company, but Chang'an build, ⁓ Chinese Fords, think like their Mondeo and stuff and, ⁓ Mazda as well. Chinese Mazda. Yeah. ⁓ which I didn't, I didn't know until I did my research on Chang'an the other day.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the new Mazda 6E is a Chang'e underneath.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Speaking of electric cars, as we probably should more often on this podcast, I saw some UK journos got sent out to drive the Lucid the other day. ⁓ yes. Yeah. In Europe somewhere, obviously. ⁓ But have they finally announced that they're coming to the UK? don't know. I hope so. They've maybe just sent them out to cover it for
Speaker 1: European outlets or something. yeah, I mean, they're glorious things. I do worry that they're way too wide for our roads. They are huge, but ⁓ they do look like lovely things. If the two brands I could bring here, just for selfish reasons, it would be Lucid and Rivian.
Speaker 2: Look a bit big. Yeah, they do look very nice. mean, hopefully, I mean, when we went to Munich, I did ask one of them, one of the staff members, he said that the cost involved in doing right hand drive is quite high for quite low numbers, but they didn't, they didn't say no. we saw.
Speaker 1: I spoke to the CEO about three years ago in, I don't know, some show somewhere, might have been LA or something. he said, he's Welsh. And so I sort of said, well, surely you'd love to, and he said like his dream is to bring them to the UK, but it just, the numbers have to stack up obviously. If there's one market I could go into it would be that one.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. Just like Genesis, it probably wouldn't sell in massive numbers because the market here is so weird. We're stuck in our ways as a, as a nation in terms of car brands, but still.
Speaker 1: Left hand drive, there are loads of other left hand drive markets. I think people often forget that, it's whether they're the right kind of markets. don't know. Right hand drive markets.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Um, that's the one. Yeah. There's quite a few. Yeah. You did say left on drive. Um, Yeah. When I had that Ford transit go back yesterday in its place, I've had a Ford range of Fev. Um, so it's got the same technology, sort of the same battery and stuff as the transit custom Fev. So it's about 11 kilowatt hours in terms of battery size, but
Speaker 2: They've done something quite unique from what I can tell from driving it. haven't done any research on the car yet because I'm a bit unorganized, but when the, when the pickup truck is in its EV only mode, I think the electric motors are driving through the gearbox because when it's been in EV only mode, it's been shifting in up to third. It's a weird sensation and you can tell the engine's off cause it's on zero RPM. ⁓ I thought that was really, really weird.
Speaker 2: I wonder if, I ⁓ wonder if, cause it's four wheel drive, I wonder if that was easier for them.
Speaker 1: Yeah, completely reinventing the, yeah. Obviously torque converters and. transfer boxes and everything else. it's ⁓ interesting.
Speaker 2: Easier. Yeah. Yeah. It's a, when it is an easy, when it's in its Evioni mode, it's so nice and quiet. it's interesting because this is a petrol pickup truck, which is quite unusual in the UK. Most of them are diesel. ⁓ yeah. And it's got 25 miles of Evioni range. which is, it's okay. ⁓ yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's, it's obviously going to help MPG because it's doing regen and it's even when it said zero miles, it's still running in battery mode. There's obviously a little bit left. but I haven't driven many plug-in hybrids, but it would do something weird where you can put it into a mode where the engine will charge the batteries. Yeah. And I can't work out why you would do that. Maybe if you need to power stuff off the batteries for
Speaker 1: Yeah, most will do that. Yeah. So obviously some of them can do that now, but I think originally they had that functionality so that you could drive to like a city center. And then if you've got one of those cities where it's zero emissions only or zero emissions only zone, you could then go into zero emissions mode and drive legally through that.
And I think that's why it originally came out. Okay. But yeah, otherwise you would. You're the engine's doing double duty and you're going to consume more fuel. I'm still, still up in the air about plug-in hybrids.
⁓ I think the new ones that have a really good old electric range are much more compelling and will suit more people. ⁓ But you've still got two lots of things to go wrong essentially. Yeah. And.
Speaker 1: Like for me, I think they're like this safety blanket thing for people that think they're not ready for electric or they've read so much of the negative stuff that they're a bit scared about it.
And they're like this comfort blanket, but I don't think those people are then getting the proper experience of driving electric. And I get it. Like it's not for everyone. And for some people it never will be.
But so many people I know that were skeptical about it, nervous about it, have kind of thought, well, what was I worried about? Like shortly thereafter, you know.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Now there's two benefits to this hybrid Ranger. One of them is the fact you've got a high voltage battery that you can power stuff off. So you've got two, three pin sockets in the bed.
You could run up to 6.6 kilowatt of power off it. So that's useful if you're at a job site. And the other benefit is potentially towing because it's got the most torque out of any Rangers ever existed.
think it's over 550 pound, is it pound feet of torque or newton meters? one of the two, but it's more than any diesel range that's ever existed.
Speaker 1: What's the towing capacity though, because lots of EVs have amazing torque, but you know, can't tow anything.
Speaker 1: Alright, so that's the same as a diesel would be. Yeah.
Speaker 2: One ton payload and a trailer up to 3.5 tons.
Speaker 1: That's good. But I mean, it's no, it's no advantage over the diesel on that front, but it has got more torque. true. The, the other ones obviously benefit in kind. It won't be as hideous as it is now for benefit in kind.
So everyone will have a plug-in hybrid pick up before too long, I'm sure. And, and some electric ones, I just hope they start to put like the better electric kit into. plug-in hybrids like the most modern electric systems into plug-in hybrids into pickup trucks.
Speaker 2: You've had a busy few days to be fair. Tiredness.
Speaker 1: I was told last night by the way that I'm conventionally handsome.
Speaker 1: which ⁓ Gareth found very amusing. Yeah. Yeah. Conventionally handsome.
Speaker 2: looking handsome. Is that a compliment, do think? I mean, they could have put a bigger battery in that range potentially. Might be a bit more useful, but.
Speaker 1: Yeah. It's then the, I guess it's always that playoff against the weight then because you've got a decent sized petrol engine, you've got a big fuel tank, you've got the load that's going to be in the back of it. You've got all the four wheel drive gubbins. ⁓ Probably be better just with the battery and some electric motors maybe. Yeah.
Speaker 2: There are some electric pickups coming. as the KGM Musso EV now on sale, I think there's the Hilux and then there's the D-Max from Isuzu. Both of those pop. The KGM is very cheap in comparison. So that'd be quite interesting to try out when it is available this year.
Speaker 1: Well, I don't know because I'm on holiday. don't know what I'm going to get. Yeah. I mean, I will have a car next week, but I don't know what it's going to be until I get to the airport.
Speaker 1: Yeah, last time I was there, got a Fiat 600. I don't know, is it an L or something? No. It was just a Fiat 600.
Speaker 2: You had an ebro as well, didn't you, as at the time before?
Speaker 1: That was, that was somewhere else. Yeah. Yeah. The time before, which the Ebro was of course the cherry Tiggo seven. ⁓ but the Fiat 600 I really liked. I was ⁓ surprised how much I liked it actually.
But that was a really nice little car. ⁓ I preferred the infotainment system on Fiat's to a lot of the other, ⁓ Stellantis group cars as well. ⁓ because yeah, it's a bit. Billy Basic in some of those Stellantis cars.
There's lots for you to play with in the Chang'an by the way when you get one in for loan for your infotainment video. ⁓ Like games and all sorts of wonderful things, camping mode and all that kind of good stuff.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I did an infotainment guide, a fairly quick one of the SO7 last year. it was, there was a lot to get through. took a long time to Yeah, it's probably been, that was quite a while ago. So there's probably been quite a few advancements since then, but, so it reminds me while you mentioned Stellantis, Graham wrote an article for your website. And the Fox Elastra has now got price parity with powertrains.
Speaker 1: It's probably the same system, I guess. I know that's amazing. Yeah. So yeah, petrol or hybrid, mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV. Yeah. Hats off to
Speaker 2: And the other thing I found interesting is that price parity is on the models as well, like hatchback and estate. Yeah.
Speaker 1: So I mean, who has ever done an estate car for the same price as the hatchback? ⁓ I don't know what the price actually is though.
Speaker 2: I he said 29995. No, and that's the EV's got a 58 kilowatt hour battery, I think.
Speaker 1: Which is not a hit either. Yeah. And obviously Stellantis are fairly well known for discounting as well. Yeah. And certainly pushing out deals through the lease channels, hats off because you know, no one else has done that and probably several could have. Yeah.
Speaker 2: No, it's quite impressive. Yes, very good.
Speaker 2: probably going to pretend I'm a farmer and drive around in this pickup truck for a bit. Yeah, haven't really got anything planned. It's been quite a hectic week to be honest with all the flying and different trips we did. yeah. What about you?
Speaker 1: Cool. I'm taking my son to a Lego convention in Bournemouth somewhere. Although it's not called Lego because I guess it's trademarks. It's called Bricks or something. Yeah. Where are you driving next week, Alex?
Speaker 2: ⁓ no. Tomorrow? Amazing. I love that, it's great. I finally booked in the Hyundai Santa Fe, know, the FEV. The FEV version. ⁓ nice. I've got another plug-in hybrid. that's a, it's such a massive car.
Speaker 1: You've booked a lot of big vehicles lately. Are you trying to, ⁓ you know, make up for any shortcomings?
Speaker 2: Well after that I've got the Onyx 9, so an equally big car as well.
Speaker 2: So I am. Yeah. I've had quite a few. Well, I the Igo X last week, so that was decidedly small, but now I've.
Speaker 2: on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Hmm. Yeah. really liked the Santa Fe and I liked the slab back end on it, which a lot of people hate in the comments. I remember people being absolutely furious about it and I think it looks awesome. It's cool. It's different. Yeah. The Lego look to it, the whole car, think. of Lego. Yeah.
Speaker 2: I think- I think Hyundai- Hmm. see that. I think Hyundai like to make divisive designs, don't they? I think that's their thing. Whereas Kia make things that appeal to a lot of people, I think. And then Genesis just make very sexy cars. Hyundai are trying to be a bit different with their designs.
Speaker 2: But yeah, exciting times. There's a lot of stuff happening.
Speaker 2: I think, right, I think that's it. I'll let you get back to your, your work and whatever you're doing. So.
Speaker 1: Yeah. If you don't subscribe to this already or follow or anything else, please do all those lovely things and give it a thumbs up and leave us a comment and all that kind of good stuff. It makes us happy. Yeah.
Speaker 2: It definitely does help, doesn't it? Lovely stuff. Where can people find you on the interwebs if they want to find out more about you?
Speaker 1: ⁓ Notaguru.co.uk is my website where wonderful Graham Cobb is now doing lots of work for me because yeah, he's just a madman producing article after article. So massive thanks to Graham. And my YouTube channel is definitely not a guru. Are you Alex?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you can find my weekly car reviews on the interface cars and some other bits and pieces on my website. As I said last week, last time recorded, I haven't got, I don't know, I haven't found the time to write stuff lately. There's been more stuff happening. Video takes up a lot of time, doesn't it? So, yeah, it's definitely a lot happening at moment. I've noticed there's a lot of car launches the past few weeks, like a lot of things happening.
Speaker 1: crazy, absolutely bonkers. mean, this, this week, when you think we were with, with Brian on Monday in Frankfurt, and then Brian was off to Malaga. Tish was on that one. then I was with Tish yesterday. She was, had to then leave in the afternoon to fly to Ibiza, I think. I think Brian had gone.
Speaker 1: somewhere with Toyota in between and, I think Toyota might have been Malaga actually. But I mean, some of these guys are literally away five days a week, aren't they? And flitting between. I mean, I spoke to Manos at something a while ago and he said last year he'd done like 260 flights, I think. It's nuts, isn't it?
Speaker 2: Jesus I think it's the legacy people catching up now. think they're panicking. I don't know, but I'd imagine they're probably trying to get things completed a bit faster than they used to be. If that makes sense. ⁓
Speaker 1: And of course, there's constant new Chinese brands and models appearing. So yeah, it's just very, very busy.
Speaker 2: So I'd love to be able to cover all this stuff on website, I just haven't got the time unfortunately, but it's exciting times. Yeah, with that, it's good. it's a good job, yeah. I'm rolling in it.
Speaker 1: job it pays so well really, innit mate? Yeah.
Speaker 2: ⁓ Yeah, I think that's about it. ⁓ Thanks ever so much for watching and listening as usual and we'll see you again next time. See you later. Bye bye.
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