Is MG about to solve the EV winter range problem?

Much like the promise of truly driverless cars arriving any day now, solid-state batteries have been just around the corner for years – but now they really are here.

And what’s more, the first electric cars to use solid-state batteries don’t come from luxury brands or unfamiliar startups. The first electric car to offer such a battery in the UK and Europe will be the humble MG4 EV Urban – and it’ll arrive by the end of 2026.

Described for years as the Next Big Thing for electric cars, solid-state battery tech promises to deliver faster charging, greater energy density, improved safety, lower production costs and extended battery life. Solid-state batteries are also expected to hold up better when cold, so your EV’s range doesn’t suddenly plummet at the first hint of winter.

We didn’t have MG on our solid-state battery bingo card either, but the surprise comes with a small caveat.

That’s because the MG4 EV Urban uses a battery technology called SolidCore, and technically it’s a semi-solid-state battery. It uses a new Lithium-Manganese-Oxide (LMO) chemistry, along with a semi-solid electrolyte cathode, and the result is a battery that’s about five percent liquid electrolyte, instead of the usual 20 percent for more conventional batteries used by other EVs.

Safety is improved since the solid element of each battery cell forms a protective barrier, extending lifespan and lowering the risk of damage caused by collision or an intrusion into the pack.

MG, which is owned by Chinese automotive giant SAIC, isn’t saying too much for now, other than suggesting the new SolidCore battery will offer better performance and charging speeds, especially in very cold weather. This will be good news to EV owners familiar with slow charge speeds and significant range loss in cold weather.

The carmaker hasn’t said whether the new battery will improve the MG4 Urban’s current range of 258 miles (using a traditional LFP battery). But, while a modest bump to 300 miles would be very welcome, the real gains could be in efficiency, charge time and longevity. If energy density can also be improved, that could mean MG fitting smaller, lighter and cheaper batteries to its future cars, delivering a similar range to today but for a lower price.

MG’s SolidCore battery might not be the EV revolution solid-state tech has promised for the past decade. But it’s a step in the right direction, especially for EV drivers in colder climates.