This guide covers the Essence 49 and Essence 62.
Every MG S5 EV has a 6.6kW on-board AC charger, so a 7.4kW (32A) single-phase wall charger is the right choice for both — three-phase gives you nothing extra here.
The Essence 49 charges 10–100% in about 7.4 hours, the Essence 62 in about 9.4 hours. Full charge times, cables and DC info below.
Full home charge
10–100% on a 32A wall charger
DC fast charging
CCS2 • Essence 49 up to 120kW / Essence 62 up to 150kW
About the MG S5 EV
The MG S5 EV is a rear-wheel-drive mid-size SUV built on the same modular platform as the MG4.
The Essence 49 uses a 49kWh LFP battery (around 335–340km WLTP).
The Essence 62 steps up to a 62kWh LFP battery (around 425–435km WLTP). Both use the same 125kW / 250Nm rear motor.
For home charging the two are simpler than most: every S5 EV has a 6.6kW on-board AC charger, so neither variant can draw more than 6.6kW from a wall charger regardless of what you install. That means a standard 7.4kW single-phase charger is the correct choice.
| Item | Essence 49 | Essence 62 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery size | 49kWh usable LFP | 62kWh usable LFP |
| Range (WLTP) | ~335–340km | ~425–435km |
| Maximum AC charge speed | 6.6kW — single-phase (all variants) | |
| Maximum DC charge speed | Up to 120kW | Up to 150kW |
| DC fast charge | 30–80% in ~19 minutes | |
| Motor / drive | 125kW / 250Nm — RWD | |
| Charge port | Type 2 + CCS2 | |
| V2L | Yes | |
| Towing (braked / unbraked) | 750kg / 750kg | |
Because both the Essence 49 and Essence 62 cap at 6.6kW AC, a 7.4kW single-phase wall charger is the right charger for either one — you don’t need three-phase, and it won’t charge the car any faster. Where you do gain is in the smart features: scheduling for night rates, load monitoring to protect your mains, and solar diversion to charge from your own excess generation.
Plug in and go
A fixed cable attached to the charger — the easiest daily experience. Pull in, plug in, done.
One cable for everything
Socket only — you use your own Type 2 cable. Great for sharing a charger between vehicles, or keeping one cable for home and public AC charging.
Got solar panels
Our smart chargers support solar diversion — soak up your excess solar export and charge for free during the day.
Recommended for both Essence 49 & Essence 62
Our 7.4kW home chargers deliver the S5 EV’s full 6.6kW AC rate. Choose a charger with the cable attached, or the untethered socket version if you’re buying your own Type 2 cable.
Load monitoring prevents overloading your mains while charging. Solar diversion varies charging power to match your solar generation. Scheduling via the free app makes the most of off-peak rates. And they’re EECA approved, meeting AS/NZS and WorkSafe standards.
Charge times from 10% to 100% for each variant with different home chargers. Note that the 32A and three-phase rows are identical, because the car itself limits AC charging to 6.6kW. The last few percent slow down as the cells balance, so times below are estimates.
| Home charger type | Essence 49 (49kWh) | Essence 62 (62kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| Factory plug-in 8A charger | ~26.6 hrs | ~33.7 hrs |
| 10A Type 2 plug-in charger | ~21.3 hrs | ~27.0 hrs |
| 16A charger (caravan / commando style) | ~13.3 hrs | ~16.8 hrs |
| 32A single-phase wall charger (6.6kW rate) | ~7.4 hrs | ~9.4 hrs |
| 22kW three-phase wall charger | ~7.4 hrs (6.6kW cap) | ~9.4 hrs (6.6kW cap) |
Want exact numbers for your variant, power price and starting charge? Use the calculator below, or see our charge time calculator and charge cost calculator.
Power anywhere
The MG S5 EV supports Vehicle-to-Load, letting you run tools, appliances or devices straight from the car’s battery — great for camping, worksites, or backup power in an outage. The Essence 62‘s larger pack gives you more headroom for all-day use. You’ll need a V2L adapter — we sell them here.
The Essence 49 takes up to 120kW DC and the Essence 62 up to 150kW DC. MG quotes 30–80% in around 19 minutes for both — the larger battery’s higher peak rate roughly cancels out its extra capacity. DC chargers have cables attached, so you don’t need to bring your own.
Type 2 public AC chargers are found at supermarkets, malls, hotels and motels — you’ll need to bring your own cable for these. The S5 EV will draw 6.6kW from these regardless of how powerful the charger is.
| Provider | Notes | Apple app | Android app |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChargeNet | Largest network nationwide | Download | Download |
| BP | Fast chargers at key sites | Download | Download |
| Z Energy | Fast chargers at selected stations | Download | Download |
| Tesla | Most NZ Superchargers are open to non-Tesla | Download | Download |
For more, see our full New Zealand public charging guide. PlugShare is handy for checking what’s available at your destination before you leave.
We recommend a Type 2 to Type 2 cable in 5m. The S5 EV’s maximum AC charge speed is 6.6kW, so a single-phase 32A cable is plenty — though a 22kW-rated cable is a sensible buy if you may own a faster-charging EV later. The majority of free public chargers use a Type 2 socket; some have a cable hard-wired, so a cable isn’t needed 100% of the time.
A 7.4kW (32A) single-phase wall charger, for both the Essence 49 and Essence 62. The S5 EV’s on-board charger caps at 6.6kW, so a 7.4kW unit delivers everything the car can accept. Look for scheduling, load monitoring and solar diversion — those features save you money, not extra kilowatts.
No. Every MG S5 EV variant, including the Essence 62, has a 6.6kW on-board AC charger. A three-phase charger will work, but it charges the car at exactly the same rate as a single-phase 7.4kW unit — so there’s no reason to pay extra unless you’re future-proofing for a different EV.
Only battery size. The Essence 49 has a 49kWh pack and the Essence 62 has 62kWh, but both charge at 6.6kW AC. At home that means roughly 7.4 hours for the Essence 49 and 9.4 hours for the Essence 62 from 10–100%. On DC the Essence 49 peaks at 120kW and the Essence 62 at 150kW, giving both a similar 30–80% time of about 19 minutes.
On a 32A wall charger (6.6kW rate): about 7.4 hours for the Essence 49 and about 9.4 hours for the Essence 62, from 10% to 100%. On a 10A portable charger it’s around 21 and 27 hours respectively, which is why a wall charger is worth installing.
A Type 2 to Type 2 cable in 5m. The S5 EV only draws 6.6kW, so a single-phase cable is sufficient, but a 22kW-rated cable costs little more and covers any future EV.
Yes. Both variants use LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, which are happy being charged to 100% regularly — MG recommends a full charge periodically to keep the battery meter accurate.
Yes — the S5 EV supports Vehicle-to-Load, so you can run appliances and tools from the car’s battery with a V2L adapter. We sell V2L adapters here.
Free advice, no obligation
Want the easiest, safest charging setup at home? We’ll help you choose the right wall charger, confirm your cable needs, and recommend the best install option for your switchboard and parking spot. Or simply purchase online and have your local sparky install it.
Free advice includes:
– Charger recommendation
– Installation quote (nationwide options)
– Solar integration options (charge from excess solar for free)
– Public charging & cable guidance
0224564874
Sales@smartevchargers.co.nz
