MG4 EV vs Volvo EC40

The Volvo EC40 costs £16,865 more than the MG MG4 EV. For that premium it adds 46 kW faster peak rapid charging and 35 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG MG4 EV comes out ahead overall.

The MG MG4 EV is £16,865 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £184 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG MG4 EV comes out roughly £16,825 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 181 miles for the MG MG4 EV and 206 miles for the Volvo EC40 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Volvo EC40 goes roughly 25 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 25-26 minutes.

The MG MG4 EV is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 37 mm narrower than the Volvo EC40. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 564 mm of total clearance for the MG MG4 EV and about 527 mm of total clearance for the Volvo EC40. The MG MG4 EV also turns in a 0.5 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the MG MG4 EV and 84% for the Volvo EC40. That gives the MG MG4 EV a modest edge in retained real-world range. The MG MG4 EV's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Volvo EC40's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.