MG4 EV vs Volvo EX40

The Volvo EX40 costs £9,615 more than the MG MG4 EV. For that premium it adds 75 miles more WLTP range, 46 kW faster peak rapid charging and 45 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG MG4 EV comes out ahead overall.

The MG MG4 EV is £9,615 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 £9,575 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 242 miles for the Volvo EX40 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Volvo EX40 goes roughly 60 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 25-28 minutes.

The MG MG4 EV is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 37 mm narrower than the Volvo EX40. 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 EX40. 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 EX40. 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 EX40's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.