how to carry a bike on an MG4: roof bars, tow bar, etc.
this may be of interest to anyone looking for bike racks, tow bars, or roof bars for the MG4. I've done the research but also had some great support from two shops who have chased down the parts also. This is quite the opposite to some other stores who either ignored my queries, or followed up a small bit and then gave up. I've no affiliation to either of the locations (both in Dublin) - this is just acknowledgement of their effort, and if the info is of use to anyone.
As for range impact, it's noticeable. I used the Saris (wth two road bikes on it) below to go from Dublin to CenterParcs in Longford recently 106km each way with around 90km of it on motorway which I drove at 100-105km/hr. It was around 30% each way - so a total range of 300km. so, easily a 20% hit on the battery to range. Ouch. I suspect a roof rack or two bar setup woudn't be as bad as there is less fabric straps flapping around in the wind. The Saris also sits on top of the rear tail which is likely the worst for efficiency also.
The Saris EX-2 or EX-3 (3 bike, €250 at https://www.halfords.ie/) model goes on the bike even though it's not officially certified (I assume as Saris just haven't tested it yet) - photo attached. It works but also isn't perfect - the side straps either go quite low as in the photo, or if pushed up as high as they can, aren't perfect and slip to a degree. You can't go on the side of the glass as there's a plastic frame either. I've found that all the weight ends up hanging off the top straps which stretch more than you'd think and the foot pads then end up hanging off the windows. It works fine but if I was doing regular trips with bikes I'd be looking at either option below instead. Pro-tip: cut up a bike tyre to put under the metal pieces so that your paint isn't scratched! You also can't open the boot more than around 5-10cm. As for lights and the reg plate, in my setup with two roadbikes, you can easily still see all the lights (I had family in a car behind me to verify) but the reg plate isn't visible. worth keeping in mind.....
Roof bars - note the roof is rated for a maximum off 60kg so keep in mind if putting anything up there.
Nick at thebikerack.ie (https://thebikerack.ie) was great in helping me chase down the various parts for roof. Only Thule support the car at present, and it turns out the footpack isn't even officially listed on their dealer website! The parts are:
Wingbar Evo Roof Rails come in a set of two: In silver they cost €129.59 for the set
Thule Th10500 Footpack (specific to the MG4) is a set of 4 and the cost is €129.59 for the set
Thule Adaptor kit is again a set of 4 and the cost is €52.99 for the set
Thule Proride Roof racks in silver are €161.99 each so the sub total is €323.98.
Two bikes would set you back €640
Just the roof bars (if you were planning to use a roof box) would be €320.
Tow bar - note: the car can tow a maximum of 500kg, but has a ball rating of 50kg. A bike rack for 2-3 bikes weighs 17-22kg so that only leaves ~30kg for the bikes. I.e. I don't think you'd be able to carry two e-bikes (even if you took out the batteries), but you could carry one and a normal roadbike, or else three non e-bikes.
Malcolm's Towbars (https://www.malcolms.ie) were outstanding here (most other places didn't come back to me), also calling the companies to find out the correct part, wiring requirements, and how to cut the floor at the rear of the car to mount the bar (this is standard on most EVs where the undertray has to be cut). It's €1000 for the towbar. Note that Frank Keane have been quoting me €1500 for the install (and even though I've been asking since January, still can't tell me when they can do it...)
Malcolm's stocks some great looking bike racks also.
I'm making do with the Saris for now as I don't travel with bikes very often. However, if I was doing any trips of any frequency I'd be looking at roof racks or tow bar. I'd probably go for the tow bar approach personally as the roof rack with bikes means your height is now well over 2 metres which would affect you getting into certain car parks, etc. (e.g. Lahinch where the fast charger is!).
lastly, I'm off to Kerry in July from Dublin with the bikes on the back. I'll report back after that trip on range. I'll be making use of the amazing fast charging capabilities of the car while on route I think..... (and thankfully Kerry has had a bunch of new fast chargers installed in Cahiersaveen and Dingle this month).