Chinese-market EV listings usually quote CLTC. European-market listings quote WLTP. They measure the same car on different cycles, and CLTC is the more generous of the two — often by 20 to 30 percent. Neither is a lie; they simply are not interchangeable, and a quote that mixes them is a quote you cannot compare.
What the difference looks like in practice
A car advertised at 500 km CLTC will typically be somewhere near 400 km WLTP, and real-world figures in hot climates with air conditioning running will sit under both. If a buyer plans routes on the CLTC number, the vehicle will look like it underperforms when it is in fact doing exactly what it was certified to do.
Why we quote WLTP
Every range figure on this site is MG's published WLTP number, taken from the manufacturer's own model pages. Up to 258 miles for the MG4 EV Urban, up to 338 for the 2026 MG4 EV, up to 298 for the MGS5 EV. It is the conservative figure, which means it travels safely into a customer conversation without a correction later.
What to ask any supplier
- Which cycle is this range figure from — WLTP, CLTC or NEDC?
- Which battery and which trim does that figure apply to?
- What is the DC charging curve, not just the peak kW headline?
- Is a heat pump fitted, and is it standard or trim-dependent?
The last one catches people out. A heat pump is worth more real range in a cold month than fifty kilometres of certified figure, and it is frequently an upper-trim item. On the MG4 EV Urban it is standard.
