The new Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric has been unveiled at IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich which runs until September 12.
It has a choice of two battery capacities – 40kWh for 300km range (WLTP) or 60kWh for 470km range, delivering either 96kW and 250Nm or 160kW and 300Nm and enabling the EV to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 7.4 seconds.
The E-Tech Electric has a 60kWh thin (110mm) battery pack and is part of an ecosystem where the vehicle represents a hardware platform housing state-of-the-art software and optimised connectivity to deliver new experiences.
“The all-new Mégane E-Tech Electric embodies the electric revolution that Renault started a decade ago,” Renault Group chief executive Luca de Meo says.
“By democratising the electric technology the new Mégane succeeds in making the electric vehicle affordable, with no compromise on efficiency and driving pleasure.”
The EV is a high-tech vehicle boasting a new OpenR display and its new OpenR Link multimedia system, developed with Google and based on Android Automotive OS.
It comes with Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play built in.
The new Megane is being made in France at the Douai factory in Renault’s ElectriCity, touted to soon be Europe’s largest and most competitive centre for EV production.
The Mégane E-Tech Electric offers plenty of room, has an extended wheelbase (2.70m for a total length of 4.21m) and reduced overhang offered by the new CMF-EV modular platform.
Aerodynamic performance is improved and the EV will be available in six body colours and can be specified with a two-tone finish enabling 30 possible combinations.
It has 20-inch wheels (18-inch for the entry-level model) and comes with a choice between two 20-inch rims and two 18-inch options.
Projectors are made using six reflective panels and are adaptive so it’s no longer necessary to switch between high and low-beam – it’s all automatic. The beam of light is much wider on urban roads to see more of what is happening around the vehicle, and much longer for the open road and on motorways.
The lights also adapt to changes in weather (rain, fog) via a switch located on the dashboard and serve as fog lights. Dynamic indicator lights round out the full range of ultra-modern and stylish lighting features.
Flush door handles automatically and electronically pop out when the driver approaches the EV or it is unlocked.
A ‘welcome on board!’ sequence ends when the driver sits in the driver’s seat. The OpenR screen with dashboard displays and multimedia screen turns on displaying the logo and brand name. Ambient lighting illuminates the cockpit while speakers play a new Renault audio cue rounding out the welcome sequence.
A new OpenR single-screen of reinforced glass with an anti-reflection coat combines – in an upside-down ‘L’ – the digital instrument panel and central console multimedia screen.
The engine has been developed within the Alliance and used by the various partners with little to no modifications, made in Japan for Nissan and in the Cléon factory in France for Renault.
It has regenerative braking on demand.
Both batteries come with an eight-year guarantee, replaced free if they deteriorate to less than 70% of their nominal capacity in that time.
The Mégane E-Tech Electric is compatible with all AC charging infrastructure: from domestic socket (10A/2.3kW single-phase) to public charging stations (32A/22kW triple-phase) recovering on the latter up to 160km within an hour.
Depending on the version, it can also be compatible with DC charging infrastructure up to 130kW (combo sockets CCS) charging infrastructures, and with DC 130kW the EV recovers up to 300km in just 30 minutes.
A QR code on the windscreen enables rescue teams to scan it when responding to an accident, giving them access to the car’s structural information.
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