Renault Megane E-Tech Electric review — first impressions

Renault needs no introduction. The company began its full-scale commitment to electric mobility more than 20 years ago. Yeah, that was before Tesla was founded. Its CEO was announced as “Mr. EV” at Earth powerhouses such as the famous event in Davos. Its Zoe model is his best-selling BEV in Europe, and in 2020 he has over 100,000 vehicles delivered.

Alas, those glory days are over. The new management wanted to go the PHEV way at the same time that the market was saying goodbye to this technology. They are dabbling in hydrogen fuel cell technology as a possible alternative to battery electricity. The HFCEV powertrain’s theoretical niche, the sole part of transportation, heavy trucking, was sold to Volvo long ago.

A successor to the aging Zoe is due for 2024, and it’s a retro model that we hope will be welcomed in Renault’s home country of France. The Twingo ZE is a fun little city car to drive. The battery is too small and doesn’t have DC fast charging, so it’s only suitable for urban use. Upgrading it with a bigger battery and a better charging system from its cousin Dacia Spring could double or triple sales.

BEV birth

Renault and Alliance partners Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors have developed a new dedicated Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) platform for the C/D segment. This his CMF-EV modular toolkit is expected to be the platform for at least 15 models that the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance will bring to market this decade. His first two models are the fully electric Renault Megane E-Tech and the Nissan Ariya.

Renault called hybrid and plug-in hybrid models E-Tech models and all-electric models ZE or zero-emission models. The E-Tech moniker is now used for all ‘electrified’ models. It’s a way to confuse customers. It’s probably because people want to know what they’re buying, thinking they can sell one version with the reputation of another, and confusing customers is never good for sales. It’s not due to marketing drones that don’t understand.

The CMF-EV toolkit includes two battery modules with a 63kWh battery and an 87kWh battery. These are the batteries installed in the Aria. Renault’s marketing gurus decided that in Europe a battery of 40 kWh for him and 60 kWh for him would be sufficient.

They even had the great idea of ​​offering a 40kWh version without DC fast charging.This configuration was not welcomed in most (all?) countries.

Renault engineers have proven they know what it’s like to build an electric car. In many respects they have collaborated with the Renault F1 Team. Everything that was not under the control of the marketing department seems to be excellent.

Last year’s European Car of the Year was second between new models from Kia and Hyundai. We scored it on every metric that an old-school car journalist would rate. The public is less impressed with it. A small battery and a weak motor are not what people want in a C-segment car. Many competitors use batteries that are 40% or more larger.

spec:

• Battery — 40/60kWh, range about 158/208 miles.
• Motor — 96/160kW and 250/300Nm, front wheel drive.
• Charging — 90/150kW DC and 22kW AC.
• Safety — Euro NCAP ***** (5 stars)
• Length * Width * Height — 165.4 inches * 73.2 inches * 59.3 inches

There is some confusion about battery size. Most batteries have a nominal size and a usable size. The difference is mostly between 5% and 10%. Renault uses the same number for both. EV-Database thinks 55kWh with the larger battery. If the Megane is as efficient as it claims, the battery size is 55kWh.

Adaptive Cruise Control, Enhanced Parking Assist and Heat Pump are all options and some are only available at higher trim levels. Most of the competition has some or all of these as standard, at least at higher trim levels.

driving machine

It’s a driver’s car. That’s what critics agree on. The influence of F1 experts and the choice to choose a car as close to an ICE car as possible has resulted in a car that is light and easy to drive. However, it sacrifices range.

I was used to Zoe, my 10-year-older, but smaller, glasses-sister sister, so it didn’t make much of a difference in the driving experience. That’s sad.

For my driving style, car weight is less important, suppleness is more important. The Mercedes EQS and Volvo C40 were clearly better driving machines, as was the MG5. Again, I am not a car journalist. Driving a car is not exciting for me. I like leisurely travel.

Riding a bike is different now. On two wheels, it’s fun to go through corners and run along river banks without a straight line of 10 meters or more. It’s like dancing on two wheels. You have to find a rhythm that suits the road and your speed. But unfortunately I am too old for such fun.

Infotainment and driver assistance

Renault and Nissan had developed their own infotainment and driver assistance systems. Merging two disparate systems is the worst thing an IT development can do. Ditching one and choosing the other was a non-starter after a civil war between the parties.

They did the smart thing and scrapped both systems in favor of off-the-shelf systems from software companies. Google was the lucky company chosen to sell its line of automotive systems to the Alliance. This makes reviewing infotainment systems very easy. Most people know more about Google’s features than I do.

Driver assistance systems are top notch. But you have to pay extra for them. You have to spend at least €3,000 on top of the list price. €5,000 is on the horizon for nice colors or flashy rims.

ease of use

Renault, one of the first electric car pioneers, didn’t have to rely on Tesla. His unique experience and perfect rapport with many experienced automotive journalists. But those journalists don’t criticize the hands that feed them. When Tesla unveiled the Model 3 to the public, the masses were existing and future Tesla drivers. Before nightfall, it was clear that the trunk would not be easily accessible. A promise to rectify this mistake was made within days. The trunk of the glasses is really accessible only to weightlifters. Threshold too high. Elderly people and petite women will have trouble loading and unloading groceries and luggage.

Don’t try to go on vacation in this car. The required range is missing. Even fast charging hops from charging station to charging station. Its efficiency is due to its low mass. Once fully loaded, you lose that advantage, but you’re stuck with a small battery.

If you try to make a fully electric car like a fossil fuel car, you risk the worst. Renault should forget his F1 expertise and the joy of driving Alpine’s two-seater sports car. Stop listening to journalists who drive for fun. Most of our customers are looking for a place where they can get through hours of daily traffic jams and get to their vacation destination without their kids killing each other.

I was one of the first to drive the original Mégane Scénic. i have 3 of them. I loved Twingo the way my wife loved Twingo and my parents-in-law loved Twingo. I’m still happy to drive Zoe (our 3rd anniversary was two days before his). I’m not a complete Renault file (Renault enthusiast), but I like it much more than BMW’s, Audi’s and Toyota’s. Just to name a few interesting brands.

I really don’t understand what Renault is doing at the moment. Sales numbers and market signals should please journalists and regulators and provide a very strong incentive to change the current policy of ignoring customers.

Here are some photos of the Renault Megane E-Tech.

 

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