Renault Megane E-Tech Electric is half EV, half smartphone

September 6, 2021September 7, 2021 EV Central team 3410 Views renault

Renault has whipped the covers of its all-new Megane E-Tech Electric, a vehicle it promises will use “state-of-the-art software and optimised connectivity to deliver new experiences” to EV owners.

Renault says the electrified Megane, which rides on a new CMF-EV platform – also used under the Nissan Ariya – will behave “much like a smartphone”, with an on-board entertainment developed by internet search giant Google.

All of those are big promises. But it’s important not to lose sight of the fact the new Megane E-Tech Electric is, at its core, an electric vehicle, albeit one the does things a little differently.

While some EVs (Tesla among them) claim lightning-quick acceleration as a key selling point, not so Renault, who says its new Megane will clip 100km/h in a fairly leisurely 7.4 seconds.

This clearly is a vehicle designed for the real world, and to help it survive and thrive there it arrives with two battery options — a 40kWh that will deliver 300km of driving on the WLTP cycle, and a 60kWh that ups the driving distance to 470km.

No matter which you opt for, Renault is making big noise about its “ultra-thin” battery construction, with the 395kg pack measuring just 110mm in height – a number the brand claims makes it the thinnest on the market, and allowed them to lower the roofline of the vehicle for better aero.

Speaking of which, the new Megane stretches 4.21m in length, 1.77, in width and 1.5m in height and rides on a 2.7m wheelbase.

The brand is debuting a new chemical makeup in the LG-sourced lithium-ion batteries required to achieve that 110mm hight, with the pack using more nickel and less cobalt for more energy density.

That battery feeds a new lightweight motor (145kg) for Renault, producing either 96kW and 250Nm, or 160kW and 300Nm.

When it comes to charging, the Megane E-Tech Electric can be used with 130kW DC fast chargers, taking on 300km in driving range in 30 minutes. More common 22kW chargers will add 160km in up to an hour.

Now, about that smartphone guff. The Megane is very much a Google vehicle, with the internet giant helping to develop the OpenR Link multimedia system, which provides Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play.

And credit where it’s due, the OpenR system looks epic, and the brand describes it as its “crowning jewell”. A 12.3-inch screen in the dash joins a 12.0-inch central screen forming a massive single screen that dominates the front of the cabin.

“The All-new Mégane E-Tech Electric embodies the electric revolution that Renault started a decade ago. By democratising the electric technology, it succeeds in making the electric vehicle affordable, with no compromise on efficiency and driving pleasure,” says Renault CEO, Luca de Meo.