Electric mobility is now entering its second round at Renault with the next electric developed specifically for e-mobility, almost 10 years after the premiere of the Zoe.
The compact Megane E-Tech was developed on its own CMF-EV battery platform and is making its debut at the IAA car show in Munich before going on sale next year, the manufacturer has announced.
However, the current Megane with conventional engines will still be offered in parallel for the time being, Renault says. The electric model essentially only shares the name - even the Renault logo has been redesigned.
Designed as a crossover, the Megane E-Tech measures 4.21 metres and is more than a hand's breadth taller than its namesake. According to Renault, it offers significantly more space inside and also has a more modern cockpit with larger screens and more options for controlling various media and apps.
Under the hood, Renault initially relies on two variants of a front-mounted electrically excited synchronous motor with 130 or 218 horsepower. With these, sprint times of 7.4 seconds at best are possible.
The all-new electric motor, developed withing the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, boasts better power output compared to permanent magnet motors and doesn’t require rare earth metals, thereby reducing the environmental impact and cost of large-scale production.
The top speed is limited to 160kph. The engines are powered by 40 or 60 kWh batteries. Charged with up to 130 kW, this enables a standard range of 300km for the small battery and up to 470km for the large battery, according to the manufacturer.
