Renault Megane e-tech EV60: what autonomy at maximum speed

However, the price remains correct when you remember that the Megane is a car made in France. Because yes, if we obviously buy the manufacturer’s know-how that is Renault, we also buy with this model an electric car made in France.

Test-1,500 km in Renault Megane E-Tech Evolution ER EV60 130 hp: Small engine and large battery, the best version ?

Renault released its second 100 % electric model with the Megane e-tech. To understand what the French manufacturer is revolutionizing, we have traveled 1,500 kilometers in the electric compact.

Present on the electric car market for over ten years with the Zoé, Renault is positioned in a higher segment with the Megane e-tech. This model marks the entrance to Renault into a new era, that of the electric car made in France, and a rise.

Design, interior presentation, but above all performances, engine and battery: we had the opportunity to test this new Megane, which leaves a white sheet and launches a new electrification phase for the diamond.

For this fifth generation of Renault Megane, the French manufacturer changes everything. The car wins in stature, and has completely different lines. Despite her compact template, she changes proportions and wins in particular in height.

Design and presentation of the RENAULT MEGANE Electric

Renault has indeed placed the battery under the chassis of the Mégane, which suits its lines. The box belt is high, but you don’t feel cramped inside the car.

It is camped on 18 -inch wheels in this Evolution version, which was white glacier color in our test version. We regret that white is not pearly, which does not highlight the model compared to other shades. This finish, specific to the small engine and large battery version, also has a specific shield.

Renault put the package for brand identity, since the new logo of the firm is very imposing on the grille, while the light signatures are fully new. They also make a kinematics when the car detects the key nearby, and also when it locks.

Note that in this version, the comma under the headlights is not lit in diurnal fire, as is the case on other finishes. In addition to the lighthouses, the car displays a stylized and bright version of the Renault logo on the ground, vertically of the mirrors.

The rear headlights are fine and high placed, since the rear window is not very imposing. This poses some feedback problems, but the effect is successful on the aesthetic level. Thanks to its high belt and its fleeing roof, the megane is both statutory and dynamic.

This design is defecting, as often, to make the rear seats uncomfortable for large templates. Fortunately, the front seats offer satisfactory seating and maintenance. In addition, apart from the head for the head, the rear seats are also comfortable.

Interior and Multimedia System of the Electric Megane

The interior of the Renault Megane e-tech is entirely new. Two things mark when you settle on board. The first is the way everything falls on hand when you are driving.

The reproach to do around the steering wheel is on the placement of the selection commodo for the front, reverse and standby walking is far too close to that of the wipers. Thus, it is not always the one we want to fall on hand, and we often activate the wipers instead of passing the walking before, or vice versa.

The cockpit is entirely in front of the person sitting on the driver’s chair. And the central screen is easy to access, which is crucial for the management of the car. It is this large 9 -inch vertical screen that is the second thing that marks us when entering megane.

Indeed, like a Tesla Model S or a Polestar 2, Renault has chosen the vertical format for its screen. As on Swedish, it has a system that is based on Android Automotive.

The Google system perfectly justifies this presentation, including a Google Maps GPS. This can also be displayed on the 12-inch instrumentation screen behind the steering wheel. This reminder is practical not to take your eyes off.

In addition, despite the display of GPS, the instrumentation screen also shows consumption, autonomy or speed in bubbles. This allows you to have a very readable display, especially since the night mode of the system is very responsive.

Never aggressive, these two large screens are perfectly exploitable in all circumstances. The strong point of Google GPS is the integration of the Renault charge planner. We will come back to it later, but it is very effective.

A measured power and good regeneration

The test version of our electric megane embarked on the 130 horsepower engine. Considered the “small” powertrain, it is more than enough to move the 1500 kilos of the vehicle.

Relances are sometimes a little lazy, but consumption is in line. And in an urban environment, we salute the flexibility of the vehicle and its engine.

Regeneration is very effective with four configurable energy recovery intensities thanks to the palettes behind the steering wheel. At the highest level, the car lights its stop lights, which means it brakes at more than 1g. And that feels, since the counter tells us that it recovers more than 60 kW in instantaneous when we drop the accelerator frankly with this mode started.

And it is when you have the possibility of dosing the acceleration and pouring the braking that we see the efficiency of the French. Under these conditions, consumption fall drastically and we see autonomy drastically increase.

A battery capacity still too low ?

Our mega e-tech embarked the largest of the two batteries available in the catalog, with a capacity of 60 kWh. On the entire test, our average climbed to 20.3 kWh/100 km, with a majority of journeys on the highway.

On this network, consumption oscillated between 20 and 25 kWh/100 km, depending on speed, drop and temperature. The 130 horsepower engine is indeed forced to force a little more at 130 km/h, and it feels. Thus, it is preferable to drive between 120 and 125 km/h maximum, which is more in line with the integrated planner.

Indeed, the latter previews the battery before load and displays the battery that will remain by arriving at the point indicated by the GPS. However, if we stay at 130 km/h, this figure drops from a few kilometers, while it will be perfectly real if we drive between 122 and 124 km/h, depending on the elevation.

As we said, road consumption fall drastically, especially thanks to excellent regeneration. Despite the cold temperatures at the time of the test, we kept consumption under 17 kWh/100 km on the secondary network, and even below 16 kWh/100 km in town.

It is difficult to exceed 350 kilometers of autonomy with this model, except to ride only on the road and in town. On the highway, there will be around 250 kilometers of autonomy, a little more by driving between 110 and 120 km/h. We do not hide only at more than 40,000 euros, we would have appreciated a little more distance between two charges.

Road	Motorway	City	Average
Consumption (kWh/100 km)	16.8	22.5	15.9	20.3

Read also Buying guide: Choosing the right Renault Megane Electric

What is the “super load” of the mega is worth ?

Our test car is the “super load” version of the megane. This allows power up to 130 kW on a DC socket, thanks to a CCS combo socket. On an AC socket, it only loads at 7 kW, against 22 kW for the “Optimum Charge” version.

With the ambient cold, it was impossible to bring the Megane to load at 130 kW on the fast terminals. On a Fastned station, we saw a load reaching 119 kW in peak, at most. On an Ionity terminal, the power ceiling was 117 kW. In both cases, this power reaches between 10 and 15 %, to quickly drop later. On the lidl charging terminals, we did not exceed 100 kW, but the car already had just over 20 % battery when it was connected.

From 25 %, the load power decreased quickly to stabilize around 80 kW up to 40 %. The descent was then regular to reach a little less than 40 kW of power when the battery reached 80 %.

On several terminals, we have found that a recharge ranging from 20 to 80 % is made on average to 60 kW. It is therefore necessary to count between 35 and 40 minutes, at this rate, to make this recharge.

Given the sometimes negative temperatures, the recharging time was correct. One can imagine that in good weather conditions, it would have taken less than half an hour to go from 20 to 80 %.

In conclusion: what is this Renault Mégane e-tech is worth ?

Overall, Renault has designed a pleasant electric car, with a successful presentation. In addition to the very modern dashboard, fabric seats are also qualitative, and comfort is there. We do not hide that in the test version, we would have liked options like heating seats.

Indeed, this Super Charge Evolution version is displayed at 41,200 euros in the catalog. It is a price low enough to trigger the maximum bonus, but for which we would have appreciated certain standards. Renault’s pricing policy is not new and we know that certain equipment is not automatically available on the most modest versions.

However, the price remains correct when you remember that the Megane is a car made in France. Because yes, if we obviously buy the manufacturer’s know-how that is Renault, we also buy with this model an electric car made in France.

It is difficult to compare it to its two rivals announced that are the Volkswagen ID.3 and the Tesla Model 3. The German plays in the same court in terms of price, and the services of the French are superior to him.

The Model 3 was a rival initially announced, but the price increases that start it at 44,990 euros in the catalog no longer place them on the same scale. Consequently, the choice of the Renault Mégane can fully justify itself, as long as you want to make your stone to the building that is the French automotive industry.

• A resolutely modern and assertive design
• A well -designed interior that wins in quality
• Hyper effective regeneration
• Android Automotive and the charging planner

Renault Megane e-tech EV60: what autonomy at maximum speed ?

What autonomy can we hope with an electric when we exceed 130 km/h ? A question that can be asked when borrowing German highways at unlimited speed. We wanted to answer it during a getaway across the Rhine with an EV60 electric megane. Alas, the faster we ride, the more time you waste ..

Electric vehicle users already know that speed has a significant impact on autonomy. But those who still hesitate to abandon thermal regularly asks us these questions: can we ride normally with a “zero emission” vehicle, or even enjoy their higher performance without ulterior motives, on German motorways for example ?

To try to answer them and, on the occasion, to complete our consumption measures of the E-Tech EV60 electric megane, we decided to go to a portion of highway without speed limitation, on the other side of the Rhine. It is true that, in practice, monitoring the rhythm of the queens of the left way is tempting, especially when you have 220 hp whose spontaneity has something to surprise more than one ..

As a reminder, the Frenchwoman had consumed 23.2 kWh/100 km at 130 km/h on a released highway, or 258 km maximum before completely emptying her battery of 60 kWh nets.

25% less autonomy ..

No need to try to follow the pace of large displacements: the maximum speed of the megane EV60 being limited electronically to 160 km/h. A good cruising speed that said, that we reach quickly. If the air noises are then important, the ultra-Sereine CAP hold invites us not to take off the right pedal of the carpet as long as the speed is unlimited and the horizon cleared.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to imagine long journeys like this, and for good reason: consumption is then 30.8 kWh/100 km and autonomy evaporates like the schnaps in the sun. Then count 194 km maximum, and 155 km with 80 % load (threshold from which drag on the plug is not used for much, the power falling beyond).