Test – 1,500 km in Renault Megane E-Tech Evolution EV60 130 hp: small engine and big 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 traveled 1,500 kilometers in the electric compact.

Present on the electric car market for more than ten years with the Zoé, Renault is positioning itself in a higher segment with the Megane E-Tech. This model marks Renault’s entry into a new era, that of the electric car made in France, and a move upmarket.

Design, interior presentation, but above all performance, engine and battery: we had the opportunity to put this new Megane to the test, which starts from scratch and launches a new phase of electrification for the Losange.

For this fifth generation of Renault Megane, the French manufacturer changes everything. The car gains in stature, and sports totally different lines. Despite its compact size, it changes proportions and notably gains in height.

Design and presentation of the electric Renault Megane

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

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

Renault has put the package for brand identity, since the new logo of the firm is very imposing on the grille, while the light signatures are completely new. These also perform 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 daytime running light, as is the case on the other finishes. In addition to the kinematics of the headlights, the car displays a stylized and luminous version of the Renault logo on the ground, vertical to the mirrors.

The rear headlights are thin and high placed, since the rear window is not very imposing. This poses some rearview problems, but the effect is aesthetically successful. Thanks to its high waistline and sloping roof, the Mégane is both statutory and dynamic.

This design has the drawback, as often, of making the rear seats uncomfortable for tall people. Fortunately, the front seats offer satisfactory seating and support. In addition, apart from the headroom, the rear seats are also comfortable.

Interior and multimedia system of the electric Megane

The interior of the Renault Megane E-Tech is completely new. Two things mark when you settle on board. The first is how everything falls to hand when you’re behind the wheel.

The criticism to be made around the steering wheel is the placement of the selection switch for forward, reverse and neutral gear, which is far too close to that of the windscreen wipers. Thus, it is not always the one we want that falls to hand, and we often activate the wipers instead of going into forward gear, or vice versa.

The cockpit is fully facing the person seated in the driver’s seat. And the central screen is easy to access, which is crucial for managing the car. It is this large 9-inch vertical screen that is the second thing that marks us when entering the Megane.

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

The Google system perfectly justifies this presentation, with in particular a Google Maps GPS. This can also be displayed on the 12-inch instrument screen behind the steering wheel. This reminder is practical so that you don’t take your eyes off the road.

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

Never aggressive, these two large screens are perfectly usable in all circumstances. The highlight of Google’s GPS is the integration of Renault’s charge planner. We will come back to this later, but this one is very effective.

Measured power and good regeneration

The trial version of our electric Megane had the 130 horsepower engine. Considered the “small” powertrain, it is more than enough to move the 1500 kilos of the vehicle.

The reminders are sometimes a little lazy, but the consumption is adequate. 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 using the paddles behind the steering wheel. At the highest level, the car turns on its brake lights, which means it brakes at more than 1G. And it shows, since the meter tells us that it recovers more than 60 kW instantly when you release the accelerator frankly with this mode engaged.

And it is when one has the possibility of measuring the acceleration and of flowing the brakings that one sees the efficiency of the Frenchwoman. Under these conditions, consumption drops drastically and we see autonomy increase drastically.

Battery capacity still too low?

Our Mégane E-Tech had the largest of the two batteries available in the catalog, with a capacity of 60 kWh. Over the entire test, our average climbed to 20.3 kWh / 100 km, with the majority of trips on the highway.

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

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

As we said, consumption on the road drops drastically, thanks in particular to the excellent regeneration. Despite the cold temperatures at the time of the test, we kept consumption below 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 drive only on the road and in town. On the highway, there will be approximately 250 kilometers of autonomy, a little more when driving between 110 and 120 km / h. We do not hide that at more than 40,000 euros, we would have appreciated a little more distance between two charges.

Read also
Buying guide: choosing the right electric Renault Megane

What is the Megane’s “Super Charge” worth?

Our test car is the “Super Charge” version of the Megane. This allows a power of up to 130 kW on a DC socket, thanks to a Combo CCS socket. On an AC outlet, it only charges at 7 kW, against 22 kW for the “Optimum Charge” version.

With the ambient cold, it was impossible to get the Megane to charge at 130 kW on the fast terminals. On a Fastned station, we saw a load reach 119 kW peak, at maximum. On an Ionity station, the power ceiling was 117 kW. In both cases, this power is reached between 10 and 15%, to quickly fall thereafter. On the Lidl charging stations, we did not exceed 100 kW, but the car already had a little over 20% battery when we plugged it in.

From 25%, the charging power decreased rapidly to stabilize around 80 kW down to 40%. The descent was then steady to reach just under 40 kW of power when the battery reached 80%.

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

Given the sometimes negative temperatures, the recharge 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 worth?

Overall, Renault has designed a pleasant electric car, with a successful presentation. In addition to the very modern dashboard, the fabric seats are also of high quality, and the comfort is there. We don’t hide the fact that in the trial version, we would have liked options like heated seats.

Indeed, this Evolution Super Charge version is displayed at 41,200 euros in the catalog. This 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 Mégane is a Made in France car. Because yes, if we obviously buy the know-how of the manufacturer that is Renault, we also buy with this model an electric car manufactured in France.

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

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