Renault have lots of experience with EVs at this stage with their Zoe supermini and they can also call on technology from their partners, Nissan, who were first out of the blocks with an electric car for the masses.
You’d expect their latest EV, the Mégane E-Tech, to get a lot right then and you’d be right. There’s a lot to recommend this model.
For a start, it’s been designed from the start as an EV, so there are no compromises to accommodate an ICE engine. As a result, the battery pack, just 110mm thick, is buried in the floor where it should be and as a result, you sit no higher than in the outgoing, conventionally powered Mégane.
It’s good to say that this is a hatchback and not an SUV. With a smaller frontal area, a hatchback is more efficient, particularly at higher speeds and that’s crucial when it comes to eking out the last bit of range from an EV.
Range and Charging
Talking of range, Renault claim 450km but I found I was getting anywhere between 320 and 350km on a full charge, which is reasonable enough, particularly when there’s not such a great penalty for travelling at motorway speeds. Yes, you’ll use more battery power, but it doesn’t affect the range as much as you’d think.
There’s 60kWh of usable power in the battery and charging facilities are good, with pre-cooling allowing up to 130kW/h charging. The game changer though is the inclusion of 22kW AC charging. Most EVs are tied to just 11kW. There are a fair few 22kW chargers dotted around our towns and cities and even one hotel I stayed in had 22kW facilities, with the Mégane one of the few cars able to take full advantage. I managed a 50% top up in 90 minutes while I had my dinner and that’s the kind of convenience that makes a huge difference.
The Drive
The Mégane drives better than most too, with strong performance, courtesy of a 220bhp electric motor, that uses coils instead of magnets so there are no rare metals needed in its construction.
The chassis seems to be quite softly sprung but with strong damping ensuring that there’s a very direct feel to the road and offering up a smooth ride.
The only demerit is the lack of feel in the steering which at times made it difficult to place the car precisely. If that was addressed it would really make the Mégane a standout car.
You don’t feel the weight of the car in the same way that you do in other EVs. That’s mainly down to the battery, which isn’t as big and heavy and also sited correctly, lower in the chassis. In fact, the Mégane weighs in at around 1,600kg, which isn’t much heavier than a conventional ICE car.
Interior
The cabin uses a lot of good quality materials in different textures to create an inviting ambiance. The dashboard features a decently sized central touchscreen which runs an Android based operating system so it’s tightly integrated with google services, including satellite navigation, which was particularly easy to use. I just used voice control and it rarely let me down. Once you have your destination selected, the car gives you your predicted battery percentage at journey’s end, saving the driver the usual mental arithmetic on longer journeys.
To save space between the seats, the gear lever is on a stalk on the right hand side of the wheel. I often found myself hitting the wiper stalk instead but more time with the car would sort that.
There’s plenty of room in the front seats, given the long wheelbase, although legroom in the back could be a little bit better.
Initially, I was disappointed with the size of the boot. It looked quite shallow but I discovered that it’s also very deep so it really can accommodate a lot of luggage. There’s an additional storage area beneath the floor where the charging cable lives.
Conclusions
Overall, the Mégane proved very easy to drive, with four levels of brake regeneration selectable with steering wheel paddles. On the strongest setting, one pedal driving is possible and it made for a very easy time of it, particularly on cross country drives, where the instant and strong torque made overtaking easy.
My only caveat is the smaller than average rear window, which made rear visibility less expansive than it might have been. It’s not a huge issues when parking as there are plenty of high quality cameras to aid when manoeuvring.
The Mégane E-Tech range starts from €37,495 which gets you a 40kWh version in equilibre trim, which comes with items including 18” alloys, dual zone climate control, LED headlights, keyless start and entry and heated seats and steering wheel.
My test car, a Techno model with the bigger battery starts from €45,295 and adds 20” wheels, driving modes, ambient interior lighting, automatic dipping headlights and adaptive cruise control, to name just a few.
If you’re looking for a family sized EV, the Mégane is well worth a look.
