Renault Argentina chose the Teatro Colón to officially present the new Megane E-Techthe medium-sized one that from now on will be 100% electric and is the first of the next generation of zero-emission models from the French brand.
This new model had been exhibited by the brand in its summer actions and had previously been in the country to film the advertisement that was later broadcast in Europe.
The Megane, which in the past had its industrial trajectory in our country, now returns 100% electric and as the maximum technological exponent of the French brand.
With this launch, plus the Kwid E-Tech that is already sold in the local market and the upcoming arrival of the Kangoo E-Tech, the rhombus brand will be the only one in the country to offer three electric models in its range.
The new Megane E-Tech will be available starting in May in a single, powerful version, which will be very well equipped, especially in terms of safety. Its launch price is $71,000,000.
The first of a new era
The new Megane debuts a platform developed to build electric vehicles. Called CMF-EV, its development included the installation of a particularly thin battery, which allows it to optimize interior space.
Part of the result of this new platform can be seen in its exterior design, with short overhangs and a wheelbase (2.77 meters) worthy of a model from a higher segment.
The model also debuts a new lighting signature, thanks to the LED system, which gives it an “electrifying” identity, according to the brand. The projectors are made with six reflective panels and are adaptable, so there is no longer a need to switch between low beams and high beams: everything is automatic.
The combined double screen of the Renault Megane E-Tech gives it a large digital surface.The Megane E-Tech has recessed door handles. When the driver or front passenger reaches out to open a door, or when the vehicle is unlocked, handles hidden in the body automatically emerge.
The handles return to their place after two minutes of being parked, when the car begins to move forward or when the doors are locked. Those of the rear doors are also hidden above the frame.
Inside, it has the new combined single screen panel in an inverted ‘L’, which unites the digital instrument panel and the touch multimedia screen on the center console.
The screen is made with reinforced glass for a more robust finish. Its brightness and light reflectance have been optimized to ensure good visibility even in bright sunlight.
The Renault Megane E-Tech can recover up to 300 km in half an hour plugged into a powerful charger.The screen has a viewing area of 321 cm² for the 12.3-inch dashboard (1920 x 720 pixels, horizontal) and 453 cm² for the 12-inch multimedia center (1250 x 1562 pixels, vertical). The on-board digital interface therefore offers a total of 774 cm².
Powerful and with good autonomy
The engine of the new Megane is compact and only weighs 145 kilos, that is, 10% less than the engine that the brand used in another electric model such as the Zoe. However, there is a marked jump in power and torque: for this model a configuration of 220 HP (160 kW) and 300 Nm was chosen.
The battery, at 110 mm high, 1,960 mm long and 1,450 mm wide) is 40% smaller than the Zoe battery. This decision contributes to lowering the total height of the vehicle to 1.50 m for better aerodynamics and efficiency.
The capacity chosen for the Megane that arrives in Argentina is 60 kWh (in Europe there is another 40 kWh), which has an approved autonomy of 450 kilometers.
The recharging capacity allows the use of direct current (DC) stations with up to 130 kW power. In this way, in 8 minutes it can accumulate the energy necessary to travel 100 km or 300 km with 30 minutes of recharging.
Its launch price is striking. Although it is $71,000,000, this value is half that of other equivalent models due to size and also because it is electric. A Nissan Leaf, for example, started to cost $115,000,000, after the increase in the PAIS tax and the non-renewal of benefits for electric and hybrid cars.
While it was in force, until last year, 100% electric models that were imported from countries with which there was no free trade agreement paid a 2% tariff instead of the 35% that internal combustion models had to pay.