New Renault Megane Electric Teased With 217 HP, 60-kWh Battery

In October last year, Renault unveiled the Megane eVision Concept during the fully digital Renault eWays: The Challenge towards Zero Emissions event, hinting at the next-generation Megane for the European market. The high-riding hatch-like vehicle will become the brand's first fully electric model in the continent's C-segment, joining the A-segment Twingo E-Tech Electric and the B-segment Zoe.

Renault has just released the first teaser images with the upcoming production version of the concept and it's safe to say it won't be a drastic departure in terms of design. Judging by the photos, the so-called Megane E-Tech Electric will be an interesting mix between a traditional hatchback, a crossover, and even a multi-purpose vehicle, with the rear end reminding us of the latest-generation Renault Espace.

Renault also likes to call its new C-segment competitor MeganE (pronounced "Megane e") and it says the first 30 pre-production prototypes have already been assembled and are ready to hit the public roads this summer with engineers on board. More importantly, the French manufacturer has confirmed some of the technical specifications of the MeganE and they are looking promising.

Based on the modular CMF-EV platform, the electric hatch will be powered by a 217-horsepower (160-kilowatt) electric motor, probably motivating the front wheels. A 60-kWh battery pack will supply the electric energy required by the system with Renault promising a range of about 280 miles (450 kilometers) between two charges measured by Europe’s somewhat generous WLTP cycle. We expect the production model to be offered with a number of different powertrain options depending on the battery size, though nothing can be confirmed for now.

Seeing how quickly Renault has progressed from the concept to the production model, we expect to see the new Megane hit the brand’s showrooms in Europe towards the first half of next year. The electric vehicle will play a major role in Renault’s plan to sell almost only zero-emission machines by 2030.