• Official WLTP range of 280 miles
• Standard 130kW DC rapid charging
• Fairly accurate range indicator

What are the running costs?

In the UK, the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric is only available with a 60kWh battery pack. Officially, Renault says the battery can store enough charge for a maximum range of 280 miles, but our testing suggests that figure is closer to 200 miles in the real world.

The Megane’s battery is compatible with a range of charging systems. A full charge using a normal three-pin plug takes more than 30 hours – but connect the car to a 7.4kW wallbox and you can slash that time down to 9 hours and 15 minutes. That’s easily doable overnight.

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Rapid charging is even faster. Every UK Megane gets 130kW DC rapid charging as standard, which is much quicker than the 50kW charging setup found on the Nissan Leaf and slightly better than the 120kW setup on the lowliest version of the Cupra Born. Using this system, the Megane will charge from empty to 80% capacity in one hour and 15 minutes. Or, to put that another way, for every half hour of rapid charging, it’ll take on around 180 miles of range.

Charging costs will depend on your home energy tariff or the rapid charger provider you visit. As a rough average, expect to pay between £0.12–£0.41/kWh for home charging and between £0.16–£0.69/kWh from providers such as Shell Recharge and Ionity. If you’d like more information, check out our explainer page on how much it costs to charge an electric car.

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Servicing and warranty

Every new Megane E-Tech Electric comes with a five-year/100,000-mile warranty, which covers the replacement of defective parts. The battery pack also has an eight-year/100,000 warranty – and all new Renaults come as standard with a three-year roadside assistance package.

Renault’s service plans for the Megane E-Tech’s work in the same way as the packages offered with the Zoe. You pay a fixed figure per month to cover the cost of your car’s first three or four services, depending on the plan you select. The four-year service plan also adds an extra year of warranty cover.

Reliability

• Still a very new car
• We can’t yet know its reliability
• Feels solid enough, though

The Renault Megane E-Tech Electric has only just gone on sale in the UK, so we’re still not sure about its reliability. It’s simply too early to make any meaningful decisions about its sturdiness.

However, it’s an electric car which means there isn’t much that can go wrong with it mechanically. Our biggest concern are the electrics – owners have reported that the smaller Renault Zoe suffered from electrical gremlins, such as dodgy infotainment systems and faulty wireless phone chargers.

Let’s hope Renault has worked out these kinks for the new Megane. Thankfully, the Megane E-Tech is based on the same CMF-EV platform as the Nissan Ariya, which is completely different to the aging modified Clio underpinnings found under the Zoe.

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