• Official WLTP range of up to 379 miles
• Standard 150kW DC rapid charging
• Accurate range indicator

What are the running costs?

As we’ve said, there are two battery sizes: 60kWh and 87kWh. The entry-level battery had the same capacity as the top Megane, but Renault claims the Scenic got 6% more range. In the base Scenic the official range is respectable 260 miles, while the 87kWh model travels 379 miles according to the WLTP test cycle. That’s really impressive, and in real-world testing in the UK, we found in warmer weather up to 315 miles is a realistic range away from the motorway – and 280 miles on it.

A heat pump is standard. This helps maintain the battery’s range even in more extreme weather – by making the heating and air-conditioning more efficient and keeping the battery at the optimum temperature when it’s cold outside. Even so, range did tumble to around 260 miles per charge or less in the winter.

Renault says the Google Maps navigation is linked to the battery management system. That means it knows when to heat or cool the battery en route to a charger so it’s in the perfect condition to charge quickly when you arrive. The infotainment even considers the weather, in a bid to accurately predict your range, which does work in real-world driving.

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Maximum DC charging is 150kW, and Renault claims a strong charging curve that averages 110kW to replenish 50kWh in 30 minutes. And if all that makes absolutely no sense at all to you, basically, a 30 minute rapid charge should add around two hours or motorway driving. The standard onboard AC charger copes with up to 11kW for homes with three-phase electricity.

A 22kW charger was available, with a new version due for introduction in 2025 after an update. 22kW charging certainly proved useful on a camping holiday. It was cheaper than rapid charging, and finding public chargers with that power proved easy in seaside destinations we were visiting anyway. We left the car on charge in convenient multi-storeys whilst we had our day at the sea, and came back to a near full battery on both occasions. It’s a feature worth considering.

Servicing and warranty

The Scenic 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.

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Renault’s service plans for the Scenic E-Tech’s are simplicity itself. 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

• Not many reported problems
• We have experienced infotainment glitches
• Feels solid and well built, though

It’s still early days for the Scenic having only been launched in 2024. However, it’s an electric car which means there’s less to go wrong with it mechanically compared with petrol-powered rivals.

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. Thankfully, the Scenic E-Tech is based on the same CMF-EV platform as the Nissan Ariya, which should mean better dependability than older products.

Our only reliability gripe during our long-term test has been related to the wireless Apple CarPlay. This sometimes refuses to connect, and the signal can be patchy.