Car Vrum

We are standing next to a Volkswagen ID.3 at the fast charger. You operate it with annoying touch buttons and clumsy sliders. Fortunately, the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric has ordinary, familiar buttons. That works so well. The electric Megane is already ahead, and then the range test has yet to start.

The test drives went smoothly: both during the day (100 km/h, 19 degrees) and in the evening (130 km/h, 18 degrees) it is quiet on the road, so we can drive pretty constant. In addition, the air conditioning has to do almost nothing. The route starts and ends at the same point, to eliminate the influence of wind and height differences.

Remarkable: the turning point (down the highway, over the viaduct, onto the highway) had major consequences for the average speed (see photos). We were really driving 100 and 130 km/h.

Renault Megane E-Tech Electric: range at 100 km/h

At 100 km/h, the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric has an average power consumption of 15.4 kWh/100 km† That is for the EV60 version with 220 hp. If you would completely empty a full battery of 60 kWh, you would come 389 kilometer ver.

Renault communicates a WLTP range of 450 kilometers and makes no distinction between the standard narrow 18-inch and the slightly wider and larger 20-inch tires of our test car. In addition, the WLTP test is different from our 100 km/h test – you only have to drive through the inside a few times to get not 389 but more than 400 kilometers on a full battery.

We also tested the Volkswagen ID.3 range, in November 2020. Then it was colder (11 degrees) and we clocked 16.3 kWh/100 km. That is a difference of 0.9 kWh/100 km, power that was probably consumed by the heating. It seems that the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric and the Volkswagen ID.3 are about equally economical.

Renault Megane E-Tech Electric: range at 130 km/h

At 130 km/h – still a legal speed in some places and times – the power consumption rises to average 23.5 kWh/100 km† A usable capacity of 60 kWh gives a 130 km/h range of 255 kilometer

With the Volkswagen ID.3 we were shocked at the time by the high power consumption at 130 km/h: 25.8 kWh/100 km. That equates to a range of 224 kilometers. Of course, the fresh outside temperature of 5 degrees Celsius did not help at the time.

Conclusion

With the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, we do such range tests for fun. The electric hatchback is firmly on the road, has a smooth suspension and the operation is nice and simple.

Since it is not a large, high suv, the power consumption is not that bad and you get a long way on a battery charge. 389 kilometers if you drive constantly at 100 km/h and 255 kilometers at 130 km/h. That does a 69,333 euro BMW iX3 no better. The Megane E-Tech Electric EV60 with 220 hp and the Volkswagen ID.3 with 58 kWh and 204 hp are well matched. But only the Renault has real buttons…