Renault Megane E-Tech Electric is official with ultra-thin battery

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a car battery measuring contest! Renault wins! Or, at least, so it says - the new Megane E-Tech Electric (what a name!) claims to have the world's thinnest battery at just 110mm (4.33"). We in fact have its full dimensions: it's 960mm (37.79") long, and 1450mm (57.08") wide too. This is apparently 40% smaller than the one in the Renault Zoe, and it weighs 395kg (870 lbs).

Interestingly, the Megane E-Tech Electric can be had with two options: a 40 kWh pack with a range of up to 300 km / 186 miles WLTP, and a 60 kWh pack with a range of up to 470 km / 292 miles WLTP. And both of these apparently have the same size. The battery has an eight-year guarantee. During that interval, if it deteriorates to less than 70% of its nominal capacity, it will be replaced free of charge.

The car (on some versions) supports DC charging up to 130 kW, and if you use such a charger you'll get 300 km (186 miles) of WLTP range in 30 minutes. For AC up to 22 kW is supported, and if you use such a charger you'll get 160 km (100 miles) of WLTP range in an hour.

Okay, now let's talk performance. The brand new motor used here has two versions, one developing 96 kW (130 hp) and 250 Nm of torque, the other going up to 160 kW (218 hp) and 300 Nm. The latter iteration accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 7.4 seconds. Maximum speed is limited to 160 km/h (100 mph).

Regen braking is on offer, with four selectable levels (using tab switches behind the steering wheel).

The Megane E-Tech Electric has a 2.7m (106") wheelbase and 4.21m (165") of total length. Its height is 1.5m (59"), width is 1.77m (69")(for the business model) or 1.78m (70")(for the private model) and it's developed on the company's CMF-EV modular platform. The center of gravity is lower by 9cm (3.5") compared to the Megane with internal combustion engine, and the 1624kg (3580 lbs) weight is evenly distributed because the battery is housed under the whole floor plate. The interior dimensions are similar to those of the internal combustion powered Megane, if not bigger.

You get a 12.3-inch 1920x720 landscape-oriented dashboard screen and a 12-inch 1250x1562 portrait-oriented multimedia screen - as an optional extra, though. The entry-level model features a 9-inch 1250x834 multimedia screen instead. The OpenR Link system Renault offers is powered by Google's Android Automotive.

The car will be available in Rafale Grey, Schist Grey, Midnight Blue, Flame Red, Diamond Black, and Glacier White and you can choose a two-tone finish if you want, enabling 30 possible combinations. The Megane E-Tech Electric will become available next year. Pricing hasn't been announced yet.