Renault has launched its new electric vehicle in the Megane range during the IAA Munich Motor Show. It will be an electric SUV. Megane earlier featured every type of car from hatchbacks to convertible. The specifications of this Megane E-Tech are nothing extraordinary. But it showcases safer EVs for brands everywhere. It provides access for rescue teams to use when putting out an electrical fire. Renault has partnered with French firefighters to bring out this feature. Now it will be possible to extinguish a battery fire in less than five minutes. Usually, in an EV a fire extinguishing process may take up to three hours.
The problems like thermal runaway incidents from overcharging or damaged packs that cause battery fires were a headache for emergency workers. They find it difficult to contain the extreme heat and also putting out this fire with traditional equipment is a herculean task. Even in normal situations, the higher voltage present in lithium-ion battery packs poses a safety risk. The vehicle has a QR code on the windshield which when scanned gives access to the safety blueprint of the vehicle. It will have details on where to cut the electric supply and related information.
The design for the Megane E-Tech’s crossover shape was taken from the Morphoz concept. It has a lot of sustainable technology that includes an interior made of 100% recycled upholstery. It also provides a vehicle-to-grid charging that facilitates the vehicle to gibe power back to the owner’s house. The Open R infotainment architecture with which the center of the cabin is based on Google’s Android Automotive OS. The base models will have a 9-inch display for the multimedia screen which reaches 12-inches in higher variants.
There will be two different variants of powertrains. The base one will have 130 horsepower. The premium one will have 215 horsepower with 221 pound-feet of torque, which allows acceleration from 0 to 60mph in 7.4 seconds. The vehicle will be available in 40kWh and 60kWh battery packs. The former battery provides 186 miles of range and the latter will provide 292 miles. It can be charged from 130kW fast-charging stations that can offer up to 186 miles when charged for 30 minutes. The availability of the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric is yet to be announced by the company.
