AS ONE OF the Limerick Post’s resident petrolheads, I happily accepted the offer to test and review the new Renault Megane E-Tech from Dennehy Motors.
Though as someone who had never driven an electric car before, I wasn’t sure what to expect of a fully electric vehicle (EV).
With prices starting from €37,495, rising up to €47,795, the Renault Megane E-Tech has a range of up to 450km of range on a full charge, which I’ll admit made me slightly nervous when compared to a rough 770km range from a full tank of diesel in my own car.
With a 60KWh battery and boasting 220 horsepower, the Megane E-Tech can do 0-100 in 7.5 seconds, and when driving in sport mode, the car feels incredibly responsive.
It is also a very comfortable and fun car to drive, especially with the automatic transmission. The lack of engine noise, while unusual at first for someone who has only ever driven petrol and diesel cars, added to how comfortable the drive felt.
In the cabin, the Megane has all the specs you’d expect from a new car, such as Apple Car Play and Android Auto, heated seats and air conditioning (which given the incredibly humid weather when I tested the Megane, was much enjoyed!).
The infotainment system comes in the form of a large touchscreen which has Google built into it, including Google’s voice assistant, which you can ask to to a multitude of things without ever having to take your hands off the steering wheel.
As someone who has an almost 100km round trip commute to work, I was excited to get an idea of how the range of an EV would stack up compared to my diesel car.
I was also curious to find out if there were any home charging options for someone like me, who doesn’t have a driveway at home or any space to park my car that isn’t on-street parking.
According to Renault, a full charge with a 7.5-KWh home charger takes nine hours and 15 minutes, but Mike Duggan, used car manager at Dennehy Motors told me that it is generally recommended to keep the car charged to 80 per cent for day-to-day use, and only charge to 100 per cent when you have a longer journey coming up.
Driving the Megane E-Tech itself was incredibly enjoyable. The power from the car certainly didn’t leave me lacking, getting up to motorway speeds with ease.
The power steering also felt very reactive, and the car handled really well with a stiff yet soft suspension.
I will admit, I went into the test drive with a bit of healthy scepticism, unsure if I could be convinced that an EV might be for me.
Within the first few hours of driving the Megane E-Tech, I began to rethink that.
The comfort, smooth driving experience, and all the tech bits were enough to have me thinking that this is a car I could happily own.
However, when it comes down to it, until there are better home charging options for people without off-street parking (which I’m assured are coming down the line), owning an EV just doesn’t seem like a viable option for me.
Final verdict: The Renault Megane E-Tech is a smooth, comfortable car with plenty of power, as well as plenty of tech, and safety features. A great option for someone who is looking to upgrade their current EV or make the jump into electric vehicle ownership.
