Next-generation Renault Megane to use new battery tech for 466-mile range
New Renault Megane family car is expected to go on sale in 2028 in both electric and range-extender forms...
Like an A-list celebrity reinventing themselves, the Renault Megane has been through a number of incarnations over the years, including morphing from a fairly frumpy family hatchback into a cutting-edge electric car in its latest form. Nothing stands still, though, which is why for its next generation, the Megane will change again – into the most futuristic Renault you can buy.
That’s because the upcoming Megane will be the first of a range of upcoming Renaults to use new underpinnings, which will feature an 800v architecture for the fastest charging. Indeed, Renault says charging – likely from 20-80% – could take as little as 10 minutes by 2030. That’s provided you can find a suitably powerful charging point, of course.
Compared with today’s electric cars, the new underpinnings contain 20% fewer parts and feature advanced blade-shaped battery cells, which allow for up to 466 miles of range in pure electric form. That’s a significant step up from today’s Megane, which officially manages up to 286 miles from its 60kWh (usable capacity) battery. It’s also more than the Megane’s immediate rivals, the Cupra Born and MG4 EV.
In terms of power, the new Megane will come with a 271bhp electric motor, which should bring a boost in performance over the 215bhp motor used in today’s car. That motor is already fairly nippy, managing the 0-60mph sprint in 6.9sec in our hands.
Inside, the new Megane will feature software co-developed with Google. This could bring an even deeper level of Google integration than what’s already available in the Renault 4 and Renault 5, which feature Google’s voice assistant and Google Maps navigation.
Interestingly, Renault says its next-generation cars will also feature deep artificial intelligence (AI) integration, suggesting that in the future, AI systems will be used to control safety and driver assistance features.
While all of this new technology might sound expensive, Renault says that using these new underpinnings should cut costs by around 40% compared with today’s electric cars. So for buyers, that should mean the next-generation Megane will remain competitively priced next to rivals.
Interestingly, Renault won’t just sell the new Megane in electric form, but also as a range-extender, where a small petrol engine is used to top up the battery on the move. In this form, the Megane should have a total range of 870 miles.
Renault’s decision to offer both fully electric and range-extender versions of the new Megane is a reflection of how sales of electric cars worldwide have so far failed to meet expectations. Indeed, while the latest official figures show that the UK’s new car market grew in February compared with the same month in 2025, petrol and diesel cars took the lion’s share (51%) of sales, with electric cars representing 24.2% of the total.
According to the UK’s ZEV Mandate, electric cars must account for a third of the total car market by the end of this year. Current estimates suggest that such cars could account for 28.5% of the market by the end of 2026 – still significantly behind the target.
With the current Megane having only been on sale since 2022, it’s unlikely that this new version will arrive until 2028 at the earliest.
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