It’s hard to say for sure, but blame may lay with the 20-inch wheels fitted to the Techno model we tested and their narrow-sidewalled tyres. When we drove early pre-production examples last year on 19-inch wheels, the problem was not so clearly apparent; perhaps, therefore, the answer is to plump for the Equilibre, whose 18-inch wheels and higher-profile tyres might better take the sting out of bumps.
The Telegraph verdict
Even so equipped, though, you’d still have to live with a range that is, in cold conditions at least, decidedly sub-par. And that makes it difficult to award more than three stars.
Which is a shame, because such a score belies the delightful way it drives, the beautifully put together interior, the sizeable boot and the usability of its controls.
But at the end of the day, a car’s core purpose is to get you to where you need to go. And had you spent £40,000-odd on this car and it struggled to do that – or more accurately, struggled to get you anywhere near as far as its maker promises – then the chances are that no amount of smart interior plastics or sweetly tuned steering would save it from your wrath.
The facts
On test: Renault Megane E-Tech EV60 Techno
Body style: five-door SUV
On sale: now
How much? £39,495 on the road (range from £36,995)
How fast? 99mph, 0-62mph in 7.5sec
How economical? 3.9mpkWh (WLTP Combined)
Engine & gearbox: N/A
Electric powertrain: AC synchronous motor with 60kWh (usable) battery, 135kW on-board charger, Type 2/CCS charging socket
Electric range: 280 miles (WLTP Combined)
Maximum power/torque: 217bhp/221lb ft
CO2 emissions: 0g/km (tailpipe), 37g/km (well-to-wheel)
VED: £0
Warranty: five years / 100,000 miles (unlimited mileage in first two years)
Spare wheel as standard: no (not available)
The rivals
Volkswagen ID.3 58kWh Pro Performance Life
201bhp, 265 miles, £36,990 on the road
