Renault previously announced that it plans to launch seven new electric cars by the end of the decade, in an effort to return to the throne on the domestic market in the segment of electric vehicles. The compact hatchback Renault Megane E-Tech with a lower price thanks to a government subsidy could help them in this.

In an interview with Reuters, Renault sales director for France Ivan Segal said: “The main focus of the Renault brand in 2024 is to go back on the offensive in the electric vehicle segment, since we are currently second.”

The French carmaker is currently third in the domestic market with almost 18,000 electric Meganes sold last year, while other manufacturers have achieved much better results. Tesla has sold 25,000 Tesla Model 3s and more than 37,000 Model Ys, and is the leader in the French electric vehicle market. The second is the Chinese brand MG, which sold 20,000 units of the MG4 compact hatchback in its first year on the French market.

Renault’s response in the effort to regain the position of the largest car seller in France will be the electric SUV Scenic and the electric Renault 5, which is expected in the summer. Also, the reduction in the price of electric cars (subsidy) should contribute to this, making them more accessible to a larger number of customers compared to the main competitors (Tesla and MG). Now the price of the Megane E-Tech will be 34,000 euros, or 29,000 euros with the subsidy.

Megane E-Tech is based on the CMF-EV platform and is powered by an electric motor with 218 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. It is equipped with a 60 kWh battery that enables a range of 280 miles (450 km).

Source: Reuters