The Renault Scenic has been updated with new batteries that bring a significant boost to its range.
The Long Range variant – the powertrain the electric SUV is currently offered with in the UK – is now capable of driving up to 399 miles between charges, an increase of 20 miles. That is thanks to an extra 2kWh of battery capacity.
The new battery does not have a higher peak charge rate than before, at 150kW, but can sustain this input for a longer period. As such, a 10-80% refill takes 10 fewer minutes than before, at 28min.
The Long Range will be followed by a revised Comfort Range derivative which makes the switch from the nickel-managanese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP). Compared with NMC, it is cheaper to produce, less volatile if damaged and is more resistant to degradation from regular rapid charging, but it is also less energy-dense.
The new LFP battery packs an extra 7kWh of capacity compared to that used in the previous Comfort Range car, boosting its range by 30 miles, to 290. It can also be recharged at 165kW, giving a 10-80% time of 24min.
Both batteries will be offered with the 215bhp rear-mounted motor that currently powers the Scenic.
In addition to the new batteries, there are two fresh exterior paint colours – slate blue and grey – plus new wheel designs and different upholstery for the interior, depending on the chosen trim level.
A driver monitoring system is fitted as standard, and this can now be used to detect different drivers and automatically select their preferred settings for the car’s driving position, infotainment system and mood lighting.
Renault has yet to confirm when the updated Scenic will arrive in the UK, though a spokesperson told Autocar that it was “under review”. It also remains to be seen whether Renault will reintroduce the Comfort Range battery as an option here, or stick simply with the Long Range.
