EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RENAULT E-TECH 100% ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES
lithium-ion battery
The lithium-ion battery is currently the benchmark technology for electric cars.
Renault chose to equip its E‑Tech 100% electric vehicles with this technology, as it offers customers an optimal technical solution with maximum benefits:
high energy density giving long driving range
able to accept high charging powers for better chargeability
consistent performance whatever the temperature and no memory effect
battery durability and ageing managed over time.
understanding the Renault E-Tech 100% electric technology
the design of our batteries
The traction battery is your electric vehicle’s main component. It is designed and produced with the utmost care. We aim to reduce its size while ensuring optimum performance. The battery consists of several elements that make sure it works properly:
SAFETY ELEMENTS
With its specially designed airtight casing, a Renault electric battery cannot catch fire on its own. In the event of damage or accident, the Fireman Access and sd switch help firefighters intervene in complete safety.
CELL
A cell is the key component of the battery. Made up of electrodes and electrolytes, it takes energy released during the chemical reaction and converts it into a current that powers the vehicle. Several hundreds of cells are grouped together inside the modules.
MODULE
The pack includes several modules that are assembled and connected together. The number of modules will affect the size of the battery and therefore the driving range.
BMS
A Battery Management System ensures proper function overall by managing key elements (temperature, voltage, etc.). It protects the battery and helps it work properly.
BATTERY PACK
All of the battery components together are referred to as the battery pack. Its structure is built for extra rigidity inside the vehicle, which ensures the safety of the chemical and electronic components.
Note: only the cells and modules are developed with our partners. All other battery components are designed and produced by Renault. A guarantee of quality to meet your requirements.
how does an electric battery work?
The lithium-ion battery is a component that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. This happens as a result of a chemical reaction that takes place between 2 electrodes - one positive (the cathode) and the other negative (the anode), all immersed in an electrolyte. When the battery powers your car, the accumulated electrons are released in a constant flux of energy through the vehicle’s circuitry between the anode and the cathode to power the electric motor. Conversely, when the battery recovers energy transmitted by the charger or through regenerative braking, the electrons return to their initial position.
The battery’s capacity is expressed in kilowatt hours (kWh). This should not be confused with the instantaneous power of the electric motor or a charge expressed in kilowatts (kW). You can think of it as comparing the capacity of a combustion-powered vehicle’s fuel tank expressed in litres (l) and the engine power in horsepower (hp).
driving range
It mainly depends on the battery’s capacity. The greater the capacity the more miles the vehicle can cover. However, other factors such as vehicle weight, driving style and weather conditions affect the electric vehicle’s range.
example: Renault Megane E-Tech 100% electric
Renault Megane E-Tech 100% electric: 60 kWh stored in an 11 cm thick battery, for a driving range of up to 470 km WLTP per charge.Driving ranges vary for all of our vehicles, discover our Renault E-Tech 100% electric range.
CHARGEABILITY AND POWER
chargeability
The main role of the battery is to store and redistribute energy. It determines your electric vehicle’s driving range. When designing it, we take into account its chargeability, i.e. its ability to absorb the power provided (kW) rapidly whatever the charge type.
charging time
Our E-Tech vehicle batteries are designed to offer the best compromise between stored energy and charging time. Ideal for motorway use and for effective recovery during ultra-fast charging. You can recover up to 200 km of driving range in 30 minutes with Renault Megane E-Tech 100% electric. It offers greater charging versatility up to 22 kW on an AC network and up to 130 KW during maximum peak on a fast DC network charging point.
outside conditions
The battery is also subject to outside conditions. To make sure that the vehicle works correctly, we adjust the operating temperatures using the cooling system built into the battery. In addition, with Google Maps built in and our openR link system, as you near a scheduled DC charging point, we preheat the battery to optimise the charging power*
*depending on model and version
LONGEVITY AND DURABILITY
Renault expertise and quality guarantee
Since the first Renault Zoe hit the market, Renault has gained over 10 years of experience in electric technology. This means we know a lot about how batteries age. Our expertise and our commitment are a guarantee.
battery warranty
Our Renault E-Tech 100% electric vehicles include batteries under warrantee for 8 years or 160,000 km (whichever expires first). It should be noted that batteries naturally degrade like with any electronic device equipped with a battery. On our new models, batteries are guaranteed to keep at least 70% of their initial capacity over the warranty period.
battery safety
The safety of its electric vehicles is a priority for Renault. Renault is the only car manufacturer to have integrated a firefighter into its teams. Both work in close collaboration with third-party safety experts to improve your safety. Two major innovations for example:
Fireman Access
The Fireman Access gives firefighters direct access to the heart of the battery if it is affected by an external fire, reducing the intervention time to just 5 minutes.
During firefighter interventions (excluding fires), the battery can be immediately disconnected from the electrical circuitry via the innovative SD Switch, thereby protecting the firefighters from potential electrocution.
When batteries reach the end of their first life, i.e. between 10 and 15 years or when they fall below the 70% charging capacity, they can be replaced. They then embark on a second life, for example by being reused for storing renewable energy or other less demanding mobile uses. Once this second life has ended, they can then be recycled.
In accordance with the European Directive, Renault has committed to collect the used batteries of its electric vehicles. All of our Renault E-Tech centres are there to assist you with your battery recycling. Starting 2024, the Re-Factory in Flins is also planning to begin installing an electric battery and vehicle dismantling line
SECOND LIFE
second life
Once the batteries’ first life has ended, the challenge is to find ways to reuse them. The Mobilize brand focuses on this issue with its “Advanced Battery Storage” programme, which have already been deployed on several sites in France and Europe. These batteries can then be used, for example, to store the energy produced by wind turbines and solar farms. This way they compensate for the inherent intermittence of these resources.
RECYCLING
recycling
For a lithium-ion battery like the one in Renault Zoe, the recycling process starts with dismantling to extract all of the components. The structural, plastic, metal and welding elements go to their own specific recycling facilities.
your questions about electric batteries
IS IT BETTER TO BUY OR RENT THE BATTERY?
Unlike in the early days of electric cars, most car manufacturers no longer offer battery leasing. The reason for this is simple and promising: this technology has proven to be a winner both in terms of operation and durability.
In fact, Renault E-Tech batteries are now guaranteed for 160,000 km or 8 years and can be replaced if their level drops below 70% of their initial capacity.
Renault has over 10 years of experience with electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries. Durability exceeds industry projections, with very little capacity loss over 10 years.
Good to know:
if you are interested in the idea of leasing, electric vehicle leasing options (battery included) still exist at Renault;
if you want to resell your electric vehicle, Renault can issue a battery SoH certificate.
Good to know: in any case, Renault guarantees that every battery will be recycled, by partnering with specialist companies.
ARE ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES RECYCLED?
Absolutely. Firstly, because there is a legal obligation to do so, but also because Renault sees it as a logical choice. Naturally, our batteries are designed with the full life cycle in mind.
Our goal for 2030 is to produce around 70% of our batteries using strategic materials (nickel, cobalt, lithium, etc.), sourced from the recycled end-of-life batteries. Renault Group, with its Re-Factory in Flins and its partnership with Veolia and Solvay, is well ahead of its competitors.
1st life: at the heart of our vehicles. The battery will be kept until its capacity is no longer good enough to keep the vehicle running properly (less than 70% of its initial capacity). Its “state of health” can by monitored using the My Renault app.
2nd life: a new purpose. When the battery drops below 70% of its initial capacity, it can still be useful. It can be re-employed in other e-mobility fields or for solar or wind power systems.
3rd life: recovery of components. 6 to 10 years later, it will be sent for recycling so that different elements (nickel, cobalt, lithium, etc.) can be recovered. The aim is to recycle up to 95% of its components.
Renault surrounds itself with specialist partners in order to ensure responsible and circular production throughout this cycle. Logical.