Renault Scenic review - Range, charging & running costs

Renault clearly doesn’t want anyone considering the Scenic to experience so-called ‘charging anxiety’, because its launch was focused on its large 87kWh battery pack. Since then, a smaller 60kWh battery has also arrived as a more affordable option, but only in the entry-level Techno trim. Not only is the 87kWh pack a decent size, it also boasts Renault’s latest battery chemistry and a heat pump, the latter of which is a more efficient way of warming up the cabin on cold days and saving the battery. It’s also been designed to be very light for an EV thanks to an aluminium bonnet and doors which also make use of 80% recycled materials, boosting its eco-friendly credentials even further.

The result is an impressive 379-mile range, which is ahead of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen ID.4, which can both manage around 320 miles. The 60kWh version has an official range of around 260 miles, putting it in the ballpark of the Toyota bZ4X and entry-level Ioniq 5.

Charging speeds top out at 150kW for the Renault, and while EVs tend to vary their actual charging rate depending on the temperature and state of charge of the battery, its software is programmed to keep it above 100kW for as long as possible. Plug it in at a motorway rapid charger while you grab a coffee and burger for half an hour, and it should get you another two hours further before you need to stop again.

Like all zero-emission models, the Scenic will benefit from the cheapest Benefit-in-Kind rates for company car choosers, free entry into clean air zones like the ULEZ and free VED (road tax) until its rule change in 2025.
 

How efficient is the Renault Scenic in the real world

Following a drive of around three hours and mostly motorway driving, our Scenic test car managed an efficiency figure of 3.8 miles/kWh when we first tested it, which equates to a range of around 330 miles. It’s an impressive result given that higher speeds tend to whittle down an EVs range more quickly, and we were using the air-conditioning to keep the cabin cool. When we tested the Scenic again on British roads, we averaged around 3.4 miles/kWh, which was a bit less than the 3.7 miles/kWh of the Ford Explorer it was up against.

What will the Renault Scenic cost to insure?

Pricey and complex electric SUVs tend to cost quite a bit to insure, with models like the Tesla Model Y sitting in groups in the 40s out of just 50 in total. The Volkswagen ID.4 is somewhat better in this regard, in groups 20-30, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 spans up to group 44 for the large battery, all-wheel drive version. The Renault Scenic fares pretty well here, spanning groups from 28 with the smaller battery to 32 for the range-topper.