All-new Mégane E-TECH Electric: road-trip to the heart of innovations - Episode 3
Episode 3
A patent for an eco-friendlier electric motor
For nearly 125 years, Renault has been constantly seeking to innovate. From the direct drive gearbox in 1899 to the E-TECH hybrid motor in 2020, the brand has constantly found ways of giving its customers access to the ingenious designers of its in-house inventors. The All-new Megane E-TECH Electric – the first of Renault’s Nouvelle Vague – sees Renault still innovating. More than 300 patents have been lodged for the design of the vehicle and its platform, of which we have selected seven to showcase over the summer period as we head off on a summer road-trip with Jean-Baptiste Nicolet, a.k.a. TheiCollection. In our third episode, we will find out that the engine on the Megane E-TECH Electric is free of any rare-earth metals. Environmentally friendly innovation made possible thanks to the use of copper coils inside the rotor.
Join Jean-Baptiste Nicolet, host of the TheiCollection YouTube channel, as we explore the All-new Renault Megane E-TECH Electric’s main patented innovations. In this third episode, we continue on our way along the country roads of Normandy.
The rural countryside inspires Jean-Baptiste to discuss the reduced environmental impact of the Megane E-TECH Electric. In particular because the synchronous motor does not include magnet nor hard-to-recycle rare earth metals such as neodymium, whose extraction and processing produce toxic waste. Here to tell us more about the innovation that saw the removal of magnets, Edouard Nègre, electrical motor design leader at the Renault powertrain design department. He tells us how the All-new Megane E-TECH Electric was made more eco-friendly through using copper for its engine.
We invented a magnet-free rotor winding process. The magnet has been replaced by copper, which has a much smaller impact on the environment. This patented process also makes it possible to modulate the current flowing through the rotor so as to limit how much electricity the battery uses, especially at high speeds and on motorways.
This patented innovation was awarded in August 2022 “first prize” at the e5t Foundation's Territorial Innovation Awards ceremony, which recognises companies and individuals who are actors and drivers of the energy and ecological transition. The scoring criteria were: innovation, feasibility, environmental impact, territoriality and replicability.
Thrilled by this ‘green’ innovation, Jean-Baptiste can take to the road once again with peace of mind.
Tune into the next episode for more…
Find the other episodes of the series
All-new Mégane E-TECH Electric: road-trip to the heart of innovation
All-new Megane E-TECH Electric: delving into the heart of innovation - Episode 2
All-new Megane E-TECH Electric: delving into the heart of innovation - Episode 2
All-new Megane E-TECH Electric: road-trip to the heart of innovations - Episode 5
All-new Megane E-TECH Electric: road-trip to the heart of innovations - Episode 6
