All-new Megane E-TECH Electric: road-trip to the heart of innovations – Episode 7
Episode 7
An innovation to stay at the forefront of in-car technology
Renault has been innovating continuously for almost 125 years. From the direct drive gearbox in 1899 to the E-TECH hybrid drive unit in 2020, the brand has always strived for making its customers benefit from the creativity of its inventors much to the delight of its customers. And Renault is still innovating with the first vehicle in its “Nouvelle Vague”, the All-new Megane E-TECH Electric. Over 300 patents were filed during the design of the car and its platform. We selected seven of these innovations to show you during our road trip between Paris and Normandy with Jean-Baptiste Nicolet, aka TheiCollection. In this seventh and final episode, find out how the All-new Megane E-TECH Electric will stay at the forefront of technology, including in relation to new after sale equipment.
Join Jean-Baptiste Nicolet, host of the YouTube channel TheiCollection, takes us on a road-trip on board the All-new Renault Megane E-TECH Electric, journeying through a selection of innovative features that gave rise to a number of patents. In this seventh episode, the road trip is coming to an end, and the finish line at the Technocentre in Guyancourt (Yvelines) is not far away. Over the last few miles, we looked at the updated OpenR Link system in the Megane E-TECH Electric using FOTA technology.
With the programmable configuration shelter, a patented innovation, we wanted to give our customers the benefit of being able to automatically update everything while retaining any customisations they had already chosen through the after-sale network.
Jean-Baptiste took advantage of his last few miles behind the wheel of the All-new Megane E‑TECH Electric to talk about the seventh and final innovation covered in our series, which involves remote updates to the OpenR Link multimedia and navigation system.
The internal software updates automatically via the GSM network, like a smartphone. The on‑board experience is enhanced using firmware over the air (FOTA) technology. The driver does not even have to travel to a workshop as everything is carried out remotely and automatically. Regular updates include corrections and improvements to the multimedia system, and even new functions for the vehicle.
But Jean-Baptiste knows that Renault engineers went even further, making the updates to the All-new Megane E-TECH Electric even more precise through their patented innovation – the “programmable configuration shelter”. The innovation aligns with Renault’s aspiration to become a more tech-focused carmaker.
To find out more, Jean-Baptiste contacted Patrick Benavoli, a multimedia expert at the Renault Software Factory. Patrick explained that he had designed a new patented system to improve remote updates; no longer will they erase information related to any customisation chosen after sale. Through the programmable configuration shelter, the size of new rims or the installation of an alarm, for example, are saved in the operating system, making life easier for the vehicle owner.
Behind the wheel, Jean-Baptiste enjoys his last miles in the All-new Megane E-TECH Electric, now knowing all there is to know about its innovative features. He looks back his road trip and all the explanations of the experts on the reduced weight of the hatch, the reinforced acoustic insulation of the passenger compartment, the absence of rare earth in the engine, the oil cooling system in the electric motor, the heat recovery generated by the battery and, from now on, the programmable configuration shelter for remote updates.
With all its innovations, the All‑new Megane E-TECH Electric undeniably stands at the forefront of technology. This explains the welcome given to the car on its return to the Renault Technocentre!
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
All-new Megane E-TECH Electric: delving into the heart of innovation
All-new Megane E-TECH Electric: road-trip to the heart of innovation
All-new Megane E-TECH Electric: road-trip to the heart of innovations - Episode 5
