The new battery increases the autonomy of the Renault Scenic up to 600 kilometers

The Renault Scenic has been updated with new batteries, significantly increasing the range of the electric SUV.

The long-range variant (currently sold in the UK) is now capable of traveling up to 399 miles between charges, an increase of 20 miles, thanks to an extra 2 kWh of capacity.

Its new battery does not have a higher maximum charge rate than before, of 150 kW, but it can maintain this input for a longer period. As such, a recharge from 10 to 80% takes 10 minutes less than before, 28 minutes.

The Long Range variant will be followed by a revised Comfort Range derivative that makes the switch from nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP). chemistry.

Compared to NMC, LFP is cheaper to produce, less volatile if damaged, and more resistant to degradation due to regular fast charging, but it also consumes less power.

The new LFP battery has an additional 7 kWh of capacity compared to that used in the previous Comfort Range car, increasing its range from 30 miles to 290 miles. It can also be charged at 165 kW, offering a 10-80% time in 24 minutes.

Both batteries will be offered with the 215 HP front electric motor that currently powers the Scenic.

In addition to the new batteries, there are two new exterior paint colors, blue and gray, plus new wheel designs and different upholstery for the interior, depending on the trim level chosen.

A driver monitoring system is now included as standard and can now be used to detect different drivers and automatically select their preferred settings for the car’s driving position, infotainment system and ambient lighting.

Renault is yet to confirm when the updated Scenic will arrive in the UK, but a spokesperson told Autocar it was “under review”.

It also remains to be seen whether Renault will reintroduce the Comfort Range battery as an option here or simply stick with the Long Range battery.