Renault Just Announced The Mégane With Android Automotive Running On ARM

Android Automotive is really making strides with car makers in the past year or so. At first, it was really just Volvo and Audi that were on-board. But we’ve also seen GM and a few others. Now, Renault is jumping on the Android Automotive bandwagon with its new Mégane crossover which was announced today.

It’s the Mégane E-Tech, which is a crossover or subcompact SUV, and it is using the new dedicated CMF-EV platform. But that’s not all, it’s also the first to use Android Automotive on an ARM architecture. That’s the same architecture that runs your Android smartphone. That’s a big deal. All others, have been using Intel for its chipset. Namely, Intel Atom chipsets. Instead, the Mégane is packed with a Snapdragon Automotive chipset, though surprisingly not the most up-to-date chipset from Qualcomm.

With Android Automotive on-board, it will be powering a 12.3-inch dashboard screen, along with a 9- or 12-inch infotainment screen in the center of the vehicle. Android Automotive will also power everything else in the car, not just infotainment. This includes climate controls, lighting and much more.

For those that use the iPhone, or maybe have a significant other that uses iPhone, they can still use Apple CarPlay here.

What kind of range does the Mégane E-Tech have?

Renault has stated that the range of the Mégane E-Tech is around 292 miles or 470 kilometers. And that’s on a 60kWh battery. That’s pretty impressive for that size of a battery – the Chevy Bolt has a 60kWh battery and is rated for only 238 miles.

Speaking of the Chevy Bolt, there’s been a lot of talk about EV fires as of late, thanks to GM recalling every Bolt ever made. Renault has addressed this by stating that it has worked firefighters to make this new EV safer to cut open and curb the risk of battery fires.

The Mégane E-Tech will be available in two powertrains. Which includes a 130-horsepower base trim, or a 215-horsepower trim with 221 pound-feet of torque. That’s good for a 0-60-mph time of 7.4 seconds.

you can pre-order the Mégane E-Tech now, and it’ll be available starting in Europe by February 2022.