E-TECH TERMINOLOGY

E-Tech Glossary
E-Tech technology
Find all the useful definitions for E-Tech 100% electric, E-Tech full hybrid and E-Tech plug-in hybrid technology components.     
A
AC (ALTERNATING CURRENT)
AC current is the most common form distributed by the power grid and therefore the most widely used. It is easy to transport and to transform, and limits losses. This is the type of current in standard charging stations like domestic sockets, Green’up sockets, Wallboxes and public charging stations.
AC CHARGING
This is the most conventional method for charging electric vehicles and uses alternating current.
When you plug your vehicle into an AC charging point, the current is converted inside the vehicle before entering the battery using the onboard charger.
AC charging is generally slower than DC charging, but it is more common and is available in many places, including at home or at work.
16 A (FLEXI-CHARGER) DOMESTIC CABLE
A charging cable that can be used to plug your car into a reinforced or normal domestic socket (earthed). Designed for occasional home charging. The cable has a communication and control unit for completely safe charging (mode 2).
This type of cable has 2 types of connectors depending on the ends. One end is compatible with the European vehicle standard (Type 2), the other end is compatible with domestic sockets.
B
BATTERY
As with all of your electronic devices that have batteries, the battery in your vehicle is the component that stores and redistributes power in your electric vehicle.
The battery in your electric vehicle is made up of electrochemical cells. They store the energy that your electric vehicle needs to make the motor work.
Its power is expressed in kWh.
C
CHARGING MODE (MODE 1, 2 OR 3)
The charging cable modes for electric vehicles can be divided into 3 modes for charging with AC current:
 
Mode 1: This is the simplest and oldest charging mode. It uses a standard cable with a domestic socket and a type 2 connector for the electric vehicle. This mode is the slowest, but it is the easiest to use. Note that there is no built-in safety and charge control with this mode. 

Mode 2: This charging mode is quicker than mode 1, but it requires a specially designed cable with an integrated protection system. It is equipped with surge and short circuit protection, and it offers better safety for the vehicle and the environment. 

Mode 3: This is the quickest and most advanced charging mode. It uses a specific charging point (domestic or public) with an integrated charge management function for more accurate control and increased safety.
COMBO CCS T2
Acronym for Combo Charging System - Type 2. It combines the standard Type 2 connector for slow charging and an additional connector for rapid charging via the combined charging system (CCS), which is the European standard connector for DC charging.
Almost all electric cars sold in Europe are now equipped with a Combo CCS port as it is very powerful, flexible and easy to handle. The Combo CCS connector can deliver more than 300 kW of power.
D
DC CHARGING
DC charging refers to the process of charging an electric vehicle using direct current (DC). DC charging is faster than AC charging and can be done at specialist rapid charging stations, which tend to be close to motorways.
The DC current is stored directly in the battery at high power, which reduces the charging time considerably. However, DC charging stations are less common and are generally more expensive to use.
DC (DIRECT CURRENT)
Direct current is the second kind of current. Electricity is stored in the vehicle’s battery in this form.
The AC to DC conversion is carried out directly by special charging points to obtain ultra rapid charging.
DRIVING RANGE
The driving range of a car with E-Tech technology is the number of kilometres that it can cover with a single charge or a charge and a full tank. The value is defined according to the consumption assessed according to the WLTP protocol. 

For an E-Tech 100% electric vehicle, the driving range represents the car’s capacity to drive between 2 charges from 100% to 0% on a WLTP cycle. This driving range will be lower under real-world conditions 

There are 2 types of driving range for a plug-in hybrid vehicle. The electric range, which works in the same way as for a 100% electric vehicle, except that the driving range will be shorter due to the size of the traction battery. The overall driving range is improved as it has 2 sources of energy (petrol + electricity). 

For a non-rechargeable E-Tech full hybrid vehicle, the driving range works in the same way as for a traditional combustion engine car, except it will be longer due to the reduced consumption.
E
E-TECH
Renault technology covering all the vehicles that can drive 100% electric. It does not include mild hybrid technologies.
The technology is split into 3 sub-technologies:
  • E-Tech 100% electric: corresponds to electric cars such as Megane E-Tech 100% electric
  • E-Tech plug in hybrid: this refers to plug-in hybrid vehicles such as Captur E-Tech plug-in hybrid
  • E-Tech full hybrid refers to standard non-rechargeable hybrid vehicles such as Austral E-Tech full hybrid
    ECO-MODE
    This driving mode available on our vehicles helps you to conserve electric driving range. It helps you to consume less by reducing the performance of certain functions such as heating or air conditioning.
    H
    HEAT PUMP
    Equipment used to heat your electric vehicle’s cabin. The heat pump significantly reduces your consumption of electrical energy and maximises your driving range when the external temperature is below 15 °C.     
    HOME CHARGING POINT
    Delivers much greater intensity than a conventional domestic power socket, for more efficient, faster charging. With its charge control and surge protection systems, it provides a safer home charging solution with between 3.7 kW and 22 kW of power. The most common are 7.4 kW AC single-phase and 11 kW AC three-phase.
    K
    KW
    A unit for measuring the power of electric equipment, the abbreviation of kilowatt.
    The kilowatt can indicate the power of a vehicle’s motor, whether it is electric or combustion-powered. It can also be used when talking about the power of a charging station.
    N.B. 1 kW = 1.36 hp
    KWH
    A unit for measuring the quantity of energy stored in a traction battery, the abbreviation of kilowatt hour.
    Technically, it corresponds to a power of 1 kW consumed over one hour. In practice, for a 60 kWh battery, it means that it is theoretically capable of providing 60 kW in 1 hour.
    KWH/100KM
    A unit of measurement for the average electrical consumption of an electric car or plug-in hybrid over 100 kilometres. It is the electric vehicle equivalent to “litres per hundred kilometres”.
    Our E-Tech 100% electric vehicles have a consumption of approximately 15 kWh/100 km, i.e. 15 kWh of electricity consumed for a distance of 100 km. Measured according to the WLTP protocol.
    R
    REGENERATIVE BRAKING
    The principle of regenerative braking is to transform kinetic energy into electrical current, which charges the vehicle’s battery automatically. A system for recovering energy during braking, which increases the vehicle’s driving range. The battery charges when the driver takes their foot off the accelerator pedal or presses lightly on the brake.     
    T
    TOTAL CAPACITY
    The total capacity of a battery is the maximum amount of energy that the battery can store to ensure its long-term operation whilst maintaining its performance for the customer. It is expressed in kWh.
    In other words, the total capacity is the total amount of energy in the battery, whereas the useful capacity is the amount of energy actually available for driving.
    TYPE 2
    European standard charge connector that must be included on electric vehicles. It is now built into the Combo CCS global connector. Type 2 can carry up to 43 kW of power. 

    The Type 2 connector is a European standard connector for charging electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids with alternating current (AC). It is now built into the Combo CCS global connector, another European standard that is used in Europe and other countries.
    It offers high performance connectivity and precise charge control, which allows cars to be charged efficiently.
    The Type 2 connector is generally used with charging modes 2 and 3 and can be found on public and private charging points.

    TYPE 2 CABLE
    To charge electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles faster: You need this cable to charge your car on a domestic charging point or on public infrastructure up to a power of 43 kW.
    It meets the European standard and is composed of a type 2 connector at each end and uses mode 3 to ensure communication between your vehicle and the charging station
    U
    USEFUL CAPACITY
    The useful capacity is the amount of energy in the battery that can actually be used by your Renault equipped with E-Tech technology.
    It is expressed in kWh.
    The useful capacity can be affected by several factors, such as the temperature, the age of the battery and the charging/ discharging cycles. The useful capacity determines the actual distance an electric car can cover on a single charge. 
    (ULTRA-) RAPID CHARGING POINT
    A charging point is considered to be rapid when it can offer more than 43 kW of power. To achieve this power output, it must have a three-phase connection for it to deliver direct current (DC). 

    The charging cable that is built into the charging point charges the battery without using the charger in your vehicle, which makes high-power charging possible.
     
    This often means that an 80% charge can be achieved in 30 minutes. The most powerful charging stations can provide up to 350 kW.
    W
    WLTP
    The acronym for Worldwide harmonised Light vehicle Test Procedure for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. 

    This protocol lays down the exact conditions for carrying out tests on all makes of vehicles, which allows important information to be communicated and compared for consumers and the legislator, such as:
    • fuel or electricity consumption
    • driving range of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles
    • pollution emissions that are much closer to daily use