As a test bed to push the boundaries of EV energy efficiency, Renault has created a new concept called the Filante Record 2025. Setting new records for the most distance travelled on a single charge is the aim of the FIlante Record 2025. The innovative materials and technology utilized in the Filante Record 2025 will be incorporated into the French automaker’s upcoming production vehicles.

Renault Filante Record 2025 design

Renault and French racing expert Ligier collaborated to create the design of Filante Record 2025. The concept is as long as a Range Rover but shorter than a McLaren 750S, measuring 5,120mm in length and 1,190mm in height. The Filante record 2025 can better regulate the airflow over its body thanks to these dimensions. The purpose of the 19-inch wheels, which Renault claims are typically a significant source of “aerodynamic interference,” is to reduce air drag. Teir unique Michelin tires seem to lessen frictional energy loses.

The Finlate Record 2025’s interior maintains the minimalist aesthetic with a small cockpit that draws inspiration from space and aviation. However, the weight saving philosophy goes to extreme lengths such as replacing a standard seat with stretched canvas hammock that conforms to the shape of the driver’s body.

Renault’s past speed record-strikers, such as the 40 CV des Records, Nervasport des Records, and Etoile Filante (“Shooting Star”) from the 1920s, 1930’s, and 1950’s, respectively, served as the model for the Filante Record 2025.

Renault Filante Record 2025 powertrain

For the Filante Record 2025, Ampere, Renault’s EV division, has created a custom 87kWh battery pack. In apparent attempt to maximize space, the battery cells are integrated directly into the pack, eschewing intermediate modules. This is equivalent to the capacity of the Renault Scenic, a two-ton SUV with a range of up to 610 kilometers that is sold abroad. The battery pack weighs less than the 600 kg and is only 1,710 mm wide because of its lightweight carbon casing.

The Filante Record 2025 weighs 1,000 kg because its body is made of ultra-light materials like carbon fiber and a high-strength aluminum alloy that was 3D printed. Renault has reduced the weight of the Filante by adding steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire technologies, which require fewer mechanical parts and enable a higher level of electronic precision. The chassis itself is composed of a composite of steel, carbon, and aluminum. According to Sandeep Bhambra, director of advanced design at Renault, the Filante Record 2025 “seeks to convey an impression of flow and lightness” in an interview with our sister publication Autocar UK. “We designed this vehicle as a sculpture in motion,” he continued. It combines performance and classic style, drawing inspiration from fighter aircraft and 19th-century speed records. Renault’s research into integrating smaller batteries into its production cars while maintaining the same range may benefit from the lessons learned from the Filante Record 2025 and its technologies, which would ultimately result in a lower price for EVs. This spring, Renault plans to start testing the Filante Record 2025, first in wind tunnels and subsequently on racetracks.