Renault aims for EV range record with retro-inspired Filante 2025 streamliner

Renault plans to break several EV range records with its newly-created Filante Record 2025 demo car, which aims to push the boundaries of what’s possible for EV energy efficiency.

The French car maker calls the striking, 1,000kg vehicle a “laboratory on wheels”, as it has been built using methods and materials that could trickle down to its all-electric road car line-up in the future.

The Filante is powered by the same 87kWh battery found in the Renault Scenic E-Tech, which has a range of 387 miles. However, that’s where the similarities with the production vehicle end.

The Filante’s 87kWh battery pack was created by Renault’s dedicated EV division, Ampere, and features directly-integrated cells without intermediate modules. The unit is housed in lightweight carbon to weigh less than 600kg, and measure 1.71m wide.

The Filante will begin testing during the first half of 2025. If it extracts more distance per-kWh from its power pack, it could lead to Renault fitting smaller batteries to its all-electric range. In doing so, it could reduce their purchase cost. Batteries currently amount to 40% of an EV’s overall construction.

The single-seater Filante’s streamliner-esque body is inspired by three historic models from Renault’s back catalogue – the 40 CV des Records of 1925/1929, the 1934 Nervasport des Records, and Etoile Filante from 1956; all of which were built to break speed records.

The Filante’s slippery form was created in conjunction with French motorsport experts, Ligier. Its 5.12m-long body and 1.19m height (even less than the Citroën Ami) allow for superior aerodynamic airflow.

The body is crafted from ultra-light materials such as carbonfibre and a special high-strength aluminium alloy created through 3D-printing to minimise waste and enable parts to be created with extreme precision.

The chassis is made from a composite of aluminium, carbon and steel, which is light yet strong enough to ensure stability while on a run.

Sandeep Bhambra, Renault’s director of advanced design said: “We designed this vehicle as a sculpture in motion. Inspired by fighter planes and the speed records of the 19th century, it reflects both performance and timeless elegance.”

Further weight saving gains have been made on the Filante thanks to steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire system technologies that reduce the number of physical mechanical components in the car. The recently-launched Renault 5 adopts the latter system. In the Filante, a hammock-style canvas supported by carbon fibre blades replaces a traditional seat.

Renault has also housed the 19-inch wheels in wheel guards to keep their impact on the car’s aerodynamics as low as possible. The tyres, developed in conjunction with Michelin, have been created to reduce energy loss from friction with the road.

The Renault Filante Record 2025 will be on display at this year’s Paris Motor Show, which runs from February 5 – 9.