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Renault Filante EV celebrates record-breaking

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Following the Rétromobile show, the Renault Filante will attempt a new record.

Ahead of next week’s Rétromobile motor show in Paris (5-9 February), Renault has taken the wraps off its centrepiece, the Filante Record 2025. The name, and indeed the design of this dramatic vehicle pay homage to Renault’s history of record-breaking cars, starting with the 40 CV des Records, which began setting records 100 years ago, in 1925. Meanwhile, the original Étoile Filante (‘shooting star’ in French) set its own string of records in 1956.

Much more than just a concept car

However, the new Renault Filante is more than just a static model to wow the crowds and celebrate past achievements; instead, it too will be drafted into service as - Renault hopes - yet another record-breaker.

Although the Filante appears to be just a modern-looking take on its forebears, it has in fact been shaped as much by aerodynamics and it has been designed to set new records when it comes to efficiency. The dramatic bodywork is optimised for low drag and low weight, using carbon fibre and alternative construction techniques - including visible screws borrowed from the world of aeronautics - to keep the car’s weight under 1,000kg.

That seems even more astounding when you learn that the Filante measures 5.1 metres long, which is considerably longer than any production car Renault currently makes. At 19 inches in diameter, the wheel sizes aren’t particularly unusual, but they are fared in for low drag and they wear special new Michelin tyres designed for incredibly low rolling resistance.

Innovative cabin and air conditioning

Inside, the Filante is pared back, but stylishly so. There’s use of 3D-printing and novel materials such as an alloy called ‘Scalmolloy’ and stretched canvas and carbon for the seat. Meanwhile, the controls are melded together with the instruments and the steering ‘wheel’ even moves with the glass canopy above to make it easier to get in and out.

That’s made possible by the use of steer-by-wire technology, where there’s no physical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. The Filante also uses a brake-by-wire system, and a unique air circulation system designed for low weight and maximum efficiency.

Renault Scenic underneath?

While the Filante doesn’t use the same battery pack as the Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric, its more advanced setup does have the same energy capacity, at 87kWh. Renault Group’s electric mobility division, Ampere, was responsible for developing a cutting-edge battery to reduce weight and space taken up. It still accounts for some 600kg of the Filante’s overall mass.

Full details of the record Renault hopes to set have yet to be released, but it’s understood to be more about efficiency than outright range. Given the Scenic manages over 600km with the same battery energy capacity yet weighs twice as much as the Filante and likely causes twice as much drag, we expect an exceptional set of numbers to come from an attempt by the summer of 2025.

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Published on January 30, 2025
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