A storied French automotive company has created a sleek "laboratory on wheels" to test new electric vehicle technologies.
The Renault Filante Record 2025, an EV concept car, aims to push the limits of aerodynamics and energy efficiency.
Electrek reported on the EV, which was designed around the same 87 kilowatt-hour capacity battery as Renault's Scenic E-Tech compact crossover. Renault hopes the bold-looking "Ultraviolet Blue" car will set new records for power consumption and range.
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The aeronautical-inspired design is a nod to the brand's rich history and Renault's vision for an electrified future.
As demand surges for EVs, researchers are looking for ways to boost battery range.
According to a press release, one key goal for the Renault Filante Record 2025 was to make an energy-efficient lightweight vehicle, which in turn would extend battery range. To achieve this, designers combined ultralight materials and advanced manufacturing techniques.
Each vehicle component was optimized to reduce weight while still being strong enough to break records. Engineers brought the car's weight down to an impressive 1,000 kilograms (2,204 pounds), according to Electrek, 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds) of which is the battery itself.
Some innovations developed for the EV include aerospace-inspired materials, 3D-printed parts, unique friction-reducing tires, and fully electronic steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire technologies.
"We designed this vehicle as a sculpture in motion," said Sandeep Bhambra, director of advanced design at Renault. "Inspired by fighter planes and the speed records of the nineteenth century, it reflects both performance and timeless elegance."
Designers drew inspiration from Renault's famed 40 CV des Records, which set a string of speed and endurance records between 1924 and 1926, and the Étoile Filante, which broke several speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1956.
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"The design as a whole seeks to convey an impression of flow and lightness," said Bhambra.
Similarly, Renault looked to the brand's history when designing other powerful electric vehicles. The company is also behind the accessible, budget-friendly EV brand Dacia.
This latest car is a testament to Renault's vision for future EVs that will maximize performance, comfort, and efficiency. Throughout the automaker's history, it has used motorsports and records to road test innovations before implementing them in production models.
The cutting-edge tech developed for the Renault Filante Record 2025 is expected to make its way into the next generation of Renault's electric vehicles.
These advancements will continue to shatter misconceptions about EV range and efficiency, powering our transition away from air-polluting, gas-powered cars.
Per Electrek, the Renault Filante Record 2025 will be on view at the Rétromobile car show in Paris, before competing for new efficiency records later in the year.
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