Renault Filante Record: Fastest existing electric car?

Published On 1/2/2025, 7:13:54 pm Author Nitesh Yadav

The Filante Record 2025 draws inspiration from Renault’s historic speed record chasers, such as the Étoile Filante (1950s), as well as fighter jets and 19th-century speed records. Its design emphasizes "flow and lightness," aiming to create a "sculpture in motion."

Thumbnail of Renault Filante Record: Fastest existing electric car?

The Renault Filante Record 2025 is a groundbreaking electric vehicle (EV) concept designed to redefine energy efficiency, aerodynamics, and lightweight engineering. It serves as a test bed for Renault to explore cutting-edge technologies that could shape the future of its production EVs. Here’s a detailed look at its key aspects:

Design and Aerodynamics

Inspiration: The Filante Record 2025 draws inspiration from Renault’s historic speed record cars, such as the Étoile Filante (1950s), as well as fighter jets and 19th-century speed records. Its design philosophy emphasizes flow and lightness, aiming to create a "sculpture in motion."

Collaboration: The design is a result of a partnership between Renault and French racing specialist Ligier.

Dimensions: Measuring 5,120mm in length and 1,190mm in height, the Filante is as long as a Range Rover but lower than a McLaren 750S. These proportions optimize aerodynamics and reduce drag.

Wheels and Tires: The 19-inch wheels are specially designed to minimize aerodynamic interference, while Michelin tires reduce energy losses from friction.

Lightweight Construction

renault filante

Materials: The Filante Record 2025 weighs just 1,000kg, thanks to the use of ultra-light materials like carbon fiber and a 3D-printed high-strength aluminum alloy. The chassis is a composite of aluminum, carbon, and steel.

Weight-Saving Features: Renault has incorporated steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire technologies, which reduce mechanical components and enhance electronic precision. Even the interior features a hammock-style stretched canvas seat instead of traditional seating to save weight.

Powertrain and Battery

Battery: Developed by Renault’s EV division, Ampere, the Filante uses an 87kWh battery pack with cells integrated directly into the pack (no intermediate modules). This optimizes space and reduces weight, with the entire pack weighing under 600kg.

Efficiency: The lightweight design and aerodynamic optimizations allow the Filante to achieve a range comparable to the Renault Scenic (up to 610km), despite its smaller size and weight.

Goal: The primary objective of the Filante Record 2025 is to set new records for distance traveled on a single charge, showcasing Renault’s advancements in EV energy efficiency.

Interior Design

renault filante interior cockpit Minimalist Philosophy: The interior features a snug, driver-focused cockpit inspired by aviation and space travel.

Innovative Seating: The hammock-style seat adapts to the driver’s body shape, further emphasizing the car’s focus on weight reduction and comfort.

Testing and Future Applications

Testing Phases: Renault plans to test the Filante Record 2025 extensively, starting with wind tunnel tests followed by racetrack trials.

Technology Transfer: The learnings from the Filante’s development, particularly in lightweight materials and battery efficiency, are expected to influence Renault’s future production EVs. This could lead to smaller, lighter batteries with the same range, reducing costs and improving performance.

Is the Filante Record 2025 the Fastest Electric Car?

The name Filante pays homage to the legendary Étoile Filante (French for "Shooting Star"), a groundbreaking single-seater vehicle built by Renault in 1956. Inspired by aeronautics, the Étoile Filante was designed to set new speed records. On 5 September 1956, it achieved this goal at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States, breaking multiple records, including:

1-kilometer distance record: 306.9 km/h.

5-kilometer distance record: 308.85 km/h. filante elctric car

While the Renault Filante Record 2025 is a completely different beast—an electric vehicle focused on energy efficiency and range optimization—it carries forward the spirit of its predecessor. Although the exact specifications of the Filante Record 2025 have not been fully revealed, expectations are sky-high.