The new Renault Filante Record 2025 concept is a racy, aerodynamically-sculpted piece of rolling electric lab equipment designed to push the envelope of energy efficiency and set new records for power consumption and range.
Built around the same 87 kWh li-ion battery as the Renault Scenic E-Tech electric car, the Renault Filante Record 2025 is a single-seat technology demonstrator that uses minimalist design engineering and lightweight, composite materials to bring its weight down to an impressive 1000 kg – a number made even more impressive when you realize that fully 600 kg of that mass comes from the battery!
“We designed this vehicle as a sculpture in motion. Inspired by fighter planes and the speed records of the nineteenth century,” says Sandeep Bhambra, Director of Advanced Design, Renault and Ampere. “(The concept) reflects both performance and timeless elegance. Every inch of the surface was crafted to capture the light and showcase the body lines, which appear to melt into the air. The blue windows and colour palette further underline this light and airy impression. The design as a whole seeks to convey an impression of flow and lightness.”
1926 Renault 40 CV des records
Inspired by the 1926 Renault 40 CV des records, which set a number of speed records at the track in Montlhéry, France, between 1924 and 1926, the Renault Filante Record 2025 concept features a special new “Ultraviolet Blue” paint that flops between blue and purple, depending on the viewing angle. The paint serves to give the the impression of movement, even when it’s sitting still.
Renault says the final design was a collaborative effort between the stylists and aerodynamicists and meant to invoke the same sense of newness and speed as the now 100-year-old 40 CV des records. Adding to that “vibe” are bespoke, 3d-printed parts, unique friction-reducing prototype tires, and both steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire technologies that are expected to make their way into the next generation of Renault EVs.
The concept will be on display at this year’s Rétromobile motor show in Paris from February 5th through the 9th, before real-world test sessions and the hunt for a new efficiency record begins in earnest in Q2 of this year.
Electrek’s Take
Renault – and, by extension, the Renault Group – has been making steady progress on both the electrification and autonomous vehicle fronts for years, even logging several million miles on its deployed fleet of electric semi trucks. So while it’s easy to dismiss the claims made to hype up concept cars (which are, by definition, marketing exercises), it seems just as easy to underestimate Renault and its ability to drive at least parts of its concepts to production.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Renault, The Originals; via Electrive.