Renault chose the Rétromobile show in Paris to talk about the future, and more specifically about efficiency, in terms of electric cars. The automobile lines of the past, coupled with the extravagance of the silhouettes of the “Hot Wheels” miniatures, inspired the brand with the diamond to present the Filante Record 2025 concept.
Its objective is not to announce a future production, but rather to place the brand in the record books, in terms of energy efficiency, and certainly the longest distance recorded on a single charge. The aerodynamics of the car therefore do not announce anything special in terms of speed or power.
The mass of electric cars being their main flaw, especially in terms of energy saving, Renault designed the entire structure of its concept in carbon fiber, with some more complex parts printed in an aluminum alloy. The brand also explained that it had sought to minimize waste by using as little material as possible.
For tires, Michelin collaborated on Renault's project by installing models with a reduced width, to limit rolling resistance by around 40% compared to conventional car tires. The latter measure 19 inches all the same, which might seem surprising since concepts seeking to obtain the best autonomy generally use smaller wheels.
On board, the weight savings are felt on the cockpit side (there is only one seat on board anyway). The steering is not assigned to a steering wheel, but to two joysticks, electrically connected to the wheels. Like the Tesla Cybertruck in the "real" world, there is no cable between the steering wheel and the wheels, which further limits the mass by avoiding a hydraulic system.
Autonomy record or consumption record?
With all these elements, the Renault Filante Concept 2025 weighs only 1000 kilos. A large part of this mass is thus due to the batteries (600 kg), which represent a total capacity of 87 kWh (inherited from the Scénic E-Tech). Enough to give cold sweats to the current holder of the energy efficiency record, the University of Munich in Germany, whose promise of a single-seater muc022 had made it possible to travel 2,575 kilometers with a battery of only 15.5 kWh, in 2023.
It would seem that Renault is seeking more to offer a range record than a consumption record, since the German students' single-seater weighed only 160 kg, and the energy expenditure recorded on average over 100 km was only 0.6 kWh. With a Scénic E-Tech battery, the brand also wants to illustrate the possibilities that are already available to the automotive industry today, with the added concern for weight and aerodynamics. It remains to be seen what record the Filante Record 2025 will set.
In the table of the longest ranges achieved, we note the presence of the Mercedes EQXX, in 2022, which achieved 1,202 km on a single charge and an average speed of 88 km/h. In China, Nio had also achieved the feat with an ET7, which achieved between 1046 and 1070 km on a charge, according to its three examples used to carry out the test. To do this, its cars used batteries with a capacity of 150 kWh, almost twice as much as that used by Renault.
To admire Renault's Filante Record 2025 prototype, go to the 49th edition of the Rétromobile show in Paris (Porte de Versailles) from Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 February.
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