Renault targets efficiency records with a retro-styled electric vehicle

Blue, fast, economical: French car manufacturer Renault is presenting a record-breaking electric vehicle designed for maximum energy efficiency. The French are aiming to set records for power consumption and range.

The Renault Filante Rekord 2025 is 5.12 meters long, but only 1.71 meters wide and 1.19 meters high. The streamlined body and special friction-reducing tires are intended to contribute to the vehicle's efficiency, as are electronic steering and brakes (steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire) instead of conventional mechanical ones.

The aerodynamics were inspired by aviation: according to Renault, the shapes are inspired by high-performance aircraft. The dome above the driver's seat is reminiscent of the cockpit of a fighter jet.

The driver's seat is made of canvas

The manufacturer has also saved weight wherever possible by using lightweight materials such as carbon fiber-reinforced composites or a special aluminum alloy. The driver's seat is made of canvas for weight reasons. As a result, the car only weighs one ton with a battery weight of 600 kilograms.

Renault does not provide any information about the drive or how fast the vehicle is supposed to be. The battery of the Filante Rekord 2025 comes from the Renault Scénic E-Tech and has a capacity of 87 kilowatt hours.

However, the arrangement is different: In the Filante, the cells are not packed in modules, but integrated directly into the battery pack; this design is called Cell-To-Pack (CTP). The battery thus becomes part of the body, which saves weight and makes better use of space.

Technologies from the Filante for series production

Some electric car manufacturers, including BYD from China, are already building series vehicles with CTP technology. Renault wants to transfer technologies from the Filante to series production vehicles. It is quite possible that CTP will be part of this.

"We designed this vehicle as a sculpture in motion," says Renault's chief designer Sandeep Bhambra. "Inspired by fighter planes and the speed records of the nineteenth century, it reflects performance and timeless elegance."

The economical electric racer is based on two earlier record-breaking vehicles from the French car manufacturer: the name alludes to the record-breaking Étoile Filante ("shooting star"), which set several speed records in 1956. The shape, such as the tapered rear end, is inspired by the 40 CV des Records, which Renault used to chase speed and long-distance records 100 years ago.

The vehicle will be unveiled at the Salon Rétromobile classic car show, which takes place in Paris from February 5 to 9. It is expected to set its first efficiency record in the first half of the year.

(wpl)