In December 2025 the French automaker Renault set a new record in electric vehicle efficiency with its experimental prototype Filante Record 2025 — a purpose-built laboratory EV that drove over 1,000 km on a single charge of a standard battery.
What is the Renault Filante Record 2025?
The Renault Filante Record 2025 is a single-seat electric demonstrator designed to test the limits of efficiency and range for electric cars using a standard-size battery (87 kWh) — the same pack used in the production Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric.
Main goal of the project
The primary aim of the Filante Record is to minimize energy consumption and achieve record range on a single charge while preserving realistic highway driving conditions.
Concept and construction
The car features:
aerodynamic aircraft-style shaping — a streamlined, torpedo-like body with very low air resistance;
very low weight — around 1000 kg thanks to lightweight structural materials;
innovative technical solutions, including steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems — electronic control of steering and brakes to reduce energy losses;
narrow low-rolling-resistance tires designed to minimize energy losses.
Name origin and historical inspiration
The name Filante Record was chosen deliberately — it references Renault models associated with records:
Renault 40 CV des Records (1925–26);
Renault Étoile Filante (1956) — the famous car that set speed records.
This underscores the brand’s desire to combine a legacy of innovation with modern efficiency technologies.
Efficiency record: test results
Where and how the record was set
The trials took place on 18 December 2025 at the UTAC test track in Morocco under conditions as close as possible to real highway driving.
Key achievements
Distance: 1,008 km on a single charge;
Average speed: ~102 km/h;
Energy consumption: just 7.8 kWh/100 km — an extremely economical figure for high-speed driving;
Remaining charge: roughly 11% of the battery, which theoretically allowed about ~120 km more.
Thus, the prototype demonstrated that long real-world highway ranges are possible without increasing battery size beyond the standard pack.
Why this matters for future electric cars
Although Filante Record 2025 is not a production model, its test results carry practical significance:
Technological lessons
Experience in optimizing aerodynamics and mass will help develop future production models;
The use of electronic control systems (steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire) can reduce energy losses;
The efficiency demonstration shows that longer highway trips are achievable without huge batteries.
Practical significance
The project confirms that engineering choices and optimization across the vehicle can significantly increase the efficiency of real electric cars, making them more competitive in real-world use.
Conclusion
Renault Filante Record 2025 is not just a concept car but a "laboratory on wheels" that demonstrated:
- more than 1,000 km can be driven on a standard battery at realistic highway speeds,
- while energy consumption remains extremely low.
This record opens new horizons for future electric vehicles and could influence the approach to developing production EVs from Renault and other brands.
