Renault is ending the year by sending out a strong signal to the automotive industry. With the Filante Record 2025, the French manufacturer is unveiling a radical electric demonstrator that has just set a new efficiency record, covering more than 1,000 km at an average speed of 102km/h without recharging. A performance that goes beyond a simple technological feat and lays the foundations for a new approach to electric mobility.
A feat averaging over 100 km/h
On the UTAC circuit in Papenburg, Morocco, Renault took up a particularly demanding challenge: to demonstrate that an electric vehicle can combine long distance, sustained speed and energy efficiency. And the result was impressive. 1,008 kilometres covered in less than ten hours, at an average speed of 102 km/h, without intermediate recharging. A feat achieved with an average fuel consumption limited to 7.8 kWh/100 km, a figure rarely achieved, even at low speeds. This performance is even more impressive when you consider the driving conditions.
Unlike homologation cycles or demonstrations at reduced speeds, the Filante Record 2025 was driven at speeds close to real motorway use, where electric vehicle consumption tends to increase sharply. Renault is thus demonstrating that it is possible to push back the limits of efficiency where energy constraints are at their most severe. At the end of the record, almost 11% of range remained available, roughly the equivalent of more than 120 extra kilometres at over 100 km/h. This is a key element that illustrates the philosophy behind the project. The aim is to increase range not by adding more battery, but by consuming less.
A technology laboratory inspired by aeronautics
The Filante Record 2025 is first and foremost a rolling laboratory, designed to explore how far energy optimisation can go when no compromise is imposed by the constraints of mass production. Its spectacular design, stretched and sharpened, is inspired by both aeronautics and Renault’s history, with an ultraviolet blue hue reminiscent of the record-breaking 40 CV of 1925 and the Étoile Filante of 1956. Behind this futuristic silhouette lies meticulous work on every component. With ‘by wire’ steering and braking, the elimination of traditional mechanical links and the extreme optimisation of airflow, nothing has been left to chance. Carbon, aluminium alloys and 3D-printed parts have been used to drastically reduce the vehicle’s weight, while maintaining rigidity and safety.
Tyres, developed by Michelin, have also played a central role in this quest for efficiency. Their low rolling resistance contributes directly to reducing fuel consumption, an often underestimated but crucial factor at high speeds. The whole system forms a coherent ecosystem, with each innovation serving the same objective: to consume as little energy as possible. At over 5 metres long and weighing in at around one tonne, the Filante Record 2025’s proportions are out of all proportion in today’s automotive landscape. It’s a conscious choice, with the aim of exploring the physical limits of efficiency, beyond mass-market standards.
Lessons for production models
The Filante Record 2025 may be an extreme demonstrator, but it will nonetheless provide concrete lessons for Renault’s future electric models. The data collected during this record will feed into the manufacturer’s research and development work, particularly on aerodynamics, thermal management and the reduction of energy losses. Ultimately, these advances could result in more fuel-efficient production vehicles, capable of offering greater real-world range without any significant increase in the size or cost of the batteries.
This is a particularly strategic approach at a time when questions of price, availability of raw materials and environmental footprint are central to the debate on electromobility. With the Filante Record 2025, Renault is sending out a clear message: the future of the electric vehicle lies not only in the race for maximum range, but also in fine-tuned energy management. A vision that could well redefine market standards in the years to come.
A mini-series about the human adventure
Looking beyond the figures, Renault wanted to highlight the human dimension of the project through a three-part documentary mini-series. This series retraces the whole « Filante Record 2025 » adventure, from the first sketches to the final attempt on the racetrack. The first episode looks back at the genesis of the concept and the philosophy that guided the teams, while the second looks at the major technical challenges associated with weight reduction, aerodynamics and energy management. The final episode goes behind the scenes of the record attempt. Innovation at Renault is also based on a corporate culture, an ability to take risks and explore radical avenues to prepare for the future of electric mobility.
