The Filante Record 2025 electric demonstration car used just 7,8 kWh per 100 kilometers on its latest record-breaking run. However, the drive was not extremely slow: the average speed was just over 100 km/h. This was made possible by extremely good aerodynamics and probably also by a very economical drive.
The Filante Record 2025 was unveiled a year ago. The aerodynamically refined single-seater is 5,12 meters long, only 1,19 meters high and weighs just 1000 kilograms, they said at the time. Of this, 600 kilograms are said to belong to the 87-kWh battery. The weight is said to be reduced by the Steer-by-Wire and Brake-by-Wire systems. This means that fewer mechanical parts are needed, says Renault. Tires with extremely low friction also contribute to the low consumption. The manufacturer did not provide any data on the drive.
On December 18th last year, the vehicle showed what it could do. It covered 1.008 km in less than 10 hours. Apart from a seven-minute driver change, the Filante drove without a break. No recharging was required, and at the finish line the battery still had 11% of its capacity remaining, meaning it could still cover around 120 km. This gave it a range of 1.120 km. The stated consumption of 7,8 kWh/100 km is close to the 7,4 kWh/100 km that the Mercedes EQXX used on its record-breaking 1.000 km drive.
The Renault vehicle was not in public transport, and even less in the winter cold, but on a test track in Morocco. The average speed was still 102 km/h, which was not much less than the average speed on German motorways. According to the Institute for German Economics, this is currently around 114 km/h.
The technical data on the battery is now slightly different. In January 2025, it was still true that the battery was manufactured using Cell-to-Pack technology, which saves weight because there are no modules. Now, however, it is believed that the record-breaking vehicle would have a conventional series battery with a capacity of 87 kWh. So maybe they decided differently. In any case, the originally stated battery weight of 600 kilograms was not too impressive. Renault states in the price list for the 87 kWh battery of the electric Scenic that it is 511 kilograms.
They have also improved the aerodynamics. Wind tunnel tests on the first version of the Filante Record showed that there was still a lot of room for improvement. This is why various claddings have been redesigned. In addition, “optimizations have been made in the area of technical interfaces,” writes Renault. This has improved the drag coefficient from 0,40 to around 0,30. The findings from the record run will be incorporated into the development of future road vehicles.
