Renault's futuristic EV concept goes 1,007km on a single charge
What's the story
Renault has showed the prowess of its radical Filante concept, a futuristic single-seat electric vehicle (EV) designed to break efficiency records. The car uses the same 87kWh battery as the Renault Scenic SUV and is primarily aimed at achieving over 998km range at realistic motorway speeds. Last week, the Filante achieved exactly that by covering an impressive 1,007km in just 10 hours at an average speed of around 101km/h.
Real-world relevance
A real-world test of efficiency
The journey was conducted at the UTAC test facility in Morocco, with an average speed of 101km/h and an efficiency of 8mpkWh. Renault emphasized that the aim was to show real-world relevance instead of just breaking an electric car distance record. The firm said if their only goal had been to drive the longest possible distance between charges, they could have fitted a huge battery or driven it in eco mode at lower speeds.
Extended range
Filante's potential for even longer journeys
Filante completed the 10-hour run with 11% of its battery charge still remaining, which Renault claims would have allowed it to travel another 121km at speeds over 100km/h. The engineers aimed to achieve an average speed of more than 109km/h and cover more than 998km in under 10 hours, but the actual average speed achieved was 101km/h. They slightly exceeded that distance within time limit and could have pushed Filante to an impressive 1,128km before running out if they continued.
Laps
A total of 239 laps was done
The Filante weighs around half as much as the Scenic SUV, thanks to its aerodynamic design. The three drivers who participated in the run together completed a total of 239 laps of UTAC's 4km circuit.