Renault has reinvented the Batmobile as an EV as it embarks on smashing a number of world record milestones for electric cars. 

The dramatic single-seater streamliner takes cues from military fighter jets and space travel to create a mega-efficient battery car capable of setting new efficiency boundaries for EVs.

Its main challenge is to travel 1,000km (620miles) on one charge - using the battery from a Renault Scenic E-Tech that you can buy in UK showrooms now for £37,495.

Officially called Filante Record 2025, it takes its name from an earlier Renault record breaking car called Etoile Filante - translating to shooting star in French - of the 1950s, and harks back even further to invoke in the 21st century the spirit of derring-do record breakers from the 1920s and ‘30s.

Weighing just 1,000kg (including a 600kg battery) and painted in a bold shade called Ultraviolet Blue, Renault describes it as a ‘laboratory on wheels’ for aerodynamics, technologies and innovation.

The car-firm said: ‘It is an electric demo-car developed to maximise energy efficiency, and set a new record for power consumption and range with an 87kWh battery – that is the same capacity as on a Scenic E-Tech electric.’

Originally code-named ‘Renault Z41’, the new Filante test car will be on show at the Rétromobile motor show in Paris from 5 to 9 February ‘before setting out to establish a new record for efficiency in the first half of the year’.

It may also make an appearance in the UK at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this summer, said Renault.

It said: ‘Filante is a feat of engineering and design. Developed to push the limits of aerodynamics and energy efficiency, it is out to set new records.’

‘With its protective aerodynamic bubble, the cabin brings to mind a fighter jet.

‘At the same time, every detail of the bodywork has been optimised to reduce drag, with features that bring to mind the curves and shapes of high-performance aircraft.’

Renault executive Sylvia dos Santos added: ‘The name Filante in French comes from the verb ‘filer’, meaning 'to spin, to stretch, to lengthen’.

‘In this way, it echoes the long, slender silhouette of our concept and the meticulous attention that went into every detail of its finely honed bodywork. 

'Synonymous with lightness, speed and efficiency, the name Filante also brings to mind shooting stars, space, and the world of aeronautics.’

The vehicle uses a number of unique features, including special 19-inch, friction-reducing, slimline ‘high and narrow’ tyres developed by Michelin that's said to save energy.

There is also no mechanical linkage for the steering, with the driver input into the motorcycle-like handlebars sending an instant electrical signal to a central Engine Control Unit (ECU) that determines the best way to turn the car.

To keep weight to a minimum, the cockpit is sparse, with controls and instrument functions housed in one ultra-thin digital screen.

It also boasts an ingenious system of air circulation that ventilates the cabin without the need for any physical parts – thus saving weight and energy.

Renault's record-breaking past 

Renault cites ‘two prestigious sources of inspiration’ for its new and ‘ambitious’ vehicle: the 40 CV des Records and the Étoile Filante. 

The Filante name is inspired by the Étoile Filante, the single-seater record breaking car presented to the press on 22 June 1956 at the Montlhéry autodrome outside Paris. 

That September, it set a string of speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States including 306.9km/h (190.7mph) over one kilometre and 307.7km/h (191.2mph) over one mile.

The original Étoile Filante was built around a powerful 270hp turbine borrowed most of its aerodynamic components, including two tail fins, from the world of aeronautics.

The ‘40 CV des Records’ was a single-seater vehicle with streamlined bodywork that was narrower than Renault’s flagship model at the time - the 40 CV – and established a string of speed and endurance records in 1925 and 1926.

Its greatest achievement was the record set at the Montlhéry 24-hour event on 9 July 1926 with Garfield, Plessier and Guillon at the wheel – covering 4,167.578km at an average speed of 173.7km/h (107.9mph).

The 40 CV des Records was also one of the first vehicles to feature Renault’s then new diamond-shaped logo.