Renault's radical Filante concept has driven 626 miles in 10 hours, achieving 8mpkWh at an average speed of 63mph - "showing that this level of range is achievable in motorway-like conditions".

The Filante is a futuristic single-seat EV concept designed to set efficiency records, using the same 87kWh battery as the Renault Scenic SUV - primarily to achieve more than 620 miles at realistic motorway speeds.

Last week, the Filante did just that - and even finished the 10-hour run with 11% of its battery charge remaining, which Renault says would have allowed it to travel another 75 miles at more than 62mph.

Renault says the conditions of the attempt – conducted at the UTAC test facility in Morocco – were especially important because the aim was to demonstrate the real-world relevance of the achievement, rather than simply achieving an outright electric car distance record.

"If their only goal had been to drive the longest possible distance between charges, the designers and experts could have fitted the car with a huge battery or driven it in eco mode at 30kph [19mph] on average," the company said.

The engineers were tasked with achieving an average speed of more than 68mph, with a view to cracking more than 1000km (620) miles in less than 10 hours, including pit stops. Ultimately, they managed to slightly surpass that distance in the allotted time, and could have pushed the Filante to 701 miles before running out if they continued.

For reference, the Scenic is rated for up to 379 miles with that battery, laying bear the aeroplane-inspired Filante's significant weight (at just 1000kg, it weighs around half as much as the SUV) and aerodynamic advantages. 

The three drivers who took part in the run accumulated a total of 239 laps of UTAC's 2.5-mile circuit between them. 

Renault said: "The Filante Record's stylistic explorations, groundbreaking technology and proven real-world performance add up to far more than a simple engineering exercise: the findings from this venture will inform the development of future road-going electric models, enabling them to achieve ever higher levels of efficiency and meet customers' real-life needs ever more closely – even in the most demanding conditions, such as sustained highway speeds."