Renault is exploring an innovative concept that could reshape the driving experience—replacing traditional foot pedals with hand controls. This ambitious idea has already been implemented in the futuristic Filante Record 2025, and the company is now investigating its potential for production vehicles.
While it might sound like something from a sci-fi film, Renault isn’t focusing on creating an autonomous vehicle like a Tesla Cybercab. Instead, the French automaker is considering a significant redesign of car interiors by adopting steer-by-wire and drive-by-wire technology, allowing drivers to control the brake and accelerator using buttons and triggers on a yoke.
Sandeep Bhambra, Renault’s director of advanced design, explained that this innovation would free up valuable space inside the cockpit. “Stéphane Maiore, our chief interior designer, has worked extensively on this concept,” Bhambra said. “It’s a great way to maximize space, and we are exploring it for future vehicles, though introducing such groundbreaking technology into production cars isn’t a simple task.”
Though this pedal-free cockpit concept isn’t expected to hit the market immediately, it suggests that future Renault models could be controlled with the same kinds of buttons typically found on gaming consoles. If the Filante Record 2025, which aims to set numerous efficiency world records for electric vehicles, proves successful, this could pave the way for hand-controlled cars sooner than anticipated.
The Filante Record 2025’s use of steer-by-wire was driven in part by the need for a more efficient design—since fitting both a steering column and a front battery pack was not feasible. “It was an ideal solution for packaging and weight reduction,” Bhambra added.
By eliminating the traditional pedal structure, Renault also reduced the car’s weight. Moreover, this technology holds significant potential for inclusivity. Bhambra noted that vehicles using hand controls could be more accessible for drivers with lower-body disabilities, making cars more adaptable to a wider range of needs.
The Filante project is about more than just creating a unique vehicle; it’s about learning how to improve future car designs. Insights gained from testing steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire systems, and aerodynamics will help Renault develop more advanced and efficient cars going forward.
