Dacia Spring: Europe’s Cheapest Electric Car
The new Dacia Spring will be the “cheapest electric car in Europe”. This was stated by Luca de Meo, CEO of the Renault Group, during the E-Ways event, where he announced the news of the French manufacturer for the coming years.
The Dacia Spring will arrive in spring 2021, and it will do so with the intention of lowering the cost of entry to 100% electric cars, directly competing against other models such as the Seat Mii Electric or the Peugeot iOn.
Dacia has not yet revealed the official price of this Dacia Spring, but its technical characteristics We are an A-segment electric SUV with a humble engine and a range of 225 kilometers under the WLTP cycle.
Here’s what the budget-friendly electric SUV will offer
The Dacia Spring is an SUV with modest dimensions. In total, we are 3.73 meters long, 1.62 meters wide, and 1.51 meters high. On the front, we have the grille with the Dacia logo and a line of horizontal LED lights.
With its 26.8 kWh battery, the range is set at 225 kilometers under the WLTP cycle. The electric motor chosen is 33 kW, which is equivalent to about 44 CV. We are facing a car with little power, very designed to circulate in the city although it is prepared to reach 125 km / h maximum speed. The torque is 125 Nm.
For the load, we have several options. It is compatible with 220V charging, with Wallbox, and optionally with a DC charging station up to 30 kW. In the first case, we can complete 100% of the battery in 14 hours with the 2.3kW home connection. In the case of a DC station, 80% of the battery can be completed in less than an hour.
According to Dacia data, the Spring will only need to be charged “once a week”, following the average usage in Europe. Through the My Dacia application, you can observe the battery status in real-time, as well as locate the vehicle.
Inside the SUV, we have front seats with 23.1 liters of capacity and rear seats. The boot has a 300-liter capacity, which can be increased to 600 liters if the rear seats are folded.
A 3.5-inch digital display will be available to control the browser and the infotainment system, which is compatible with Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Through a physical button, we can activate voice recognition from Google or Apple.
Version with greater capacity for ‘carsharing’
The Dacia Spring will initially arrive as a vehicle for ‘carsharing’. The Renault Group has explained that a specific version has been developed for the shared car, available in white and gray, with greater autonomy and 295 kilometers under the WLTP cycle.
In 2017, the company launched ZITY in Madrid, with more than 360,000 active users today, according to company data. In the summer of 2020, this project will be expanded to Paris with a fleet of 500 vehicles. Renault’s objective is to use this Dacia Spring as one of the models that best fits this type of service. Additionally, Dacia has presented the Spring Cargo, a version with a larger 800-liter boot.
Price below 15,000 euros cheapest electric car in Europe
The cheapest electric car at present is the Seat Mii Electric, with an initial cost of 18,490 euros. Dacia’s promise is that this figure will be clearly lowered. At the moment, there is no official confirmation of its price, but during the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, it was dropped, which would end up costing around 10,000 euros. From the sector, there is talk of a figure of around 15,000 euros, which, with the aid of the Renove and MOVES plans, could come close to the promised figure.