If you think electric cars are expensive, boring, and impractical, think again. The new Dacia Spring is here to prove you wrong. It’s the cheapest, most spacious, and most versatile electric car in Europe, and it’s ready to take on the big names in the industry.
What is the Dacia Spring?
The Dacia Spring is a subcompact crossover that runs on electricity. It’s based on the Renault City K-ZE, a popular electric car in China, but with some modifications to suit the European market. It’s also the first electric car from Dacia, a Romanian brand owned by Renault that is known for making affordable and reliable vehicles.
The Dacia Spring was first unveiled in October 2020, and it’s expected to go on sale in spring 2021. It will be available in two versions: a standard one for private customers and a cargo one for commercial use. The cargo version has no rear seats and offers an 800-liter trunk space.
How much does the Dacia Spring cost?
The 2024 Dacia Spring is the best value-for-money electric car in Europe. It has a starting price of €12,403 ($14,900), which is half the price of the cheapest electric car in Germany, the Volkswagen e-up!. It’s also cheaper than the Renault Zoe, the Nissan Leaf, and the Peugeot e-208, which are some of the most popular electric cars in Europe.
The Dacia Spring is even more affordable when you consider the incentives and subsidies that many European countries offer for electric cars. For example, in France, you can get a €7,000 ($8,400) bonus for buying an electric car, which brings the price of the Dacia Spring down to €5,403 ($6,500). That’s a bargain for an electric car.
How far can the Dacia Spring go?
The Dacia Spring has a 26.8 kWh battery pack that gives it a range of 225 km (140 miles) on the WLTP cycle, or 295 km (183 miles) on the NEDC cycle. That’s enough for most daily trips and urban commutes, especially since the Dacia Spring supports fast charging. It can recharge up to 80% of its battery in less than an hour using a 30 kW DC charger, or up to 100% in five hours using a 6.6 kW AC charger.
The Dacia Spring also has a low energy consumption of 10.9 kWh/100 km (17.4 kWh/100 miles), which means it costs very little to run. According to Dacia, the Spring has a total cost of ownership that is 10% lower than a gasoline car and 20% lower than a diesel car.
How does the Dacia Spring perform?
The Dacia Spring is not a speed demon, but it’s not a slouch either. It has a 33 kW (44 hp) electric motor that delivers 125 Nm (92 lb-ft) of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 50 km/h (0 to 31 mph) in 5.8 seconds, and from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 19.1 seconds. It has a top speed of 125 km/h (78 mph).
The Dacia Spring is also easy to drive, thanks to its automatic transmission, electric power steering, and regenerative braking. It has a turning radius of 4.8 meters (15.7 feet), which makes it agile in tight spaces. It also has a ground clearance of 150 mm (5.9 inches), which allows it to handle rough roads and speed bumps.
How spacious is the Dacia Spring?
The Dacia Spring is a small car, but it’s big on space. It has a wheelbase of 2,423 mm (95.4 inches), a length of 3,734 mm (147 inches), a width of 1,622 mm (63.9 inches), and a height of 1,516 mm (59.7 inches). It can seat four adults comfortably, with 23.1 liters (0.8 cubic feet) of storage space in the front doors and 16.6 liters (0.6 cubic feet) in the rear doors.
The Dacia Spring also has a generous trunk space of 300 liters (10.6 cubic feet), which can be expanded to 600 liters (21.2 cubic feet) by folding the rear seats. The cargo version has even more room, with 800 liters (28.3 cubic feet) of space behind the front seats.
How safe is the Dacia Spring?
The Dacia Spring is a safe car with modern features and advanced technology. It has six airbags, ABS, ESC, EBD, hill start assist, and emergency brake assist. It also has a tire pressure monitoring system, a speed limiter, and a rearview camera.
The 2024 Dacia Spring also has some smart features, such as a remote control app that lets you check the battery level, start the car, lock and unlock the doors, and activate the horn and lights. It also has a multimedia system with a 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, USB, DAB radio, and smartphone integration. It supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which let you access your phone’s apps, music, maps, and calls on the screen.
