Dacia’s baby EV

acia’s “baby EV” is the Dacia Spring Electric. It’s known for being one of the most affordable electric cars on the market, aiming to make electric mobility accessible to a wider audience.

Here’s a summary of its key aspects:

Key Features and Philosophy:

Affordability: This is its main selling point. Dacia’s ethos is to provide simple, reliable, and affordable vehicles, and the Spring extends this to the EV segment.

Compact City Car: The Spring is a small, five-seater city car designed primarily for urban environments and short commutes. Its compact dimensions make it easy to maneuver and park in crowded areas.

Practicality: Despite its small size, it offers a surprisingly spacious interior for its class and a decent boot volume (around 308-370 liters, expanding to over 1000 liters with seats folded). There’s also a “Cargo” version available with the entire rear designed for transporting goods.

Simple and Functional: The interior is straightforward and functional, focusing on essential features rather than excessive luxury. It still includes modern conveniences like a multimedia system with a touchscreen (up to 10.1 inches with Media Nav Live), wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and driver-assistance systems.

Low Running Costs: Due to its small battery and efficient motor, the Spring is very cheap to run, especially if charged at home on off-peak tariffs.

Performance and Range:

Motor Options: The Spring comes with two electric motor options:

45 hp (33 kW): This version is suitable for city driving.

65 hp (48 kW): Offers a bit more power for slightly better acceleration and highway capability.

Battery: It has a 26.8 kWh (usable 25.0 kWh) battery.

Range (WLTP):

Combined WLTP range is around 140 miles (225 km).

Urban WLTP range is higher, around 190 miles (305 km), reflecting its city-focused design.

Real-world range can be around 110-120 miles.

Charging:

AC Charging (Home/Destination): Up to 6.6 kW, allowing a full charge in about 4.5 hours from a wallbox.

DC Fast Charging: Maxes out at around 30-34 kW. A 20-80% charge takes about 45 minutes, which is relatively slow for longer trips.

Safety:

The Dacia Spring (pre-facelift version) received a 1-star Euro NCAP rating in 2021. While it has regulated safety equipment, its design, which is based on a platform intended for less demanding markets, means its passive safety performance is not as strong as newer, more expensive EVs. However, it does include driver-assistance systems like automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition.

Pricing:

The Dacia Spring is available in various European markets with prices starting from around £14,995 in the UK, making it one of the most affordable new EVs available. Prices can vary slightly by market and trim level.

Future Developments:

Dacia and Renault Group are continuing to focus on affordable EVs. Renault CEO Luca de Meo has indicated that a new, even smaller Dacia EV, potentially based on the upcoming electric Renault Twingo platform, is in rapid development and could be priced even lower, aiming for under €18,000 (£15,000). This new model is expected to be developed in a remarkably short timeframe (under 16 months) and built in Europe