What is striking about the Dacia Spring Electric?
With its new Spring Electric, Dacia is suddenly at the forefront of electric cars. Until now, an electric car with a price below 20,000 euros was not available. The Spring Electric not brand new. Basically it is a Renault City-KZE, which has been for sale in China for a few years. And that is another electric derivative of the Renault Kwid with petrol engine from India (2015).
De Spring Electric is in alles small: small dimensions (length 3.73 meters), a small battery pack (27.4 kWh), a small electric motor (44 hp), a short range (230 km), a small turning circle (9.6 meters), and a modest top speed (125 km / h). It seems so small that you would want to take it under your arm if the battery drains too quickly than you would like. Then you have to be strong: the Spring Electric weighs 991 kilos. Which is ultra-light for an EV.
What’s good about the Dacia Spring Electric?
The mere fact that it is there: Dacia can be proud that it knows its full attention with the affordable Spring Electric. It doesn’t have competitors. For example, an electric city SUV from Seat will not follow until 2025, with a price above 20,000 euros.
In addition, there is no electric car that is cheaper than the Dacia Spring Electric. The electric Renault Twingo costs 20,690 euros and a Volkswagen e-Up even 23,890 euros. Despite the low price, air conditioning and electric windows are standard. Anyone who is afraid that a car with Chinese Indian roots is unsafe: the Spring Electric simply has six airbags.
The electric motor is small, but because the Dacia Spring Electric weighs so little, it is still quite smooth with its torque of 125 Nm. If you drive alone in the city, Dacia promises a range of 320 kilometers. With a stretch of highway and some quiet roads, we achieve a consumption of 16.4 kWh / 100 km, which equates to a range of 163 kilometers.
What is less to like about the Dacia Spring Electric?
How strict can you be for a city SUV for a low price? Quite a bit, we think. The seating comfort is like that. Because the front seats are not adjustable in depth, tall people sit with their crowns against the roof. The seats are also on the short side and do not offer lateral support. Only small children can sit in the back seat, there is not enough legroom for tall people. In that respect it really does not resemble the spacious Renault 4. Lovers of plastic as hard as possible jump in the air at the sight of the dashboard, floor mats are missing. If you are not eager for luxury, you can live with it.
You also find out at the charging station that you are not driving a hipster car. The Spring Electric does not have a three-phase charger, making charging an exercise in patience. Even with a fast charger, it takes an hour to fill the small battery pack from 0 to 80 percent.
When will the Dacia Spring Electric come to the Netherlands and what is the price?
The Dacia Spring Electric can be ordered from April 1 (no joke), but you have to wait until the end of 2021 before you can pick it up. The price of the Dacia Spring Electric is 17,890 euros. We would continue to save for the Comfort Plus, which costs 18,890 euros. It has a multimedia system with a 7-inch screen, orange accents in the interior and on the body, and a reversing camera. If you are still spending, order a 30 kW charger (495 euros), otherwise charging will take even longer. The Dacia Spring Electric is also available as Cargo, a commercial vehicle without a rear seat.
What do I think of the Dacia Spring Electric?
It will not be an icon like the Renault 4, it is too ordinary for that. But the Dacia Spring has bestseller potential. The thrifty Dutchman in me enthusiastically starts calculating. In 2022, there will most likely be another purchase subsidy of 4000 euros for private individuals on an electric car. You do not pay road tax and maintenance costs are low. Then you really laugh at everyone in your Dacia Spring Electric. The big winner is your bank account.