Renault Group

Dacia Spring democratises the electric car

27 April 2021
3 MIN
Sustainable mobility

With the Spring, Dacia has brought the electric car within everyone’s reach with the most affordable model on the European market. Finally, electric mobility for all! The Spring has been available to pre‑order since 20 March. Benoît has been a Dacia customer for more than 10 years and was the first to be won over by the new “zero-emissions” Dacia. He’s already put his order in!

PAR RENAULT GROUP
Xavier Martinet
At Dacia, we have come to the same conclusion as our customers: access to urban areas is getting increasingly difficult and the legislation is getting tougher for combustion vehicles. However, we believe that the freedom to drive in the city should not be reserved for the well heeled, and that everyone should be able to afford an electric vehicle. So the challenge for the Spring was to offer the most affordable electric car in Europe whilst respecting the spirit of Dacia: in other words, to stick to the essentials to meet the needs of the user and thus bring electric to the greatest number. That’s why we think that the Spring is a real revolution.

Xavier Martinet,
Dacia-LADA Sales and Operations Marketing Director

 

 

A long-standing customer, 46-year-old Benoît, has been waiting for ages and now the electric car has finally become affordable! “It’s often difficult to reconcile a clean car with an accessible car”, this family man from the Orne department in France, our long-time customer tells us. “That’s why we have been waiting impatiently for Dacia to go down the electric road so that we could buy an EV at a truly popular price.”

An electric car within everyone’s reach

10 years ago, Benoît and his wife bought their first Dacia, an LPG Sandero. As the household grew with the arrival of three children, a Logan MCV became the family vehicle. “Over the last ten years, we have bought four Dacia models. Today, we have a Lodgy LPG and a Sandero that runs on LPG too”. A choice that owes nothing to chance: Benoît and his family are environmentally aware and they see this fuel as an effective way of reducing pollution and, as it is smart and economical, it chimes perfectly with the spirit of Dacia!
Benoît first Dacia customer to be won over by the Spring
“For us, electric is the next logical step”, says Benoît, for whom the selling prices of most models still seem far too high. On sale in France at an entry-level cost of 12,403 euros (after scrappage payment), the Spring has fulfilled its promise to shake up the market by making electric mobility accessible to all. However, along with the purchase price, the family had to be convinced about range. With its 142-mile (230-km) WLTP and 189-mile (305-km) WLTP City ranges, the Spring offers a margin of security that comfortably covers the daily travel needs of its future owner.

Generous range and easy charging

“On average, I’ll drive between 30 and 50 miles (50 and 80 km) a day, with going to work, the school run and taking the kids to judo and music lessons. The test drive reassured me, because I could see it would easily handle all these trips with just two or three charges a week.”
Dacia Spring, just plug it in and it does the rest
Easy charging is a key argument for Benoît. “I live in a detached house and my garage has just one 220 V socket. I just need to plug in the car when I get home in the evening and it’s fully charged by the following morning, without any costly special kit. And it has far lower running costs than a conventional petrol or diesel vehicle for a given usage.”

In town and beyond

So, how did the test go? “I was pleasantly surprised by the liveliness of the engine at low revs, so it makes joining traffic really easy.”
dacia spring

 

With an output of 33 kW (44 bhp) and 125 N.m. of torque, the Spring’s powertrain provides the versatility you need in town and on regional and secondary roads. “The Spring has a bit of the tough SUV about it. That’s important for its look, of course, but it also has benefits on poor country roads, and its ground clearance even lets it tackle some tracks too.”

Dacia’s take on electric cars

The Spring’s compactness was the last, but by no means the least, of the arguments for Benoît. It means the car is really agile in town, thanks to its reduced turning circle, yet it still offers the highest level of user comfort in its category.
Dacia Spring, room for rear passengers
“It takes four people, no problem, and I’m amazed at how much room the passengers have in the back, even though the exterior dimensions are smaller than on the Sandero.”
Dacia Spring, a spacious boot
The boot is really spacious too and I like all the features, such as the air conditioning, electric windows back and front, and the speed limiter.”
No doubt about it, the Spring electric car is the embodiment of everything Dacia!
Benoît was won over completely after putting the Spring through its paces. Without a second thought, he put in a pre-order for a Cenote Blue Spring Comfort Plus. “The pre-ordering process was really simple and in no time at all I got a confirmation e-mail telling me that my local dealership would be in touch in June to confirm the order. All the family is waiting impatiently for the autumn, when we’ll finally get to drive electric.”
spring is coming