Dacia Spring, the cheapest and most frugal EV. We drove it…

Dacia has just launched the Spring, the cheapest pure electric car on the market. For just over 17 000 euros, you can buy an EV with a range of 225 km. Initially intended for use in shared car platforms, the car is also available on the consumer market.

The Dacia Spring is already existing and marketed under a different name by Renault’s partners in the Chinese and Indian markets. What’s more, the vehicle also comes with a classic internal combustion engine in other markets.

For the Spring, the fuel tank was removed and the battery placed under the back seat preserving the trunk space. In this way, Dacia delivers a 3,73 meter-long no-nonsense EV that seats four people and has a trunk with a volume of 290 liters. In short, the Spring – unlike, say, a Renault Zoë – was not developed as an EV; it is a converted car.

Modest performance

The Spring is small, and you notice that as soon as you get in. With a width of 1,77 meters, the driver sits almost shoulder to shoulder with the passenger. The interior breathes simplicity. The plastics used are not very attractive and are made of primary and hard materials.

The equipment is not very exuberant either, but the Romanian Renault subsidiary provides the basics that have become standard on the European market. Think of an air conditioning system, which is also used to cool the battery and as a heat pump on cold days. The entire drive system is of Chinese origin and offers a modest 33 kW/45 hp.

However, this is sufficient to get the little Dacia off the ground quickly because it provides a creditable engine torque of 250 Nm from the start.

Because of the direct drive, the engine gets a bit short-breathed above 70 kph. No wonder that the top speed is limited to 125 kph. In short, the Spring has a vocation as a city car and can, if necessary, handle a bit of highway. But it clearly shows that this is not its natural habitat.

Less is more

Technically speaking, Dacia has opted for the same modest approach. The car rolls on narrow (165/70 R14) tires, which guarantees a limited rolling resistance, keeping consumption down. This results in a remarkable side effect because the Dacia is not only the cheapest EV on the market, it is also the most energy-efficient.

This is remarkable because up to now, the car market has required us to invest heavily in technology to have a more fuel-efficient vehicle. However, it is precisely that technology (or the desired comfort of the spoiled consumer) that makes EVs use even more energy than the pioneer models that came onto the market ten years ago.

In short, less is more. The Spring achieves a standard consumption of 12 kWh per 100 km, and if you adjust to the speed limits, you won’t have to make much effort to accomplish this consumption. Furthermore, the battery has a capacity of 27 kWh, sufficient for an absolute autonomy of 190 km.

Charging can be done via the integrated AC charger or the optional DC charging socket. The charging capacities are always limited. The AC charger is always single-phase (6,6 kW), and with the fast charger, the maximum charging power is 30 kW (still a full charge from almost zero in less than one hour).

Safety

The Spring’s suspension is tuned for use in and around town and shies away from dynamic use. The damping is accommodating, but when cornering faster, the body tends to lean.

On the other hand, the limited mass (950 kg) pays off here, making the road handling safe and predictable. The manufacturer doesn’t economize on essential safety either, as ABS, ESP, and both front and side airbags are standard.