The resulting keen pricing overcame reservations that many European customers might have had about range, kit and quality, because since the car was launched in 2021, Dacia has shifted over 150,000 examples; last year, in fact, the Spring was the third best-selling EV in Europe, if you look purely at retail sales and ignore big fleet deals.
The company’s UK division has been lobbying to get the Spring in right-hand drive for three or four years, as it turns out, but the re-engineering involved meant that it hasn’t made sense until now, when it can coincide with a major facelift.
At its core, the Spring benefits hugely from Dacia’s alternative approach to making cars in general. It has enough power; it has enough range; it has enough performance; it has enough toys. And nothing else. As a result, this city car-sized creation comes in at less than a tonne and costs from just under £15k – remarkable feats for any car these days, frankly, let alone a pure-electric one.
With that modest kerb weight to haul around, the motor and battery specs begin to look realistic, even though they’re undeniably modest. UK customers have a choice of either a 44bhp model or a 64bhp version. The battery, regardless of which power output you go for, is a 26.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack that’s good for 140 miles of range.
