Finally, an electric car we can afford! Dacia confirms Spring EV will hit showrooms in 2024 and may cost £18k - but there's a fly in the ointment...

Dacia Spring has been Europe's cheapest EV since 2021 and amassed 120k sales
Romanian brand has confirmed it will bring the Spring to UK dealerships in 2024
Current model has a range of 143 miles and a top speed of 78mph - but there is one issue that might make customers think twice before buying one

Updated: 03:09 AEDT, 5 December 2023

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One of the biggest obstacles preventing motorists from transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) is their premium price tag compared to an equivalent petrol or diesel model.

In fact, there are only a handful of electric cars (not including quadricycles like the Citroen Ami) in Britain's showrooms today for less than £30,000.

But that will change next year when budget-friendly brand Dacia brings 'the most affordable electric car sold in Europe' to UK dealerships.

The Spring - a compact supermini with SUV looks and a range of 143 miles - is set to ruffle EV feathers when it arrives in 2024 with an entry price around just £18,000, significantly undercutting the competition.

However, there is a big fly in the ointment: its safety rating...

Is this the electric car that will drive down prices? Dacia's Spring EV is coming to UK dealership next year, the Romanian auto firm has confirmed. And it will be a relative bargain compared to battery rivals

In the same week Kia confirmed its new EV9 SUV will cost from £64,995 [yes, that's right, £65k for a Kia...], Romania's biggest automotive name has announced that Britons will finally be able to get their hands on its first bargain EV from next year - and at a fraction of the price of rivals.

Its arrival will arguably be the biggest shake-up to the expensive EV market to date by proving you can sell a usable and practical electric car for less than £20,000.

While it is set to debut in the UK in 2024, the Spring has already been on sale on the continent for two years. And in that time has amassed plenty of orders thanks to its attractive price point.

The company has sold more than 120,000 to European customers since 2021.

And unlike the UK's current electric car market - with registrations primarily driven by heavily-incentivised business purchases - the Spring is proving hugely popular with the continent's private buyers looking to add an EV to their personal fleets.

In fact, Dacia says three in four Springs across Europe are bought by members of the public rather than used as company cars or by businesses.

In 2022, some 48,900 Springs were sold making it Europe's third most-bought EV among private customers.

The Spring will be new to British customers in 2024 but has been on sale in Europe since 2021. Only now has Dacia deemed it cost effective to bring to the UK

The company says most are purchased as second cars in European households. But they're definitely getting plenty of use.

Owners have told Dacia that their Spring is their 'main means of transport during the week' for 90 per cent of customers with two motors parked on their driveway or outside their home.

Such resounding success on the other side of the Channel means bosses have now deemed it viable - and cost effective - to launch it to our market.

However, it is not confirmed if Dacia will produce right-hand-drive Springs for the UK or attempt to sell motorists vehicles with the steering wheel on the left to save costs.

Dacia's UK arm says the model arriving with UK customers in 2024 will be an 'all-new version' enhanced by 'several significant improvements in design and equipment', though this will likely be just a facelift of the current car.

Yet the brand says the EV will continue to offer 'unrivalled value' against a backdrop of extremely expensive electric rivals.

Dacia is yet to confirm pricing for Springs sold in the UK, but currently it is available in France for just €15,800 (£13,500), inclusive of a €5,000 (£4,275) government grant. A quick conversion suggests prices could start at around just £18k

How cheap could the Dacia Spring be?

Dacia is yet to confirm pricing for Springs sold in the UK, but currently it is available in France for €15,800 (£13,500), inclusive of a €5,000 (£4,275) government grant.

With there being no purchase incentives for UK customers since ministers scrapped the Plug-in Car Grant almost a year ago, the adjusted equivalent price in pounds sterling is £17,800.

That would see the Spring undercut even the diminutive two-seat electric Smart EQ ForTwo - which costs from £22,225 and has a paltry range of just 81 miles - by almost £4,500.

To puts its potential bargain price into perspective, the Fiat 500e - which is very similar in length and width to Spring - in comparison is a whopping £28,195.

And the Dacia is set to be almost £10,000 cheaper than its closest EV rival to seat four occupants, MG Motor's MG4 EV.

For those using finance, personal contract purchase (PCP) deals are likely to offer the Spring to customers with a low deposit and monthly payments of less than £200.

Dacia will prove that not all electric cars are quick

While far cheaper to buy, the Spring's battery range will likely be no match for the MG-branded Chinese competition.

What are you getting for your money?

First and foremost, a very efficient electric vehicle.

The Dacia Spring was rated the best car of 2022 for environmental impact by independent testing panel Green NCAP - an offshoot of the Euro NCAP safety watching, which we will also discuss shortly.

It awarded the Spring an impressive five-star rating, which puts to shame the scores for far pricier battery rivals such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (from £43,445) and Audi Q4 E-tron Sportback (from £52,825).

Spring's energy use was rated at 9.8 out of 10 in the Energy Efficiency Index - the highest score it has ever handed out.

That's because the Dacia uses 89 per cent of the electricity it is charged with, thanks to its light weight, steady acceleration and low top speed.

Don't expect a flashy interior. The Spring sold in Europe is about as basic as it gets with a cabin awash with hard plastics

It's not too bad to look at, either.

Like the Sandero Stepway, Spring features SUV-inspired looks but without the off-road benefits of four-wheel drive.

Chunky plastic wheel arches, roof rails and wheel trims mean it fits the Dacia brief for being cheap and cheerful but also rugged, durable and repairable.

The boot, at 290 litres, isn't what you'd call capacious, but still gazumps the luggage compartment of a Fiat 500e.

Driver and front-seat passenger will enjoy a relatively spacious cabin, though roominess in the back will be limited for full-size adults - though perfectly suitable for children and young teenagers.

A quick scan of the interior and it's abundantly clear how Dacia has spared the pennies. It has also kept costs low by fitting as relatively sparse cockpit that's almost entirely made from hard plastic panels and switch gear. It also has a manual handbrake, which is a rarity for a new car arriving in 2024.

The fly in the ointment...

While the Dacia Spring's price tag and practicality will make it very appealing to motorists, there is one major fly in the ointment - its safety rating.

When crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2021, the Spring was awarded just one out of five stars.

It was severely marked down for having few advanced safety tech features.

This includes only having automatic brake assist that triggers to prevent collisions with cars and not pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users. And it also comes without a 'lane assist' system, which cost it points.

Arguably, adding such expensive technology would likely bump the Spring's price well above the affordable starting point offered, though Euro NCAP also highlighted other issues.

Fly in the ointment: Dacia's Spring currently has a one-star crash safety rating from Euro NCAP

Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general at Euro NCAP, said Dacia had also failed to live up to promises made after its Sandero was also found in 2021 to provide below-par protection

The 49% adult occupant protection score in the test suggests the cabin doesn't provide as much shielding as some rivals

An adult occupant protection score of just 49 per cent and child occupant protection of 56 per cent also suggest the Spring doesn't hold up as well as rivals when involved in a collision.

Bosses at the safety group criticised Dacia and parent company Renault at the time for introducing a new EV with an affordable price tag but at the expense of occupant safety.

Commenting on its test results two years ago, Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general at Euro NCAP, said Dacia had also failed to live up to promises made after its Sandero was also found in 2021 to provide below-par protection.

'Only a few months ago, Dacia claimed that they were 'preoccupied with always increasing safety for those on board' and that their cars always have passenger safety improved. That's clearly not the case: not only do these cars fail to offer any appreciable active safety as standard, but their occupant protection is also worse than any vehicle we have seen in many years,' he explained.

'It is cynical to offer the consumer an affordable green car if it comes at the price of higher injury risk in the event of an accident.'

While the one-star rating will give UK customers something to seriously think about, it's important to note that the safety score hasn't deterred European drivers from buying Springs in their droves.

Dacia UK has also yet to confirm if the 'several improvement in equipment' for British-sold examples will include more safety features, though this would almost certainly impact the price.

UK customers can register their interest in buying a Dacia Spring today, though will have to wait until next year before placing a deposit on an order

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When can I order a Dacia Spring?

Full details, including timings, pricing and specification for Spring will be announced next year.

However, Britons can already register their interest on Dacia's website.

Luke Broad, Dacia's UK brand director, says the Spring's eventual arrival in British showrooms will 'certainly be worth the wait!'

He added: 'It will literally plug a gap in the UK electric car market for a highly usable, quality EV that won't break the bank and which makes electric vehicle ownership more realistic than ever.

'With over 120,000 customers already sold on the Spring's unbeatable, 'no-nonsense' blend of value, efficiency and durability, UK car buyers can look forward to an EV that's perfectly aligned to their mobility requirements and, importantly, is done the Dacia way.'

Xavier Martinet, Dacia senior vice president of sales, marketing and operations, added: 'The UK is an important market for us, so we are delighted to strengthen our range with the Dacia Spring.

'With UK sales surging year-on-year and many British car buyers having a recognised appetite for the brand, it is now the right time to introduce a pure electric vehicle.

'Spring has democratised electric vehicle ownership in Europe, offering people the chance to enjoy sustainable driving without the often-associated price premium.

'I'm confident that Spring will we be as popular in the UK as it has proved throughout the rest of Europe.'