Dacia has revealed the production version of its first electric vehicle, the Spring Electric, which will be offered in city car, car-sharing and delivery van forms when it goes on sale in early 2021.
The Chinese-made Spring will be offered across mainland Europe initially, with car-sharing company Zity a primary customer. It is not confirmed for sale in the UK as yet, however Dacia now claims the car is "being evaluated" for the possibility of a right-hand drive version for UK markets.
Previewed by a concept last year and based on parent company Renault's Chinese-market City K-ZE, the Spring has been designed for use in urban areas in both passenger and, later in 2021, cargo forms - the latter designed for last-mile city deliveries. It uses an electric motor that makes 44bhp and 92lb ft, fed by a 26.8kWh battery.
This gives it a 140-mile range on the WLTP combined cycle and the ability to fast-charge at a rate of up to 30kW from a CCS DC charger. The top speed is limited to 62mph and the turning circle is a mere 4.8 metres.
The Spring is 3.73 metres long – 0.35 metres shorter than Dacia's new Sandero supermini – yet the firm claims it has room for four adults. The boot is 300 litres, increasing to 600 litres when the rear seats are folded down, plus there's 23 litres of storage in the front.
The interior features a 3.5in digital display between the analogue instrument dials, while an 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system is an option. This includes voice control and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
Dacia says the Spring will offer the lowest total cost of ownership (combining purchase and running costs) of any new vehicle on the market, although it has yet to publish any pricing details. It's expected to under
The car-sharing version of the Spring will be offered in select European countries and will come with durable artificial leather seats and 14in wheels. Meanwhile, the cargo van will forgo rear seats to offer 800 litres of luggage capacity and a 1033mm load length.
