Renault is building its €17,900 Dacia Spring EV in Europe to qualify for local subsidies – Engadget

Renault’s luxury brand Dacia is moving production of its low-cost Dacia Spring EV to Europe from China to take advantage of French subsidies, the company has announced. Priced at €17,900 for the base model ($20,789), the Spring will cost just €12,200 ($14,169) after French EV credits are applied. Dacia has also updated the Spring’s design, making it slightly taller and adding sporty charm with a more muscular body design.

As you might expect, Spring has modest specifications. The 27.5 kWh LFP battery provides a range of just 155 miles WLTP (about 133 EPA miles), so it’s designed exclusively for urban or commuter driving. The optional 50kW DC fast charger (€500) can charge the battery from 15 to 80 percent in around 28 minutes, while charging from a standard 6.6kW socket takes nine hours. Dacia noted that Spring owners typically drive just 21 miles a day, with 75 percent charging at home. Performance will be modest, as the Spring offers just 80 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque.

Renault

Thanks to the new design this looks less like an econobox. At 5.9 inches longer and 7.1 inches wider, it’s more substantial and spacious. Dacia has updated the front end with more lines and angles, slightly wider wheel arches and black accents at the front and rear.

Storage space has increased from 10.9 cubic feet to 11.9 cubic feet, which isn’t bad for a subcompact. That volume increases to 45.3 cubic feet with the 50:50 split rear seat folded. The Spring will keep you informed and entertained with a 7-inch digital instrument panel and 10.1-inch central touchscreen, plus a variety of knobs and switches for tactile control. It’s available with features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a rear parking camera, and keyless entry, although you’ll have to pay an extra $1,500 to get those things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62I4eUJjIi8

The Dacia Spring will be assembled in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, at the same plant where Renault produces the Twingo E-Tech city car. The Spring now appears to be the cheapest electric car in Europe after incentives that vary depending on the country and your household income.

The Spring has been a relative success for Renault, with 210,000 units sold worldwide since 2021. It is designed to help Renault achieve its ambitious 2030 goal of achieving 100 percent electrification in Europe, with sales of half electric and half hybrid. Europe has ruled that vehicle emissions must fall by 90 percent by 2035 compared to 2021 levels.