Renault’s value brand Dacia is switching production of its low-cost Dacia Spring EV to Europe from China so it can benefit from French subsidies, the company announced. Priced at €17,900 for the base model ($20,789), the Spring will cost as little as €12,200 ($14,169) after French EV credits are applied. Dacia has also redesigned the Spring, making it sit a little higher and adding some sporty allure with a more muscular body design.
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The Dacia Spring will be assembled in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, at the same plant where Renault builds its Twingo E-Tech city car. The Spring now appears to be Europe’s cheapest EV after incentives, which vary depending on country and your household income.
The Spring has been a relative success for Renault, with sale of 210,000 units across the world since 2021. It’s designed to help Renault meet its ambitious 2030 goal of a 100 percent electrified mix in Europe, with half electric and half hybrid vehicle sales. Europe has ordained that fleet emissions must drop 90 percent by 2035 compared to 2021 levels.
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Edit:
Best-Selling Carmakers and Car Brands in Europe in 2026 (July):
1 Volkswagen
2 Skoda
3 Toyota
4 BMW
5 Mercedes
6 Renault
7 Audi
8 Peugeot
9 Kia
10 Dacia
Oh didnt know abiut that model.
But jump from SUV to a van is quite a step … And 40kWh a bit low range …
It’s an older EV. You can’t exactly be picky about range with cheap EVs that at the lower end of the spectrum. When new, it had more range than this Dacia though and the drivetrain has proven itself to be exceptionally durable in the Leaf (including the batteries), so even used, it should still be fine for everyday driving.
The seating position might actually be higher than in the SUV you’re used to, but it’s one of very few modern EVs with a solid leaf-sprung rear axle, so that would take some time getting used to. I can also imagine family members objecting to the rather boxy utilitarian appearance and build quality, with barely more than token attempts at styling flourishes anywhere on the car. Then again, once you’re seated inside, you don’t have to look at its outside appearance anymore, so that’s a plus. Jokes aside, this thing makes more sense than SUVs for the overwhelming majority of people, but we are unfortunately not rational creatures.
Oh thnx, much info 🙏👍👍
The Wife Acceptance Factor tho … 😉
Yeah, I’ve had the same discussion before. “No boxy transporter under any circumstances.” Otherwise, she couldn’t give a damn about the car (provided it has heated seats), but this is apparently a red line one shall not cross.