Dacia's new Spring arrives with focus on lightness and efficiency

Dacia has unveiled its new electric Spring which shuns the current trend for big batteries in favour of a more lightweight, efficient approach.

It features a compact 28.8kWh battery – considerably smaller than on most of the current crop of electric vehicles – which will return a range of up to 220 km, regardless of trim. Dacia says that this range is ‘more than sufficient’ for customers, who travel 37 km per day on average. Plus, at 984kg in top specification, the Spring is the only electric vehicle in Europe which comes in at under one tonne.

Because of the small size of the battery, it can be charged from a standard domestic plug in 11 hours or in just four hours when using a 7kW charger. It can fast charge at speeds of up to 30kW, too, which drops that 20 to 80% charge time to 45 minutes.

The Spring also features bi-directional charging, which means that the car can be used as a power supply for other electrical devices. A special adapter – plugged into the car’s charging connected under the front grille – allows it to be used as a conventional socket.

Exterior-wise, the Spring has been designed to offer a ‘robust’ feel according to Dacia, with lower-door side protectors being light and easily replaceable in case of damage while no chrome has been used on the exterior to reduce ‘further impact on the environment’. The Spring will also be available in six exterior colours.

Inside, all versions get a digital dashboard as standard, while higher trim levels will also get a 10-inch infotainment system. The Y-shape design – which is also used in the lights – is located in the centre of the air vents while the ‘central decorative accent’ on the instrument panel changes colour depending on the specification.

Dacia has said full specifications and pricing information will be shared in March – though expect a value-focused price tag for this new EV.