DRIVEN! New Dacia Spring. Is the UK’s cheapest EV really good enough? | Electrifying

#daciaspring #daciaelectric #electriccars

CHECKED OUT THE EVALUATION:

It's finally time to drive what will be the UK's most inexpensive vehicle when deliveries begin in Fall.

In the UK we'll be getting just one battery size and at 26.8 kWh it's about half the size of the Vauxhall Corsa 's and quite a bit smaller sized than the 44 kWh battery you'll discover in the Citroen e-C3. As is focused on keeping the Spring as light as possible – it's less than half the weight of a VW ID.3 – declares it will cover over 137 miles of official WLTP variety on a full charge. That's more than the Mazda MX-30, which has a larger battery pack. You'll be able to get the most out of your range as the Spring is fitted with regenerative braking for the first time, which feeds valuable energy generally lost through braking back into the car's battery.

The Spring has a slow 7kW on-board battery charger, and a charge from a home wallbox will take 4 hours. Dacia states many owners will opt to use a three-pin socket to charge, which takes 11 hours; and in Europe there will be the option of a socket booster which uses a more robust 3 pin which can charge at 3.2 kW instead of the normal 2.3 and sees the time cut to around 7 hours – anticipate to see a comparable piece of package available in the UK.

A 30 kW DC battery charger enables quickly( ish) charging from 20% to 80% in 45 minutes, This is basic on the two more effective models on sale in the UK, but will not be on offer – even as an alternative – on the entry level 45 version. The charging flap is well situated in the centre at the front of the automobile and a vehicle-to-load adaptor, which permits you to charge up other things from your vehicle – like an e-bike, or vacuum (must you want to spring tidy your Spring) – is fitted as basic on the top of the variety Extreme specification.

Join Nicola as she drives the brand-new Dacia Spring for the very first time. Has Dacia pulled it off? Will you be considering it for your next car? Let us understand in the remarks below.

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Comments

58 responses to “DRIVEN! New Dacia Spring. Is the UK’s cheapest EV really good enough? | Electrifying”

  1. @lmc333 Avatar
    @lmc333

    I see Nicola, I click… A nice spring is a bonus, but Nicola’s electric attitude is the cheerfulness I need in my day.

    1. @TheAllMightyGodofCod Avatar
      @TheAllMightyGodofCod

      Well, I am starting to avoid their videos… I would like it if she got straight to the point.
      I like her at first but I am getting a little bit bored by her videos.
      Sorry

  2. @trixiepickle8779 Avatar
    @trixiepickle8779

    Bought one last year here in SW France, absolutely love it. Living in the countryside with winding lanes often narrow and hills, it’s perfect for me. Use it for taking the dog out, shopping, airport runs. Fun to drive and nippy and amazing to park in Cities. No complaints at all about mine. Thanks for a great review.

    1. @simonevans8979 Avatar
      @simonevans8979

      Bought any airports yet?

    2. @davidcolin6519 Avatar
      @davidcolin6519

      Was yours this model, or the previous one?

    3. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      It has 1 star crash protection, be sure not to crash it.

    4. @trixiepickle8779 Avatar
      @trixiepickle8779

      @@davidcolin6519 the previous one.

    5. @trixiepickle8779 Avatar
      @trixiepickle8779

      @@EVRealFacts Thanks for the tip

  3. @stevenjones916 Avatar
    @stevenjones916

    Looks good 👏👏👏
    Separate climate controls 👏👏👏
    Rear wiper 👏👏👏
    And a price that is reasonable for the masses 👏👏👏

  4. @davewatts7444 Avatar
    @davewatts7444

    What’s not to like? As a urban car it is the grandchild of the 2cv, yes on a motorway maybe not so good but take this morning, took my son to hospital a round trip of 16 miles, later I’m at a funeral which is 8 miles round trip. So 24 miles, which is the longest daily distance for three weeks. So in effect it’s for most people the perfect car.

    1. @petrkubena Avatar
      @petrkubena

      What’s not to like? Horrible impact ratings. It’s great that they added some ADAS features, but when the crash happens, you want to be anywhere but in this car as a driver (funny enough – other front seat and pedestrians are better off than the driver).

    2. @CampGareth Avatar
      @CampGareth

      Is that crash test still valid? I see results for the 2021 spring but don’t know what’s changed for the ‘all new’ spring.

    3. @mopedder2621 Avatar
      @mopedder2621

      ​@@petrkubenaDon’t crash it then!

    4. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      Crash test valid, it’s awful. EURO NCAP publicly criticised Renault and Dacia for it. EV websites carrying it too. It’s a death trap in a crash, they struggled to even get the doors open and the test dummies were banged up bad. Some things worth paying for

  5. @mikadavies660 Avatar
    @mikadavies660

    £14,999 has to be a major plus…. at half the cost of a Fiat 500 E. Yes it is super basic, but it is no more basic than the VW E-UP. Which was £27,000

    1. @johnmorgan8152 Avatar
      @johnmorgan8152

      Bought a brand new VW E Up here in Ireland in March. It’s fully loaded with all the possible extras for an E Up. It cost 17500 euro or 15200 Stg approx. Think i would pick the E Up over the Spring, but not at 27k. They were priced ridiculously

    2. @mikadavies660 Avatar
      @mikadavies660

      @johnmorgan8152  The E-up has better use of internal space but in the UK they were £27,000 back in 2022. Now they simply don’t exist new.

    3. @Andy-zi1wj Avatar
      @Andy-zi1wj

      The VW e-up was never 27k in the UK it was around 22k B4 the government grant at the time made it 20k and was available to order until sept 2021. Some cars were still being delivered in 2023 due to back log of orders. There are delivery mile e-up available on a 24 plate for 18k

    4. @Andy-zi1wj Avatar
      @Andy-zi1wj

      ​​@@johnmorgan8152they were 22k in the UK when on sale in 2021/22 and listed at 25k in 2024 which are dealer stock now selling around 18k for 24 plate pre reg

    5. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      1 star crash protection…should not be on the road.

  6. @colin13579 Avatar
    @colin13579

    We need more Nicola’s in the world, always puts a smile on my face.
    As for the Spring, I actually quite like it and its simplicity is refreshing.

  7. @iridemountainbikes Avatar
    @iridemountainbikes

    No automatic wipers, manual boot, manual handbrake etc… these are exactly the things that don’t need to be automatic and more manufacturers should do so that, helps lower the price, why not offer the billion automated extras that are not needed, just nice to have as options?….

    1. @davidcolin6519 Avatar
      @davidcolin6519

      For EVs built outside Europe the difficulty is that you’d have to add the options in Europe, adding to cost. Or you’d have to order the optioned version separately, which would add to the delivery times AND cost. It is, in fact, much cheaper to spec all the models with all the basic gadgets than add them in.
      I’m not convinced by auto-wipers, but auto lights and cruise control, for me, are an absolute must.

    2. @DMulabiTalejan Avatar
      @DMulabiTalejan

      I fiercely agree with you. We need bare bones cheap EVs. We dont even need a screen, we can use our phones. All these strip downs will enhance battery range and massively bring the prices down.

    3. @cavb748 Avatar
      @cavb748

      Yessssss! buttonsssss! this interior is 10 times better that any VW´s interior.

    4. @toyotaprius79 Avatar
      @toyotaprius79

      Continue with deleting the wannabe crossover features, add some rear wheel skirts and a front wheel rim deflector and BAM an easy 1mi/kWh improvement.

    5. @toyotaprius79 Avatar
      @toyotaprius79

      ​​@@DMulabiTalejanThe tendancey of profitability to fall and the short sighted greed of shareholders begs to differ

  8. @mikadavies660 Avatar
    @mikadavies660

    Two days ago, I was at the local Renault dealership looking at the Scenic. The salesman was telling me ALL the first deliveries of the Spring have been sold. This makes sense… It will cost around £4/week to drive (8,000 miles per year). Cheap to insure. Monthly payments that everyone can afford. Possibly it might be an ideal first car for a 17yr old…!

    1. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      Ask the dealer if they made the buyers aware of the 1 star crash protection and that EURO NCAP publicly criticised Renault and Dacia for its performance saying it was woeful.

    2. @donaloherlihy203 Avatar
      @donaloherlihy203

      @@EVRealFactsEuro NCAP not showing ratings for the 2024 model. So don’t know where you’re getting score of 1 from

    3. @colinmoss5402 Avatar
      @colinmoss5402

      @@donaloherlihy203it’s the old model. And it was the absence of certain automatic safety tech which caused it, NOT apparently crash testing.

  9. @ChromeFlakes Avatar
    @ChromeFlakes

    Nicola Hume is actually Joy from Inside Out. 😂😂😂 I was in a bad mood; not anymore after watching this video. 😂

    1. @akf2000 Avatar
      @akf2000

      😂😂😂 need more Nicolas

    2. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      Very cheerfully ignoring what she does not want you to know, it’s a 1 star Euro NCAP safety disaster that was publicly criticised for being woeful.

    3. @thedreamfactory6964 Avatar
      @thedreamfactory6964

      ​@@EVRealFactsShe also doesn’t want us to know it’s a Dongfeng. Why hiding this? Might hamper sales???

    4. @TheBrucifer Avatar
      @TheBrucifer

      ⁠@@EVRealFactsFor someone claiming they are about the facts, it is funny you say it is a death trap, shows you don’t know how Euro NCAP works. The standard is regularly updated, so a 1st at car today, might have been a 4 or 5 star only a few years ago. It’s not great but it is far from a death trap, most cars its size from even just a decade ago would be far worse. 🙄

  10. @mishumihai223 Avatar
    @mishumihai223

    I love it. In this world of crossover fat Pumas and Capris, and other SUVs, it’s an orange breath of fresh air.

  11. @zzpaul01 Avatar
    @zzpaul01

    This is a car for people that want transport, the original ford fiesta was 45bhp but I suspect slower to 30 than the small output spring, I would be very happy with one as my second car, and I think the dog would fit in the boot.

  12. @DavidJohnston58 Avatar
    @DavidJohnston58

    It won’t be for everyone, but it will get the attention of many for whom until this, a new EV was an expensive dream.

    They won’t have a problem with 100ish miles range or slower acceleration and slower charging. It’s got a shed load of useful stuff that my more than double the price EV doesn’t.

    Not for me though, I like my road trips, but I really like the car and think it’s a very positive addition to what’s available.

    1. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      Problem is the 1 star crash protection…imagine your family in this…

  13. @thezanzibarbarian5729 Avatar
    @thezanzibarbarian5729

    This is the Mini for the 21st century. Though the original Mini’s when launched cost some £500 in 1959, that’s the equivalent of £14,580 in today’s money.
    And the first Mini’s 0-60 was a very sedate 26.5 seconds on to a top speed of some 75 mph.
    So this Dacia is miles faster to 60, weighs some 300 kg more but the price is very similar in by today’s valuation. _Spookie eh!?_ 🤔😲😁

    1. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      It has the same crash safety as the original mini I’ll grant you, 1 star. They’ll bury your loved ones still in it as NCAP could hardly get the doors open.

    2. @thezanzibarbarian5729 Avatar
      @thezanzibarbarian5729

      @@EVRealFacts To be honest. I’d rather be in an old Mini. I used to have one in the mid 70’s. A little blue Clubman. At least if I still had that car, people would go past saying, _”That’s a good looking old Mini.”_
      In this Dacia, I’m sure people would drive past saying, _”What the heck is that pile of 💩?”_ 🤔😲 😅🤣😂

  14. @aliruane Avatar
    @aliruane

    Turning the automatic ‘move me into oncoming traffic or slam the breaks on for no reason’ so called ‘safety features’ off with a button is awesome.

  15. @ISuperTed Avatar
    @ISuperTed

    This is great to see for EV’s generally. Sure there will be loads of detractors moaning about range, performance, charging speed etc, but none of that matters for the target market. If you’re only doing small journeys and home charge, it’s going to be incredibly cheap to run.

    1. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      Nah it’s safety, it has 1 star and Euro NCAP could hardly open the doors as it was woeful. Euro NCAP publicly criticised them for being so bad.

    2. @garysmith5025 Avatar
      @garysmith5025

      @@EVRealFacts If the safety rating of the cheapest EV on the market is the only criticism you can come up with to support your anti-EV agenda I guess that means you’re running out of myths that are continually getting busted. Small, light, cars always have lower crash performance, and much of NCAPs downgrading is as much to do with the lack of driver aids; the one’s most people buy then turn off.

  16. @akf2000 Avatar
    @akf2000

    7.4 mi/kWh is RIDICULOUS

    1. @witkowskimarcin4552 Avatar
      @witkowskimarcin4552

      Yes, I had to recalculate it first into kWh per kms. 8,4 kWh per 100 km. 😊 It is a half what my Tesla 3 LR use.

    2. @davepage1151 Avatar
      @davepage1151

      It’s ridiculous because it’s ridiculous – it doesn’t add up. 26.8kWh battery x 7.4m/kWh = potential 198.32 miles range. Now even they only say 140 mile range (5.22m/kWh) so I’d say likely 120 As they always over sell it and that’s 4.47m/kWh which it should easily do as it’s light and not exactly all about the power.

      Now I don’t doubt that it’s capable of efficiency at times being at 7.4m/kWh because the VW E-UP (Seat and Skoda versions) can achieve that but you’re not getting close to 200 miles on a full charge.

    3. @akf2000 Avatar
      @akf2000

      @@davepage1151 something’s not right. Granted it is much lighter (the lightest) but it doesn’t look crazy aerodynamic.

  17. @marcogentile3392 Avatar
    @marcogentile3392

    This feels much more like an electric Fiat Panda, than the actual electric Fiat Panda

    1. @NoName-md5zb Avatar
      @NoName-md5zb

      Electric panda is citroen ec3

  18. @sevensixtysteve8662 Avatar
    @sevensixtysteve8662

    Brilliant car and exactly what an EV should be – reduces the impact of manufacture and gives high efficiency in use. It’s so encouraging that a manufacturer can bring something like this to the market. It looks cool and proves you don’t need to thunder around in overweight and overpriced SUVs surrounded by badly implemented tech and tasteless LED lighting. Good job Dacia.

    1. @EVRealFacts Avatar
      @EVRealFacts

      Total opposite. It’s a 1 star safety death trap.

    2. @thedreamfactory6964 Avatar
      @thedreamfactory6964

      You mean ‘good job Dongfeng, thank you China’?

  19. @TheAllMightyGodofCod Avatar
    @TheAllMightyGodofCod

    One of the biggest critics i have ever read about the first gen Spring was about it having an exposed high voltage cable on the underside… It would have been vey useful if this test said if that was corrected for this generation.
    No mention about the ride, is it harsh or soft? How does it corner?
    No mention of how long it will actually take you yo charge it in real world conditions.
    How about brakes? How do they feel and will they react in an emergency brake?
    Reviews of cars are so generic, so vague so sbout the looks and not the essence that sometimes I wonder why i still watch them.

  20. @Trevster65 Avatar
    @Trevster65

    Wicked little car, not everyone needs a Tesla.

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