An electric car dubbed “Europe’s most affordable” is now on sale in France for €12,403 due in part to the country’s generous electric vehicle incentives.
The Dacia Spring basic “Comfort” model is available at the price of €16,990, which becomes €12,403 once France’s 27% ecology grant (“bonus écologique”) is deducted.
This makes this model of the Dacia Spring €3,200 cheaper than the electric Renault Twingo model (which is €15,585 with the bonus). This is despite the Dacia having a longer range than the Twingo, at 230km per charge versus 190km.
Pre-orders for the vehicle are set to open on March 20. The first clients will receive a recharge badge allowing them to use the Plugsurfing charging network, which has 30,000 points across France. Those who order the Comfort Plus model will also be gifted 2,000km-worth of charge on delivery.
The first deliveries are scheduled for Autumn 2021.
Vehicle options
The new Dacia also has a number of high-tech tools inside, including a Bluetooth radio with a USB port, and daytime LED headlamps, plus manual air conditioning.
It offers an emergency tyre for an extra €180, and a Type 2 recharging cable for €250, plus metallic paint in grey, blue or red for an extra €500.
For €1,095 extra - for a total cost of €13,498 after the bonus is included - drivers can also add a “Média Nav” seven-inch touchscreen multimedia system, a rear parking camera, emergency tyre, metallic paint, and sound treatment inside and out. Extra charging options are also available.
Dacia has also created a “Business” option for professionals and car-sharers, which will cost €12,264 with the bonus. It will include the Comfort options, plus more rear cameras and footwell mats.
A further “Spring Cargo” “utilitarian” option is also set to go on sale next year, but the price has not yet been revealed.
A market ‘game-changer'
Academic Bernard Julian told specialist car website autoactu.com: “The ‘customer promise’ is simple: You don’t have to go to the petrol station for everyday journeys; as long as you don’t need the same services from your everyday car as you might for a ‘holiday’ [long-distance] car.”
News source BFMTV said that the new Dacia Spring could be a “game-changer” on the electric vehicle market.
Competitor vehicles such as the Skoda Citigo and the Seat Mii cost around €22,000, or €16,000 once the bonus is taken into account; while the electric Fiat 500 starts at €24,500 (€17,885 with bonus). While these models do have a higher spec than the Spring, they are markedly more expensive.
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