Do we even want an electric car that can't leave an Aussie city? The Kia Picanto electric rival Dacia Spring is cheap but could have a deal-breaking low range for Australians

The Dacia Spring

Renault-owned Dacia has just launched its very affordable Spring electric car in the United Kingdom following a huge uptake of the little EV in Europe, and we might see it arrive in Australia when the brand opens up shop locally in 2025.

The Dacia Spring is an electric vehicle about the same size as a Kia Picanto and in the UK orders for it opened starting with a list price of A$28,800. That makes it very close to being the cheapest EV in Europe.

The catch is that the Spring’s limited driving range. With its 26.8kWh battery the Spring’s range according to Dacia is 220km. In comparison the most affordable electric car in Australia the $38,890 BYD Dolphin Dynamic has a 44.9kWh battery and a 340km range (WLTP).

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The low range of the Dacia Spring hasn’t stopped it being taken up in big numbers in Europe and since its launch in 2021 more than 140,000 have been sold.

In the UK the Spring is available in two grades: the entry level Expression and the range topping Extreme.

The Expression has a 33kW/225Nm electric motor, while the Extreme has a 48kW/113Nm unit. Both use the same 26.8kWh capacity battery and are front-wheel drive. The output figures may seem low, but the weight of the Spring is just 970kg.

The Spring is affordable not only because the electric battery is so small, but also because of its budget interior which includes wind-down rear windows, manually adjustable wing mirrors and no cup holders. But it does have a 10-inch multimedia display, sat nav, and air conditioning.

All Springs have four doors, four seats and a 308-litre boot.

Last year Dacia announced its cars would arrive in Australia in 2025 badged as Renaults, and leading the charge will be the Duster small SUV.

CarsGuide reached out to Dacia to see if the Spring would also be part of the Australian line-up but the company has yet to confirm this.