Dacia has announced that its Spring EV city car will soon be available for sale in the UK. The Dacia Spring EV is produced in China by the Dongfeng Motor Group, which holds several partnerships with global automotive giants including Luxgen, Honda, Sterile Corporate Monolith Stellantis, and Renault-Nissan. This means the Dacia Spring EV promises significantly better quality than any other Dacia built before it because the Chinese are now master automotive manufacturers.

The Dacia Spring is derived from the Dongfeng Aeolus EX1 EV, utilizing its entire powertrain, interior, exterior styling, and equipment list. Dacia essentially rebrands the Aeolus EX1 EV by incorporating the Dacia branding and making other minor exterior and interior styling adjustments.

Here’s a key point to note about the Dongfeng Aeolus EX1 EV: it’s available for purchase in China at an astonishingly low price of $5,800 USD. However, in the UK, the rebranded version, known as the Dacia Spring, is set to command a retail price of £17,000.

What does £17K get you? A package boasting a 26.8kWh battery capable of delivering 80-90 miles of range, along with a front-mounted electric motor offering two power derivatives: 44bhp or 64bhp, all within a lightweight package weighing no more than 984kg. While the Dacia Spring comes well-equipped, that’s not the main point of contention here.

The Dacia Spring EV is unlikely to achieve significant sales numbers, as city cars often lack broad appeal among buyers. Consider the UK market as an example: in January 2024, the only “city car” to make it into the top 10 was the Mini Cooper, with a starting price of £24K. The majority of the list consisted of SUVs.

Dacia sells over 493K vehicles annually across Europe, with the Spring accounting for 44K units sold in 2023. However, in the UK market alone, Dacia averages around 45K units annually. Simply put, the Dacia Spring sells in low volumes, but enough to generate a marginally healthy profit, Greenwash the brand’s image and avoid costly carbon/CO2 tax penalties.

In this regard, the Dacia Spring serves as a buffer zone bought by a small number of eccentric geriatrics. And that is the fable of the mythical City Car.