• Small battery means a small range
• But the efficiency is exceptional
• Warranty up to seven years available

What are the running costs?

These’s an increasing trend for manufacturers to use huge batteries, which are a great if you do a lot of longer trips but a huge waste of resources for those only doing local miles. 

The Dacia Spring bucks this trend with its small 26.8kWh battery. Capacity like that was commonplace with many of the first popular EVs from a decade ago, such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe.

It means the 140-mile range isn’t the longest, though Dacia cites data from its existing European customers that says they only average 23 miles per day. For those doing local miles, that range should be more than enough. 

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During our test, we found the Spring to be hugely efficient, averaging an impressive 5.1 miles per kilowatt hour (mi/kWh), which was within touching distance of its claimed range figure. Efficiency figures like that are almost unheard of from many other electric cars. 

But with a range like that, the Spring will always be compromised for longer distances, and it’s not helped by decidedly average charging times. You need the top-spec Extreme model for DC rapid charging, and even then it can only charge at 30kW – a lot of the best plug-in hybrids can charge quicker than that these days. This equates to a 20 to 80% charge taking around 45 minutes.

Using a 7kW wallbox the Spring’s battery can be replenished in four hours, but given it can be fully charged overnight using a standard three-pin plug, there’s likely no need to pay to have a wallbox installed at home. 

Servicing and warranty

All Dacia Springs come with a standard, run-of-the-mill three-year, 60,000-mile warranty, with the battery covered separately for eight years or 75,000 miles, whichever comes first. 

Dacia also offers its new ‘Zen’ program, which is where the standard warranty can be extended for up to seven years as long as the vehicle is serviced at a Dacia dealer. It’s even applicable to used cars up to six years old too. 

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Servicing should be affordable the Spring too, with the firm offering two service plans – one lasting three years/30,000 miles and up to four years and 48,000 miles. 

Reliability

There are lots of unknowns around the Spring and its reliability. However, Dacia in general has a decent reputation for its cars’ dependability, and given the popularity of the Spring in Europe and other markets since its introduction in 2021, we reckon it should be quite dependable in this respect.