Discover the Dacia Spring: The Most Affordable EV to Salary Sacrifice!
Dacia was founded in Romania in 1966 to make modern, reliable, and affordable cars. In 1999, Renault acquired Dacia before launching the ‘Logan,’ which came out in 2004. The Logan was designed as a family saloon with a starting price of €5,000 and revolutionised the market. Dacia went on to launch the Sandero, Duster, and Jogger.
Today, the brand operates in 44 European countries, with more than 8 million customers. In 2022, they shifted their approach and ‘renewed their promise to deliver simplicity, durability, and accessibility’ with a new logo, new colours, and a modern lineup. The Dacia Spring is the first electric car from Dacia and is affordable to buy outright with an RRP range of £14,995 to £16,995. This is the real headline and stays true to Dacia’s philosophy of making affordable cars.
For under £15,000, you will get the Expression trim with air-conditioning, rear parking sensors, remote central locking, and a suite of safety equipment. Moving up to the Extreme trim, you will get all of the above plus a high-technology infotainment system, a rear camera, and a more premium interior trim.
In this article, we will give you all the information you need to know about the most affordable electric car on the market at the moment. We will also explore how much it will cost and the benefits of choosing to lease the Dacia Spring through an electric car salary sacrifice scheme, like The Electric Car Scheme.
The electric Dacia Spring
As aforementioned, the Dacia Spring is the first electric Dacia and has been deemed ‘the UK’s cheapest car’. It would set you back £14,995 to buy a Dacia, which undercuts the MG4 EV (RRP of £26,995) and the Fiat 500 electric (£28,195). Only the Citröen Ami is cheaper, but with its 46-mile range and 28mph top speed limits, some may not choose to classify that as a serious contender.
Specifications and performance stats
There are two trim levels to choose from: Expression and Extreme. The models come with powertrains, depending on the engine you choose (electric 45 or electric 65). The Electric 45 powertrain has less power at 33kW, which has a maximum torque of 123 Nm, whereas the Electric 65 has a larger powertrain of 48kW which can produce 113 Nm of torque. The Electric 45 powertrain is only available on the Expression trim whereas you can choose to have the Electric 65 for both trim levels, which is desirable. Only one battery size is available and it’s pretty small at 27kWh, which means you can only achieve 137 miles at a given time. This is fine if you do not frequently travel long distances, but if you do, this may not be the car for you.
The Spring is 3.7 meters long and has a turning circle of 9.6 meters. It features 5 doors and offers 308 litres of boot space with the seats up, expanding to 1,004 litres when the seats are folded down. It is also very light for an electric car, weighing 984 kg, which sounds like a lot until you compare it to EVs of a similar shape and size; for example, the MG4 weighs 1,655 kg. This lighter weight ultimately helps with energy efficiency.
| Trim level | Powertrain | Battery Size | 0-62mph | Range | Salary sacrifice least cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expression | 33kW | 27kWh | 19.1 seconds | 137 miles | £303 per month |
| Expression | 48kW | 27kWh | 13.7 seconds | 137 miles | £306 per month |
| Extreme | 48kW | 27kWh | 13.7 seconds | 137 miles | £316 per month |
What are the differences between the two trim levels?
The Expression trim comes with several standard features, including remote central locking, manual air conditioning, and electric windows. There is no infotainment system in the Expression; instead, you get a phone mount and a dedicated Dacia app. The Extreme trim, however, offers 15-inch alloy wheels, a more impressive exterior design, and a khaki exterior trim. Additionally, the Extreme trim includes a large infotainment screen, replacing the phone mount found in the base Expression version.
Expression trim
Here are some examples of what you can expect to get if you choose the Dacia Spring Expression:
ISOFIX attachments on outer rear seats,
Cruise control and speed limiter,
Rear parking sensors,
Lane keep-assist system,
Media control - DAB radio with the display on the instrument panel, Bluetooth and two speakers,
Brick red dashboard deco part,
14-inch steel wheels,
LED Y shape Dacia signature lighting,
Tinted windows.
Extreme trim
If you choose the Extreme trim, you get everything included with the Expression trim, plus additional features:
USB socket,
10-inch MediaNav live, DAB radio, Apple Carplay and Android Auto and two speakers,
15-inch steel wheels with a Danube-style cover,
Soft feel steering wheel,
Front and rear bumper, body coloured with black elements and a decorative insert,
Copper door mirrors.
Customise your Spring with plenty of colours to choose from
There are six colours to choose from: Polar White (which is included), Stonewash Blue, Brick Red, Lightening Grey, Safari Beige, and Khaki. For all colours apart from Polar White, you will have to pay an extra £650 for the customisation.
What’s the Spring like to drive?
Because the Dacia Spring hasn’t been released yet, it is difficult to know what it’s like to drive. However, What Car? got early access and was able to take it for a test drive. According to their article, the suspension works well by soaking up any bumps in the road, and the raised height means there is a lot of body lean when taking corners. The steering is said to be responsive, but there is little sense of grip needed when travelling around towns or cities. The Spring is four-wheel drive and can cope at low and high speeds, but according to What Car?, the Dacia Spring is not as refined as its rivals.
Space inside the Dacia Spring
Inside the Spring, you have a dashboard with a 7-inch driver’s display, Y-shaped air vents, and climate controls. If you opt for the Extreme trim, you will also get a 10-inch infotainment screen that is high-resolution and responsive.
However, the entry-level Spring comes with a clip for mounting your phone instead of an infotainment screen. Most of the materials inside the cabin are scratchy plastics, but the driving position is high with a good view out due to large windows. One downfall is that the steering wheel only adjusts for height and not rake, meaning the lack of adjustment could be an issue for some drivers.
In the back, there is not a great deal of room, but even taller passengers will be able to fit somewhat comfortably. The boot has a capacity of 308 litres, which would fit a weekly shop.
This extends to over 1,000 litres if you take the back seats down as a single piece (which is less versatile than a 50:50 or 60:40 split as seen in other cars).
Salary sacrifice a Dacia Spring from The Electric Car Scheme
The government's tax incentives for electric cars promote sustainable choices. But they are complex and difficult to access. EV salary sacrifice schemes, like The Electric Car Scheme, make it simple to access the government tax incentives for our net zero transition. Salary sacrifice saves 30-60% on the cost of any electric car by paying from salary before tax. You receive Complete Risk Protection, at the best prices available, all at no cost to the employer. It also covers servicing and maintenance. If you are interested in getting a personalised quote for the Dacia Spring, visit our intuitive tool, which will provide pricing matched to your preferences and salary.
If you choose to lease a Dacia Spring Extreme from The Electric Car Scheme, you will save £217 per month. The main savings come from income tax, where you would save £207, and an additional £10 from national insurance savings. You will have to pay a small amount of benefit-in-kind tax every month, which for the Spring is low at £19 per month.
This pricing is based on someone who is a 40% taxpayer who wants to lease the car for three years and expects to travel 10,000 miles annually. Getting a car through salary sacrifice is the most affordable and best way to get into an electric car, especially if this is your first, because you can bundle everything into the cost and salary sacrifice too. This includes a home charger; we have partnered with Smart Home Charge to help you get a charger installed.
Hear from Vaishali Desai, Electric Vehicle Sales Manager on what she thinks of the Dacia Spring
“Dacia brings its great value to electric cars. Owning a brand new electric car for less than £15,000 is unheard of and Dacia makes this possible with the Spring by not cutting out your essentials. Parking sensors, air conditioning and a 10" media control are just some of the standard features in the entry-level vehicle. Dacia is known to build quality new cars at an affordable price for their customers. Their motto is ‘You do the maths’"
Switching to an electric car is one of the most significant ways you can make a positive change towards net zero. We want to make it cheaper and easier than any other option. Salary sacrifice makes this possible, allowing employees to save 30-60% on any electric car by reducing your salary in exchange for an electric car as a benefit. This makes electric cars an affordable option for everyone.
Last updated: 15/08/24
Our pricing is based on data collected from The Electric Car Scheme quote tool. All final pricing is inclusive of VAT. All prices above are based on the following lease terms; 10,000 miles pa, 36 months, and are inclusive of Maintenance and Breakdown Cover. The Electric Car Scheme’s terms and conditions apply. All deals are subject to credit approval and availability. All deals are subject to excess mileage and damage charges. Prices are calculated based on the following tax saving assumptions; England & Wales, 40% tax rate. The above prices were calculated using a flat payment profile. The Electric Car Scheme Limited provides services for the administration of your salary sacrifice employee benefits. The Electric Car Scheme Holdings Limited is a member of the BVRLA (10608), is authorised and regulated by the FCA under FRN 968270, is an Appointed Representative of Marshall Management Services Ltd under FRN 667174, and is a credit broker and not a lender or insurance provider.
