The cheapest car in the Netherlands is now electric

We have often made fun of the Dacia Spring because of the somewhat spartan interior, the small 26.8 kWh battery and therefore the limited range (220 kilometers). The rippling loading times are also quite basic. A ‘fast charger’ of 30 kW remains an option, as standard you have to make do with 7 kW charging capacity. It becomes especially funny with the hundred sprint: it takes 20 seconds for the basic Expression 45 model!

But Dacia can turn all the critics around, because the Spring is popular. Since its market launch in 2021, Dacia has sold more than 140,000 units in Europe. The Dacia Spring is the third most popular electric passenger car in Europe. There is a good chance that success will increase, because the facelift version that is in the starting blocks is the cheapest car in the Netherlands after deduction of the SEPP subsidy.

Dacia Spring (2024) price: cheapest electric car

The base price of the facelifted Dacia Spring is now 18,450 euros, for the old version you had to pay 21,750 euros. A price difference of 2800 euros. But because you are eligible for a SEPP subsidy (2,950 euros), you actually only pay 16,000 euros. This makes the Spring the cheapest car in the Netherlands. Until now, that honor has also gone to a Dacia, the Sandero with petrol engine is in the price list from 17,200 euros.

The Spring doesn’t have much competition. The Citroën ë-C3 You that will soon be on the market has a range of 320 km, but will cost 24,290 euros.

Facelift Dacia Spring: changes

With most facelifts nowadays you have to look three times before you see the difference between before and after. The updated Dacia Spring is a favorable exception. The appearance has improved by leaps and bounds; the compact EV now looks like a mini version of the Dacia Duster.

The horizontally continuous front bumper is particularly striking. This makes the front of the Spring look more massive. In fact, the narrow, sleek grille even gives it a slightly mean look. The rear has also improved a lot. The sleek light units are connected by a fairly wide, black bar, in which the brand name is stated in copper-colored cow letters.