There has been a lot of speculation about Dacia’s first-ever electric vehicle, more specifically about the Renault model on which it will be based. That ends today as the Romanian brand has unveiled the Spring Electric Concept previewing its first EV, which it’s very clearly based on the Renault City K-ZE sold in China. We don’t know why Dacia bothered to present the electric crossover in concept form given that a production model is already on sale in China. However, the reason behind it could be the fact the Dacia EV won’t launch earlier than 2021 in Europe.

There’s not much to comment regarding the styling: it looks pretty much like the Renault Kwid-based City K-ZE, with some minor differences. Those include the Dacia-specific grille, three-piece LED headlights located under the horizontal LED DRLs, full-LED taillights with ‘double-Y’ effect and that’s about it. Dacia says this look previews the future of the brand’s lighting design.


Known as the ‘Dacia Urban City Car’ in Renault group’s 2019 financial report, the Spring Electric Concept has been updated compared to the Chinese version. As a reminder, the City K-ZE packs an electric motor delivering only 44 HP and 119 Nm of torque, as well as a battery good enough for a driving range of 250 km in the old NEDC test cycle. Unfortunately, we don’t get any details about the Dacia Spring‘s powertrain other than the fact it will deliver a driving range of more than 200 km based on the WLTP test procedure. Dacia says that’s ideal for urban and suburban use.

In the press release, Dacia focuses more on the styling of the Spring Electric Concept, highlighting its pastel grey exterior accented with matte splashes of fluorescent orange and the rugged looks given by the extra high clearance and skid plates built into the bumpers. Dacia says the Spring is the ideal vehicle for everyday use thanks to its “assertive SUV style” and compact dimensions – it’s only 3.73-meters long.

The Dacia Spring will become available in the first half of 2021 as Europe’s most affordable EV. It promises attributes such as low running costs, ease of driving, silent operation, zero-emissions, simple charging and easy maintenance. As with Dacia’s current models, the EV will focus on the essentials, combining simplicity, reliability, and accessibility.