Summary
Now the cheapest all-electric offering on the British market, the Dacia Spring is a small battery-powered family car and the first in a wave of new budget-end EVs that are likely to draw more interest to the electric car market.
The Spring has been warmly received by the British motoring media thus far, which review scores ranging from average to excellent. “Look, it’s basic and it’s not fast, but we need this car”, Electrifying.com’s Ginny Buckley argues, pointing to the car’s unparalleled pricing, while Car’s Ted Welford praises the Dacia for its “impressive interior and generous equipment” that “defy its price”.
“It is designed, purely and simply, to be as little an amount of electric car as you can get away with”, explains Neil Briscoe of The Sunday Times. “In that mission, it has succeeded superbly.”
Besides concerns about battery range and driving dynamics, the Spring has one serious drawback: its safety rating. The compact EV has been given a very poor one-star safety rating from Euro NCAP. It joins a number of other models in the Dacia family with woeful safety ratings, and the brand’s safety credentials are seriously lacking compared to the rest of the car industry.
As a result of its poor safety results, as well as other issues around lack of refinement and poor battery range, most media review scores for the Spring have been poor – even those that have praised other aspects of the car.
As of January 2026, the Dacia Spring holds a New Car Expert Rating of E with a score of 48%. It scores top marks for its low running costs and zero tailpipe emissions, but its overall media review scores are very poor and its safety score is one of the worst of any new car on sale.
Spring highlights
- Unparalleled EV pricing
- Reasonable battery range considering price
- Efficient and surprisingly practical
Spring lowlights
- Abysmal Euro NCAP safety rating
- Underpowered entry-level drivetrain
- Cramped rear seating
Key specifications
Body style: Small hatchback
Engines: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £15,990
Launched: Summer 2024
Last updated: Winter 2025/26
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Featured reviews
“On first impressions, the Dacia Spring makes a tempting case for itself, with its low price making it easier to overlook the flaws that often come with a car built down to a budget. However, delve a little deeper, and those shortcomings, chiefly the poor refinement and budget tyre choice, could make or break the Spring as a viable ownership proposition.”
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
Read full review
Auto Express
Shane Wilkinson, Alex Ingram
“The Dacia Spring is easy to drive, super-cheap to run and feels surprisingly grown-up – but the range and slow charging means it’s no good as your only car.”
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
Read full review
Carwow
Tom Wiltshire
More reviews
Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6 / 10
“Current title holder of ‘most affordable electric car’, the Dacia Spring feels as cheap as the price suggests but is honest with it.”
Author: Erin Baker
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Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 4 / 10
“Dacia has long led the way when it comes to value for money motoring, and we applaud it for that. The Spring, however, feels like a step too far. If you want an electric car for around £15k there are many nearly new alternatives that will offer you a much better all-round experience than this one. The budget tyres, the body roll, the insubstantial feel to the build quality, and a one-star Euro NCAP performance all make the Dacia Spring very hard to recommend.”
Author: CJ Hubbard
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.6 / 10
“The Dacia Spring is the UK’s cheapest electric supermini, with a decent driving range and performance but also some compromises in safety and interior quality.”
Author: Andy Goodwin, Alex Ingram
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Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Dacia Spring nails its brief as a low-cost, no-frills EV, but the competition is gradually closing in.”
Author: Shane Wilkinson
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Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Dacia Spring is the most affordable new electric car on sale in the UK, and it makes a lot of sense for drivers who don’t need a long range. It comes with regenerative braking, vehicle to load charging, and is not bad for design, desirability and quality.”
Author: Ginny Buckley
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Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Extreme 65
Score: 6 / 10
“The Dacia Spring is the UK’s most affordable new electric car; top of the range Extreme trim provides more equipment than you might expect, but there are also some compromises.”
Author: Paul Clarke
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Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 5 / 10
“The Dacia Spring is comfortably Britain’s cheapest ‘proper’ EV, but you have to be very committed to saving money to put up with the compromises that make that low price possible.”
Author: Matt Robinson
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Honest John
Score: 4 / 10
“There’s only so far the Dacia Spring’s low price can go in helping us forgive its less good points. The choice to fit budget tyres that perform poorly even in mildly damp conditions is an unfortunate one. It’s generally not that nice to drive but at least it’s practical and efficient.”
Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 3 / 10
“We continue to be disappointed by Dacia’s approach to safety. Not only is the firm unfussed about improving the Spring’s one-star Euro NCAP rating, it doesn’t seem to have put much effort into making the car inherently stable in extreme driving situations. The choice of low-grip, low-cost, non-brand tyres should tell you everything you need to know here. We would not buy one.”
Author: CJ Hubbard
Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It is designed, purely and simply, to be as little an amount of electric car as you can get away with. In that mission, it has succeeded superbly. There is perhaps a chance, a small chance, that like its simple and prosaic ignition key the affordable Spring could itself be the key to unlocking broader electric car acceptance.”
Author: Neil Briscoe
Read review
The Telegraph
Score: 4 / 10
“The French can get a Dacia Spring for just over £10,000, but here it’s £14,995. Though as a second car or runaround, it just about passes muster.”
Author: Andrew English
Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Dacia’s entry EV is everything you want: low cost, low weight, low impact, but lots of fun.”
Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 1 stars
Date tested: December 2021
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 49%
Child protection: 56%
Vulnerable road users: 39%
Safety assist: 32%
Assessed back in 2021, the Dacia Spring was awarded an abysmal one-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, the safety body arguing that the electric crossover comes with a higher risk of injury to occupants and pedestrians than many rivals in this compact sector.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
Model tested: 33kW Electric FWD Automatic
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: August 2022
Read the full Green NCAP review
Energy Efficiency Index: 9.8 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 10 / 10
Model tested: EXTREME 65 ELECTRIC FWD AUTOMATIC
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: November 2025
Read the full Green NCAP review
Energy Efficiency Index: 10 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 10 / 10
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of January 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Dacia Spring to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Spring, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 140 miles | C |
| Electrical efficiency | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 5.2 m/KWh | A |
The Dacia Spring is a very affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
While the car’s average battery range of 140 miles is lower than your average electric car, this is to be expected considering the car’s size and budget-end pricing. Its electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) is also excellent – it’s actually more efficient than many more expensive electric cars.
We currently have no insurance of maintenance cost data to display. Check back soon for a more complete picture of the Spring’s running costs.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Dacia Spring has received.
2021
- News UK Motor Awards – Best Value Car
- Top Gear Awards – EV Deal of the Century
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Dacia Spring, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
BYD Dolphin Surf | BYD Dolphin | Citroën ë-C3 | Fiat 500 Electric | GWM Ora 03 | Leapmotor T03 | Mini Cooper Electric | Nissan Micra | Peugeot e-208 | Renault 5 | Vauxhall Corsa Electric
More information
More news, reviews and information about the Dacia Spring at The Car Expert
Buy a Dacia Spring
If you’re looking to buy a new or used Dacia Spring, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.
Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more
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Lease a Dacia Spring
If you’re looking to lease a new Dacia Spring, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal.
Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Carwow. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a Dacia Spring
Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)
Car subscriptions from SelfDrive.
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Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
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Car subscriptions from Just Vehicle Solutions.
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