The Dacia Spring electric car has been confirmed as the cheapest vehicle in the UK after the popular brand slashed the price to beat out a Chinese competitor.
Dacia has lowered the price of the Spring electric car to just £11,990 in a move that could make electric motoring more accessible for millions of drivers.
Drivers wanting to get their hands on the Dacia Spring will be greeted with up to 140 miles of electric range, and charging speeds of just 29 minutes to charge from 20 to 80 per cent.
Despite the affordable price, motorists will still benefit from all standard mod-cons, including air conditioning, cruise control, rear parking sensors, and wheel-mounted controls.
The Romanian brand has decided to unveil these new measures after Chinese newcomer Leapmotor announced a huge price cut to its T03 model.
Earlier this week, it stated that the compact city car was the most affordable new car in the UK, with a price of just £12,995 on-the-road.
Leapmotor, which is owned by Stellantis, doubled the size of its Leap-Grant for the T03 to £3,000, making it the most affordable car in the UK for 24 hours.
The T03 features a compact 37.3kWh battery, offering up to 165 miles of range, with the brand opening orders from July 1 across its range of retailers.
The Dacia Spring electric car is the UK’s cheapest new vehicle at just £11,990
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DACIA
However, Dacia’s sales cut now makes the Spring the cheapest car in the UK, while drivers can spend just £1,000 more to get the Spring Extreme Electric 100 variant.
This has a more powerful 100hp motor, a 10.1-inch Media Nav Live screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as vehicle-to-load functionality.
Commenting on the new offer, Lina Ribeiro, Dacia Brand Director for the UK, said going electric “simply makes sense” when running costs and upfront prices are so low.
She added: “Dacia has always worked hard to remove barriers to new car ownership, and with Spring’s new pricing, it takes our purpose further than ever.
The Leapmotor T03 was the cheapest car in the UK for 24 hours | STELLANTIS
“Production efficiencies and a strong drive to continue to offer real value to our customers have helped us pass on the savings and as such the most affordable new car on the market, electric or otherwise, is one of the smartest value choices on the road today.”
Recent data from New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count in May found that Dacia has seen a 10-fold increase in battery electric vehicle sales.
Separate data shows that Dacia has 1.33 per cent of the total market share, with 12,298 sales between January and the end of May.
Speaking to GB News, Fiona Howarth, Founder and Director of Octopus Electric Vehicles, said a competitive EV market was delivering more choice and better value for motorists.
Fiona Howarth, Founder and Director of Octopus Electric Vehicles, emphasised that EVs were a better choice for motorists
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OCTOPUS ELECTRIC VEHICLESShe added: “A brand new electric car for under £12,000 would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago. It shows how quickly the market is moving.
“The conversation is no longer about whether people can afford an EV; it’s about whether they can afford not to switch.
“With lower purchase prices and running costs, electric cars are becoming the obvious choice for more and more drivers.”