When it comes to selecting a trustworthy, best-value-for-money proposition, you will have to look no further than Dacia, which has dominated its market segment with the Sandero.
The Dacia brand is famous for offering low-cost vehicles that punch well above its weight – and price point. Thanks to a lean distribution model, Dacia has carved out a name for itself in 44 countries, with seven million vehicles sold so far and many best-sellers. Year after year, the Sandero and Duster remain the number one car and number one SUV sold to private customers in Europe.
In order to strengthen its position further and deliver models that both fulfill the needs of customers and evolve with a changing industry, Dacia is stepping into the EV sector, with what will be Europe’s most affordable all-electric city car later this year, the Spring.
But how does a company like Dacia transition into a new era of electrification? To find out, Auto Futures speaks to Xavier Martinet, Senior Vice President of Dacia and Lada Brand Marketing & Sales.
“Dacia has revolutionised the automotive sector with its economic model and its vehicles,” he says. “The Logan democratized the new car market from 2004, the Duster has shaken up the SUV segment, while the Sandero is the best-selling car on the European retail market and has just been revamped to redefine the essential contemporary car.”
“Now, Dacia is now writing a new chapter in its history with the unveiling of its first all-electric model. The Spring Electric is really the best of both worlds of Dacia and Renaut.”
Being under the Renault Group umbrella, Dacia is able to utilise the French automaker’s EV experience, which spans over a decade, with over 30,000 trained EV employees and a 100% trained dealer network.
With cost being the driving factor of EV adoption, we could quickly see the Spring Electric take a large chunk of the consumer market.
Simple, Reliable and Cheap
The title of ‘Europe’s most affordable all-electric city car’ will no doubt pile the pressure on Dacia from consumers who are looking to make the switch over from their petrol and diesel vehicles. On paper, the Dacia looks extremely promising, with an efficient powertrain, decent range and some impressive features for the price point.
“The Dacia Spring Electric will be the most affordable electric car in Europe with a simple and reliable 33 kW electric engine and 26.8 kWh battery, as well as a reassuring range of 225 km,” explains Martinet. “It also has simple and various charging solutions, requiring less than one hour for 80% of charge on a 30 kW DC terminal.”
Typically, EVs are far more expensive to make than internal combustion vehicles. Being a Dacia, commonly referred to as the best value for money brand, this creates a challenge to introduce an entirely new powertrain and features, packaged at a Dacia-esque price point.
“Dacia has a design-to-cost philosophy, with an undisputed know-how to offer customers what they really expect, without superfluity,” says Martinet. “We have developed a very competitive business model, with an end-to-end controlled cost chain.”
Martinet believes that electric mobility is gradually becoming part of our daily lives, with 8 out of 10 Europeans wanting to speed up the development of electric mobility. Through the report, issued by Renault and Ipsos in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, 38% are ready to switch to electric vehicles and 62% believe that manufacturers should offer more affordable vehicles in this space.
“This is exactly what Dacia will do with Spring Electric based on Groupe Renault’s ten years of expertise in electric technology. And Dacia will come up with a price positioning proposal that breaks with the market, and that will make all the difference.”
Quite simply, Dacia is adapting electric mobility to its philosophy of offering a contemporary car that meets essential needs.
A Success Story in the Making
The Renault Group is a powerhouse when it comes to electrification and modern technology. Dacia will use its parent company’s learnings and capabilities to realise this new vision for the brand, using the support and knowledge that the Group has developed over the last ten years to build upon this moment.
But one thing’s for sure, says Martinet. “Dacia stays Dacia.”
Following the success of the Spring, Dacia has a few tricks up its sleeve. So expect more EVs soon. It unveiled the Bigster Concept on January 14th, opening a new chapter of its success story. Remaining true to itself while exploring new territories, the brand will break the rules in the C-segment in order to assert itself on the entire European market.
“Dacia is today well-positioned thanks to a range of LPG vehicles and the most affordable EV car in Europe with Dacia Spring. There’s more to come!”
Keyword: Introducing the Dacia Spring – Europe’s Most Affordable Electric Car