2024-01-05 13:02:31
If it is no longer eligible for the ecological bonus since December 15, 2023, the Dacia Spring has not yet said its last word. The electric city car therefore decides to lower its price, in order to remain competitive in the face of approaching competition. This allows it to temporarily become the cheapest electric car once more.
While China is taking up more and more space on the world market, even becoming the largest exporter ahead of Japan, Europe takes a dim view of this. In addition to the measures recently unveiled to protect its industry, France also wants to act on its scale. And this involves in particular the elimination of the ecological bonus for electric cars produced in China.
A small price drop
This is how several star models on the French market are deprived of this aid since December 15. This is the case of the Tesla Model 3 but also of the MG4 and the Dacia Spring. Because for the record, the low-cost city car is produced in the Middle Kingdom, within the Shiyan factory since its launch in 2021. And the government doesn’t like it too much.
Here it is therefore deprived of an ecological bonus, which until now allowed it to be very competitive in an increasingly competitive market. Without this help, Spring would start from 20,800 euros, just before it suddenly disappeared from the catalog for a few weeks. But the small car, rival of the BYD Seagull, is back, with some very good news as a bonus.
And for good reason, its price is now falling. It must be said that it was overtaken by the Renault Twingo E-Tech, which became the cheapest electric car since December 15, 2023 thanks to the ecological bonus. This is without counting the Citroën ë-C3, less expensive, but not yet marketed, since you will have to wait until the end of the month.
Just take a quick look at the online configurator to see that the low-cost city car is now displayed at 18,400 euros. A price which no longer takes into account the ecological bonus, which drops to only 4,000 euros in 2024. A drop of 2,400 euros for the one which was at the top of sales in France in October 2023. A reduction valid for the entry level, but not only.
Indeed, this is also the case for the Extreme version, equipped witha 65 horsepower electric motor. The latter, which has a range of 220 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle, now starts from 19,900 euros, compared to 22,300 euros until the end of last year. Which corresponded to 17,300 euros when the bonus of 5,000 euros was applied.
Tough competition
As a reminder, the Dacia Spring debuted at 15,800 euros in its standard finish with the help of the government. Despite the small price reduction made by the manufacturer, the city car still remains more expensive than before. And it’s even worse when we compare with its launch, since it only cost 16,990 euros, bonus not deducted. But inflation has been there, notably with an increase of 1,000 euros in November 2022.
Regarding the allocation, this does not change with the price drop. The car still comes standard on the Essential finish with manual air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and the speed limiter. You will have to opt for the Extreme version to benefit from the7 inch touch screen and reversing camera, among others. For the record, the cheapest version claims only 45 horsepower.
Suffice it to say that Dacia will have to find ways to become even more competitive, as competition intensifies. The arrival of the new Citroën ë-C3, which will start from 23,000 euros at the end of the month, with its 113 horsepower engine and its 320 kilometers of autonomy risks doing it harm. Especially since it will be eligible for the ecological bonus as well as social leasing at 100 euros per month.
Let’s hope that the restyled Spring, expected for the month of September, will bring its share of new features to keep it in the race.
The Romanian firm is not the only one to lower its prices in order to compensate for the end of the bonus. This is also the case for Kia, which offered a 5,000 euro discount on its Niro EV until the end of December. In fact, the electric SUV is not part of the list of models eligible for state aid either, due to its low environmental score.
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