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2021 Renault Kwid electric version revealed as Dacia Spring EV

Written by Nizam Shaikh

Groupe Renault has revealed the Dacia Spring Electric car which is slated for its market launch in Spring 2021 (March-May) in the European market. But first, the Dacia Spring Electric will be offered in the car-sharing platform for shared electric urban mobility, and as a cargo utility vehicle, for eco-friendly last-mile deliveries. The Dacia Spring Electric boasts to be the most-affordable electric small car in the European market making electric mobility accessible for a wider range of audience. 

On the outside, the Dacia Spring Electric features SUV-inspired design and styling such as wide wheel arches, roof rails, rear ski, reinforced rocker panels, raised ground clearance, rounded bonnet and broad shoulder lines. The Spring Electric features a bold front fascia with tapered LED daytime running lights, muscular front apron with chunky headlamps, chrome-accented grille with 3D elements that neatly hides the charging sockets. The Spring Electric will also be available with an Orange Pack with decorative elements on the grille, roof bars, ORVM housings etc. 

On the interiors, the Dacia Spring Electric features four adult-sized seats with generous headroom and 100mm of knee radius. The front passengers also get 23.1 litres of storage space in the glove compartment, centre console and door sills. The EV also offers 300 litres of boot space expandable up to 600 litres when the rear seats are folded. The interiors are minimalistic and uncluttered, it features a four-point control mounted steering wheel, digital instruments cluster with a 3.5-inch digital display in the centre, 7-inch centrally mounted touchscreen infotainment system, manual air conditioning, powered mirror adjustments, Google or Apple voice recognition and a rotary dial to select the gear, Drive-Neutral-Reverse. 

The Dacia Spring Electric is powered by a 33kW electric motor equivalent to 44 Hp of power and 125 Nm of torque-on-demand matched to a 26.8 kWh battery pack that provides 225 km of range on the WLTP cycle and 295 km of range on the WLTP City cycle, an approval cycle that includes only urban driving. According to the brand, the average driving distance in Europe is 31 km according to which the Spring Electric will only need a single battery charge per week. The range can also be improved by using the ECO mode which limits the power to 23 kW instead of 33 kW. The Spring Electric comes with a top speed 125 kmph but with ECO mode it is limited to 100 kmph. The Dacia Spring Electric can be charged in less than 1 hour at a 30kW DC fast charging station, less than 5 hours on a 7.4 kW wall box charger, less than 8.5 hours on a 3.7 kW wall box charger and less than 14 hours on a 2.3 kW household socket. 

Renault is expected to launch the Spring Electric in the Indian market which is likely to be marketed as the Kwid EV and will be in line with the Government of India’s focus on electric mobility in the Indian market. If the brand launches the small electric car in India, it is expected to retail close to INR 10 lakh.