If there is an electric car on the editorial board of Car Review is staying, we want to know what the range is at 100 km/h and 130 km/h. The Dacia Spring Electric is also on the rack. The question is: does it actually reach 130 km/h?
Dacia says the all-electric Spring Electric has a top speed of 125 km/h. The small EV is therefore not really suitable for the highway. We will soon be extensively portraying the cheapest electric car (from 18,550 euros) in the papers Car Review.
With a top speed of 125 km/h, the Spring also failed to qualify for our range test at 130 km/h. Still, we took the plunge, with a brick on the power pedal and the knife between our teeth. What is its range at top speed?
The test conditions are fairly favorable for the Dacia Spring: it is a mild December evening, with the temperature gauge at 8 degrees above zero. A gentle breeze of force 2 winds from the northwest around the narrow, high body of the Dacia. The 27.4 kWh battery is full, we leave the Eco mode of the Spring undisturbed, the manually operated air conditioning is on. The highway is ours! Are we going to change the WLTP range from 230 kilometers to fetch?
Dacia Spring: range at 100 km/h
The Dacia Spring Electric does not have cruise control, but a limiter. We set it to 100 km/h with the buttons on the handlebars, so that the Spring doesn’t go a kilometer faster – unless you pedal through the ‘dead’ point at the very bottom, so that you can overtake a little faster. For this range test, 100 is the limit, so we stick to that strictly.
We drive the test route in two directions and average the noted consumption values. We arrive at an average power consumption of 15.8 kWh/100 km. This makes the Dacia Spring no miracle of economy. With this power consumption, at 100 km/h, a range of 173 kilometers from the small 27.4 kWh battery.
Dacia Spring: range at 130 km/h
The Dacia Spring does not reach 130 km/h, says Dacia. But after a long run-up and the right pedal pressed deep into the carpet, we still get 130 km/h on the digital speedometer. The on-board computer resets to zero. The measurement has started.
Again the same test route: first with tailwind, back with wind force 2 full on the nose of the Spring. The electric motor must use its full 44 horsepower to maintain the speed. Hard work, but the average power consumption remains within limits: 24.0 kWh/100 km. Full throttle, the Dacia Spring has a range of 114 kilometers reach. That’s more than expected.
Conclusion
The natural habitat of the Dacia Spring Electric is the city. If you are forced to take a long highway ride, prepare yourself for many stops to recharge the small battery on the way. The Dacia Spring has to work hard to keep up with the traffic on the highway; 130 km/h on the clock is indeed possible, but only if you keep the right pedal constantly floored. Full throttle, however, takes you further on a full battery with the Dacia Spring than with the Honda e or the Mazda MX-30.