Citroën ë-C3 and Dacia Spring: battle between the cheapest electric cars in the Netherlands

The Dacia Spring is certainly no longer a stranger in the Netherlands. The Chinese-built Dacia Spring was introduced to European consumers in 2020 and entered the Dutch market a year later. The Dacia Spring was only sold in its original form in the Netherlands for one year. In mid-2022, the Spring was refined in appearance together with the Sandero, Jogger and Duster and was then given the new Dacia family face. The Dacia Spring initially had one drivetrain and a starting price of €17,890, but is now listed from €21,750. The Spring is now also available with a second drivetrain. With 65 hp, it is a good 44 percent more powerful than the basic version and will cost €23,400 in 2024.

The Dacia Spring only had this nose for a short time in Europe.

Those who did not aspire to a Spring could go for the Renault Twingo Electric or an electric Smart ForTwo or ForFour, but they were still thousands of euros more expensive. To date, Dacia has sold almost 3,100 Springs in the Netherlands, of which almost 1,500 were registered last year. For a long time, the Dacia Spring was alone at the absolute bottom of the EV market, but then suddenly the Citroën ë-C3 …

Bigger and more spacious: Citroën ë-C3

Citroën pulled the curtains on the completely new C3 last October. The C3 may or may not have mild-hybrid petrol engines, but it will also come our way as a fully electric C3. Dacia may be quite concerned about this. The ë-C3 is 28 centimeters longer, at least 18 centimeters wider and also has almost 12 centimeters more between the front and rear axle. The dimensions of the Citroën ë-C3 are therefore more similar to those of a Volkswagen Polo than to those of its price-wise largest competitor from Romania. Although the C3 is considerably larger than the Spring, you do not notice much of this in the luggage compartment. You can only fit 10 liters more in the ë-C3 than in the Dacia. The rear passengers in particular benefit from more living space in the French entry-level EV.

The fact that the Citroën ë-C3 operates in a higher segment with its size is also evident from its weight. While the regular Dacia Spring weighs 912 kilos and the more powerful Extreme weighs 935 kilos, the ë-C3 weighs almost 1,400 kilos on the scale. So keep in mind that in the future you may end up spending quite a few tens of euros more per month on MRB. That higher weight is not only due to the size, but also due to the technology that houses the larger carriage.

Dimensions and weights: Citroën ë-C3 and Dacia Spring

Stronger and faster: Citroën ë-C3

The Citroën ë-C3 is currently available with only one electric powertrain. It consists of a 113 hp and 260 Nm strong electric motor. This makes ë-C3 currently more than one and a half times as strong as the Spring Extreme, the strongest variant of the Dacia. On paper, the ë-C3 is the absolute winner. In the French hatchback you can reach 100 km/h in 11 seconds, while the Spring Extreme takes 13.87 seconds. The basic Spring with a 45 hp electric motor hardly counts with a 0-100 time of 19 seconds. In terms of top speed, the C3 and Spring are closer together. With both models you should not expect to be able to hunt hard on the autobahn.

Perhaps even more important: the range. To date, the Citroën ë-C3 has always had a 44 kWh battery, while the electrical lung capacity of the Dacia Spring is 26.8 kWh. The Dacia Spring can travel up to 230 kilometers, while with the ë-C3 you can travel up to 320 kilometers without recharging, according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Fast charging is possible with the ë-C3 with up to 100 kW, with the Spring with up to 30 kW. However, the Dacia Spring’s electric motor is more economical with its power supply.

Is this a totally fair fight? Not quite. The provisional entry-level version of the Citroën ë-C3 – the You – changes hands from €24,290, while the Spring is its cheapest form from €21,750. The Dacia Spring Extreme, which is closer to the ë-C3 in terms of power, costs at least €23,400. Price-wise, the entry-level C3 and the most powerful Spring are evenly matched. The Citroën ë-C3 offers more space, is faster and offers a greater range. For a modest additional charge. So take into account the mrb that you will have to pay for an EV in the long term, as that is where the Spring scores points again.

Equipment

In terms of equipment, the Spring and ë-C3 are quite evenly matched. The entry-level versions of both models offer air conditioning, only electrically operated windows at the front, although the Citroën already has rear parking beepers, cruise control and a head-up display as standard.

And later?

Dacia has another facelift in store for the Spring. Does the refresh entail technical changes? That could just be possible. With a different drivetrain, the gap between the ë-C3 and the Romanian may become a lot smaller. Citroën also has news for the ë-C3. For example, when the model was introduced, the brand announced the arrival of a version that will cost only €20,980, less than the current basic Spring. That variant will have a smaller battery pack and therefore a smaller range (about 200 kilometers) and probably also a less powerful electric motor. That version is therefore mainly a competitor for the entry-level Spring and must be ahead of it in terms of range.

What do you choose?

Which of these relatively cheap electric hatchbacks do you prefer? And what do you expect from the upcoming entry-level version of the Citroën ë-C3 and the soon-to-be updated Dacia Spring?