The electric Dacia Spring: is private lease cheaper than buying?

Highly honored audience: the electric Dacia Spring. One hundred percent electric, accessible to everyone, that is the slogan Dacia has come up with for the small city car that runs on electricity. In the basic Comfort version, it costs 18,550 euros – and the purchase subsidy of 3350 euros has not yet been removed. If you qualify for this financial incentive to switch to an electric car as a private buyer (be quick, early January!), the basic Spring will eventually cost only 15,200 euros. And that makes it even one of the cheapest cars on the Dutch market.

A Dacia Spring in the private lease? Shopping pays off!

Now not everyone has the money in the bank to buy a new Dacia Spring. But then there is always such a thing as private lease. You will receive a brand new car, pay a monthly lease and all you have to do is pay the costs for charging the 27.4 kWh battery pack out of your own pocket. All other fixed costs – delivery, depreciation, insurance, maintenance, parts – are already included in the monthly rate.

Several companies offer the Dacia Spring for private lease. One provider charges lower monthly amounts than the other, it is definitely worth investigating beforehand which company can offer the best conditions for the lowest price. In the calculation below we start from the amounts that Dacia itself states. In any case, the official Dacia dealer also offers the possibility to see the car ‘in the metal’ and to take it for a test drive, before you conclude the contract for private lease.

Jump in the city

The range of the Dacia Spring couldn’t get any clearer: the car comes in one engine variant, with one size battery. The electric motor is coupled to a 27.4 kWh battery and delivers a maximum power of 44 hp. This gives the Dacia Spring a top speed of 125 km/h, although we managed to get 130 on the speedometer. Dacia gives a time of 19.1 seconds for the hundred sprint.

It will therefore not surprise you that the Dacia Spring is mainly intended for use in urban areas. Due to the modest capacity of the battery pack, the car is less suitable for covering large distances. During our range test at 100 km/h, we noted a driving range of 173 kilometers. Sure, a one-way ticket from Utrecht-Leeuwarden works, but then you have to look for a charging station immediately. At a public charging station it takes about 5 hours before the battery is full again. Fast charging with 30 kW (optional, at 495 euros) to 100 percent filling takes about an hour. However, there are entire tribes that rarely go beyond the municipal boundaries. The Spring is especially intended for this group of motorists, who hardly run the risk of running out of battery.

Strong point: the large trunk

Dacia supplies the Spring in two trim levels. The basic version of 18,550 euros is called Comfort. If you choose the Comfort Plus, you pay 1000 euros more. But then you also get a few attractive extras, such as the multimedia system with navigation and smartphone integration for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are also parking sensors and a reversing camera on the Comfort Plus. You can recognize this version by the orange color elements.

There is no doubt that the Dacia Spring belongs to the A-segment, where the new Toyota Aygo X and the also electric Renault Twingo operate. The Spring is short (3.73 meters) and narrow (1.58 meters), behind the non-adjustable handlebars you have limited space for your legs and you sit shoulder-to-shoulder with your co-driver. The rear seat is suitable for two children. An important plus of the Dacia Spring is its more than decent luggage space: 300 liters, fits in it.

Private lease: what does it cost?

Dacia offers the Spring for private lease from 279 euros per month. Then you can drive 6000 kilometers on an annual basis, and you are committed to a contract of 60 months (5 years). If you have other wishes, the Dacia dealer will be happy to help you, but keep in mind that the monthly rate increases quickly. If you do not expect to drive more than 6000 kilometers per year, then you do not have the option to shorten the lease term: it is 60 months and it remains for 60 months.

Dacia’s surcharge policy is not very clear. For example, if you prefer the extra equipment of the Comfort Plus, it will cost you a tenner per month. If you opt for an annual mileage of 10,000 kilometers, the monthly rate for the Comfort version will increase by another 10 euros, but for the Comfort Plus that amount is 16 euros. If you think a lease term of 48 months is long enough, an extra 27 euros will be charged every month on the basic rate of the Comfort version. With the Comfort Plus, this additional cost is 34 euros.

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Should you have to finance the purchase of a Dacia Spring, private lease is soon a cheaper option.
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A Dacia Spring Comfort Plus in a private lease for four years, for 10,000 kilometers per year, yields a monthly amount of 323 euros (289 + 34 euros). If you qualify for a purchase subsidy, an amount of 69.79 euros will be credited to your bank account every month, which brings the monthly rate to 253.21 euros. Extras such as a paint color other than white (8 euros), additional insurance or a lower deductible are not included in this calculation. For every kilometer that you drive less than 10,000 euros, 3 euro cents will be deducted. If you drive more on an annual basis, each kilometer will cost you 10 cents.

Please note: the above calculation applies to the car without the optional fast charging option (30 kW). The surcharge for this version is in consultation with the Dacia dealer.

Prefer to buy? This is what the Dacia Spring will cost you monthly

Let’s again assume a Dacia Spring Comfort Plus, with a consumer price (including delivery costs) of 19,550 euros. We reserve 360 ​​euros per year (30 euros per month) for maintenance. You do not have to pay road tax on an electric car, the (indicative) annual depreciation is 2175 euros (181.25 euros per month). For a 40-year-old driver with 8 claim-free years in his name, the cheapest all-risk insurance – based on 10,000 euros per year – costs 30 euros per month (source: independer.nl). If we divide, multiply and add up all the amounts, we arrive at a monthly amount of 241.25 euros.

If you are eligible for the subsidy scheme for electric cars, you can expect 3350 euros in your bank account. If you spread this out over 48 months, you can deduct another 69.79 euros from the monthly costs. Then a Dacia Spring Comfort Plus is suddenly very attractively priced: 171.46 euros per month. You must have owned the Dacia Spring for at least 36 months.

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Conclusion

If we compare the monthly costs for a private lease with the monthly costs for owning a Dacia Spring, the balance quickly turns to purchase. If you qualify for a subsidy of 3350 euros, the monthly costs are less than 175 euros. Electricity not included. Nor does a financing on the purchase value of 19,550 euros, because the repayment of a loan naturally pushes up the monthly costs very quickly. Should you have to finance the purchase of a Dacia Spring, private lease is soon a cheaper option.

Below we list all the numbers again (between brackets: including monthly settlement purchase subsidy):

Private lease amounts Dacia Spring (6000 km/yr)

• Comfort 60 months: 279 euros/month (- 55.83 euros = 223.17 euros/month)
• Comfort Plus 60 months: 289 euros/month (- 55.83 euros = 233.17 euros/month)

Private lease amounts Dacia Spring Comfort (10,000 km/yr)

• 60 months: 289 euros/month (- 55.83 euros = 233.17 euros/month)
• 48 months: 306 euros/month (- 69.79 euros = 236.23 euros/month)
• 36 months: 330 euros/month

Private lease amounts Dacia Spring Comfort Plus (10,000 km/yr)

• 60 months: 305 euros/month (- 55.83 euros = 249.17 euros/month)
• 48 months: 323 euros/month (- 69.79 euros = 253.21 euros/month)
• 36 months: 349 euros/month