Dacia is planning to call time on the budget Dacia Spring electric car ahead of an all-new model arriving in 2024. The plan, which was announced as part of Renault Group future electric car strategy, will see the Spring make way for a more advanced model based on the same underpinnings as the forthcoming Renault 5 EV.

During the Renault Group's annual press conference, boss Luca de Meo showed a number of slides highlighting the group's launch plan across all brands (Renault, Dacia and Alpine). For 2024, De Meo confirmed that the Group plans to launch six new all-electric cars: the reborn Renault 5, a new Renault 4, an un-named Renault electric car, an Alpine version of the Renault 5, a van and what De Meo called a "successor to the Spring".

Speaking at the press conference, De Meo did not elaborate on the reasons for dropping the current Spring after just three years, and only confirmed that the decision had been taken "this year". While the Spring has attracted huge interest from European buyers (it was the third best-selling electric car in Europe in December 2021), its award of a dismal one star EuroNCAP rating last year has dented its appeal, while hugely increased material and shipping costs from China are thought to have eaten into the car's already tiny profit margin.

De Meo confirmed that the new Dacia model will be based on the same underpinnings as the new Renault 5. The Group's CMF-AEV platform has been designed specifically for small electric cars and will also provide the building blocks for the next-generation, all-electric Micra which is due to launch around the same time. A right-hand drive version of the new Spring is certain to be under consideration, but will need to fit the Group's business model in the UK to prevent the Spring, Renault 5 and Nisan Micra from competing directly against each other.

The news will come as a blow to British buyers looking to switch to electric at a bargain price. Although Dacia UK has yet to make any official announcement, the fact that the current Spring may only be produced for another 18 months means a costly conversion to right-hand drive is more unlikely than ever. A spokesperson for Dacia told Electrifying.com, "We cannot comment on future product plans, but as we have communicated previously, Spring coming to the UK is under evaluation." Speaking to British motoring title Autocar last year, Denis Le Vot, CEO of Dacia said that the brand was still evaluating production capacity and that a decision would be made by 'early January' at the very latest.

The current Spring model is Europe's cheapest electric car. In The Netherlands it costs 18,550 euros, which is around £15,500 in the UK including VAT. Although it comes with a modest range of 140 miles, small 26.8kWh battery, and rapid charging at just 34kW, the Spring would have been a welcome addition to the UK electric car market.

You can read more motoring advice from Ginny Buckley on the website: electrifying.com