A Cheaper Electric Twingo?

The Spring replacement is arriving soon. Possibly based on the Renault Twingo platform, this city car, which could be called Evader, will become the cheapest electric car on the market.

Born in 2021, the Dacia Spring was for a while the cheapest electric car on the French market. Its Chinese manufacturing unfortunately deprived it of purchasing aid, which suddenly made it less competitive turnkey. Thus, the title of the most accessible electric vehicle in France today goes to the Citroën ë-C3 with its small battery priced at €12,990, deducting the maximum boost and an additional discount.

A shock price of €18,000: Dacia wants its revenge on Citroën

Difficult to swallow for Dacia, known for cutting costs. The revenge is fast approaching, with the presentation of the replacement for the Spring which could well slide under the Citroën. Possibly named Evader, the car should use the underpinnings of the Renault Twingo to contain its price, estimated at around €18,000 without state aid. The fairly limited benefits of the Spring will nevertheless take a leap forward to present acceptable versatility.

Dacia Evader: the look of a robust mini-SUV

The rounded style of the Twingo also gave way to something more robust inspired by the Hipster concept. The grille could then wear a black mask encompassing square lights pointing at the end of a flat hood. The whole is planned with a cubic profile which will benefit habitability. The wheels cleverly placed at the four corners of the bodywork will reinforce the space on board. On the other hand, the exterior protections in Starkle containing up to 20% recycled polypropylene will consolidate the adventurer aspect of the Evader.

The latter should nevertheless be more imposing by bringing the length of 3 meters of the Hipster to 3.80 meters. It is possible, however, that this gain does not directly benefit the occupants, who could only be four on board, as in the Hipster. It is especially the trunk volume which will benefit from the extra centimeters, with a volume much greater than the 70 liters of the Hipster. The latest rumors speak of a carrying capacity exceeding 300 liters, which is a bit more than that of the Twingo.

Interior: the Citroën Ami spirit at the service of practicality

The dashboard will be ultra refined, a bit in the spirit of the Citroën Ami. Its shallow depth will thus free up space for the occupants. If the Evader is faithful to the lines drawn by the Hipster, the surfaces occupied by the screens will be minimal. The YouClip system will, for example, allow you to attach a smartphone which will then act as infotainment, while the instrumentation will be provided by a tiny matrix placed behind the steering wheel. Practicality and modularity will be the key words of the Evader.

Under the hood: the technology of the future Renault Twingo

On the technical side, the electric city car based on the AmpR Small platform has every chance of taking over the Twingo’s electric unit cheaply. We will therefore expect an 82 hp electromotor housed on the front axle. The 27.5 kWh battery should give a range of around 250 km, slightly less than the Twingo due to its less polished aerodynamics. As on the Spring, fast DC direct current charging would be optional. It would peak at 50 kW. It is still unclear where the Evader will be produced. Its presentation is planned before the end of the year.