The Dacia Spring is losing its title of the most affordable car in France because of the Leapmotor T03, now marketed by the Stellantis group in Europe.
With an offer starting at €18,900, the new Dacia Spring was, until today, the least expensive electric car in France, before deducting any government purchase aid. But Leapmotor is stepping on its toes with particularly attractive launch offers. The icing on the cake is that the Leapmotor would benefit from the ecological bonus, something that the Dacia Spring has lost since the beginning of the year in France.
It’s in a press release Stellantis’s September 24th publication reveals the new price of the Leapmotor T03 electric city car. The model will be available in dealerships from €19,500. A launch offer positions it at the same price as the Dacia Spring for the first orders, i.e. €18,900 before deduction of the ecological bonus.
More choice under €20,000
Since its arrival on the market, the Dacia Spring has dominated the low-cost electric city car segment. And for good reason, the model was alone in this category. The year 2024 marks a turning point for the Dacia model: on the one hand, there is the aesthetic renewal of the Spring, but it is also the time when the electric model loses access to government aid and the competition arrives. The Dacia Spring is displayed from €18,900 or €89 for a 37-month long-term rental.
Citroën was the first competitor to want to attract Spring customers in France. The Citroën ë-C3 offers superior performance to the Spring, while having a rather rustic design, which limits its price. The model is available from €23,300 and has purchase assistance. It is therefore possible to buy an ë-C3 from €19,300, or even less if the customer can obtain the increased bonus of €7,000 (instead of €4,000) and the conversion bonus of €1,500. This model is also available for long-term rental for 36 months, from €99 per month. In 2025, an even more affordable version, around €19,900, should appear in the catalog. Fiat will also offer its low-cost version on the same basis.
To spice things up, a new competitor has just entered the French and European market at the start of the 2024 school year. This is the new brand to have joined the Stellantis group: the Chinese manufacturer Leapmotor. The Leapmotor T03 is an electric city car that has been marketed for 4 years in China. After an initial marketing by an importer at around €25,000, the T03 is making a strong comeback with a much more affordable list price of €19,500, or €79 per month for long-term rental.
To mock the Spring, its launch offer is precisely €18,900, the same price as the Dacia Spring. Except that at this price, the Leapmotor offers more than the Dacia. The model should be among those benefiting from the ecological bonus and the conversion premium, which could further lower the purchase price and make its price even more unbeatable.
The little extras of the Leapmotor T03
While the Spring offers a range of 225 km in the WLTP cycle, the T03 displays 265 km with a 37.3 kWh battery. A significant advantage for those who travel the streets of large cities or country roads every day. On the fast charging side, the Leapmotor does better with direct current peaks of up to 48 kW compared to 30 kW for the Spring (if you have taken the CCS charger option).
Power-wise, the same observation: the Leapmotor’s 95 hp engine far exceeds the modest 45 hp of the Dacia Spring Essential (65 hp in Extreme trim). There’s no doubt that this will result in smoother driving and more dynamic acceleration on a daily basis.
In terms of technology, the T03 further increases its lead: 10.1-inch central touchscreen, 4G connectivity, OTA updates and driver assistance systems. The interior is modern, even if Stellantis has chosen to limit the customization possibilities (existing in China).
So, should the Dacia Spring tremble? Probably. The Leapmotor T03 is a compact (3.62 m) and affordable electric city car, which nevertheless offers solid performance. Of course, the distribution network and the reputation of the Chinese brand remain to be built. For consumers looking for a perfect balance between cost and performance, the Leapmotor T03 presents itself as a choice to consider, especially with the support of the Stellantis network.
Source: www.numerama.com
