A truly electric Dacia will appear only in a few years, since Spring seems to be just an experiment. That’s what the French group’s officials suggest.
Dacia Spring is rightly presented, as the first electric model of the range. There is no way to contradict this, since the model is indeed equipped with an electric battery. It just seems like the beginning, just a test of the market, suggests Philippe Brunet, Senior Vice President Combustion and Electric Powertrain of the Renault group.
What follows is much better.
He believes that in order to be competitive in the electric car market, car manufacturers must control the production process of batteries. Dacia and Renault will do the same.
When will the first truly electric Dacia appear
The statements were made during discussions with a small group of journalists from Bulgaria, Italy and Romania in which he took part and Economica.net.
Philippe Brunet, Senior Vice President Combustion and Electric Powertrain of the Renault group said that currently the cost of an electric vehicle is primarily influenced by the cost of batteries.
“Today, the cost of batteries is roughly about 50% of the total price of electric cars. It is completely different from what happens with internal combustion cars “, the Renault official mentioned.
In this context, Brunet explained that this cost will not decrease “significantly” in the near future.
“As we do not expect the cost of batteries to decrease significantly in a very short time, we will not be able to offer low-cost electric cars on the market. Except for specific situations such as the Dacia Spring electric model. That is why Spring was included in the Dacia range. But keep in mind that a low-cost electric car means a small vehicle with a low battery. This is the best way and you will not find anywhere else in Europe another car manufacturer that will succeed in such a thing “, he added.
The local builder, on the road to electrification
For the Mioveni manufacturer, the French from Renault have big plans. The electric models that will be sold under the Dacia brand will have greater autonomy and stronger batteries. It’s in line with the direction of the automotive industry.
“In the future, Dacia will also have to go to electrification. Because it cannot stay 100% with thermal engine models due to emission regulations. Therefore, the first move of the Dacia brand will be to move to hybrid propulsion systems. The hybrid remains a good compromise to stay affordable while reducing CO2 emissions. Then, when the price of batteries will drop significantly, which will certainly happen, but not in the next five years, but after 2026, we will be able to offer a Dacia electric model, such as Lodgy for example, with a decent battery pack and, in consequence, with sufficient autonomy “, explained the Renault official.
There are low hopes, however, to see electricity coming out at the gate of the Miveni plant. Initially, the production of Renault electric cars will be made 100% in France. In fact, the Dacia Spring model is also manufactured in China, due to lower costs.
–
