2027’s electric Dacia Sandero for the masses
A keenly priced electric Dacia Sandero is on the way, using Renault tech. By Jake Groves.
THE SCOOP
WHEN IT’S RIGHT
Being part of the Renault family means there’s not huge pressure on Dacia to go electric, as the many EVs offered by other brands in the group keep the company-wide emissions average down.
According to Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot: ‘It means we can wait for the right moment, which is with the next Sandero.’
A CONFIDENT LOOK
As Dacia’s new director of design, David Durand says he and his team are ‘trying to make Dacia more desirable and more modern.’ The next generation of Dacia cars starts with a new Duster in 2024, and a production version of the Bigster (above) in 2025. All new Dacias will share a chunkier and ‘more expressive’ look.
BABY STEPS
Le Vot says most makers are ‘putting out their top solutions’ with their EVs, meaning they’re prohibitively expensive to Dacia’s core audience. ‘We have a social role here – our job is accessible mobility – and that’s why we started with the Spring.’ Dacia has confirmed the cheap, simple Spring will be coming to the UK in 2024.
CHEMISTRY LESSON
The e-Sandero is likely to use the CMF-BEV platform shared with the Renault 5 and next-generation Nissan Micra. Dacia is experimenting with the battery chemistry, aiming to keep costs down. ‘Maybe the battery will be sodium-based,’ says Le Vot. ‘They don’t store a lot of energy, but they’re cheap…’
Illustration: by Avarvarii
FACT FILE
- POWERTRAIN 40kWh battery (est), single e-motor (est)
- MAX POWER 134bhp
- DRIVE front-wheel drive
- CHASSIS Steel monocoque
- DUE From 2027 Sandero’s a big hit, so expect EV to stick with the formula