THE Dacia Spring will cost from £14,995 when it arrives late in the autumn of 2024 making it Britain's cheapest all-electric car by some margin.

As the budget-brand of the Renault group throws down the gauntlet to other car makers, Dacia says the Spring will quash drivers' moans about the high purchase price of EVs.

The five-door supermini debuts in the UK in either mid-range Expression or top-of-the-range Extreme trim level and offers a range of up to 137 miles in general driving or 186 miles around town.

The Spring comes with a choice of a 45hp or a more powerful 65hp/48 kW motor, which coupled with a lightweight design makes it the only fully electric car in Europe under one tonne.

Expression models with the more powerful engine will be priced from £15,995 while the Extreme grade versions have the 65hp engine only and cost from £16,995.

Standard equipment includes a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, height-adjustable steering wheel, a media control system with USB port, speed limiter, cruise control, steering wheel mounted controls, central locking with remote control, electric front windows, rear parking sensors, a 12V socket and manual air conditioning.

Extreme trim adds copper interior and exterior finishes, electric mirrors and rear windows, a Media Nav Live multimedia system with 10-inch centre screen, two USB ports and wireless connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a bi-directional charger allowing the Spring to be used as a power source for external appliances.

Performance figures are a 0 to 62mph acceleration time of 13.7 seconds and a maximum speed limited to 78mph for the 65hp version.

Recharging from a fast charger from 10 to 80 per cent capacity can be done in 45 minutes while Dacia says a full charge from a domestic outlet takes 11 hours or four hours from a 7kW wall box.

A four-seat supermini, the Spring measures 3.7 metres long, 1.77 metres wide and some 1.5 metres tall with a 308 litre boot that can extend to 1,004 litres by dropping the rear seats. A 33 litre frunk is under the bonnet for further space.

Driver assistance systems fitted include advanced emergency braking system with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcycle detection, traffic sign recognition with speed alert, rear park assist, emergency stop signal, lane change alert, lane keep assist, driver attention warning, and emergency call.

As an incentive those who pre-order the Spring are being offered a complimentary £250 towards accessories, public charging, or a contribution for a home charger through Mobilize Power Solutions.

Luke Broad, Dacia brand director for the UK, said: "Spring has played a key part in widespread adoption of EVs across Europe and, with a price that is even lower than speculated, we're confident it will continue the success story in the UK.

"We have listened to the concerns of UK drivers regarding accessing EVs, ensuring it not only has an unprecedented price but affordability that doesn't come at the expense of durability, equipment or usability.

"Quite simply, there's no other new EV currently on sale that offers so much for so little."

Dacia says the first models in the UK will be on the road in October.