Dacia shifts Spring EV production to Europe, dodging tariffs and unlocking subsidies

Dacia has confirmed the second generation of its Spring electric city car will be built at Renault's Slovenia plant, moving production from China to Europe for the first time. The shift restores access to EU purchase incentives and avoids import tariffs that applied to the outgoing model, which sold over 200,000 units across Europe since 2021. The new Spring will share underpinnings with the Renault Twingo E-Tech and is expected to launch at the Paris Motor Show in October, with pricing rumoured to start under £20,000.

Why it matters: The production move makes the Spring eligible for EU subsidies again, potentially boosting fleet and municipal procurement volumes in markets where incentives drive EV adoption. Platform sharing with the Twingo signals economies of scale that could pressure rival budget EV suppliers and expand the addressable market for low cost electric city cars.