If you’re looking for a cheeky, cheap and cheerful, zero-emission little runabout, you don’t have to travel too far, and you don’t need to carry much, then look no further. Dacia’s battery-electric Spring Cargo could be just what you’re after.
Based on the five-door Spring car, the highly-manoeuvrable Spring Cargo is the smallest practical van of its type on sale today, and can handle a 370kg gross payload.
Powertrain
A 48kW/65hp electric motor delivering 113Nm of torque draws power from a 26.8kWh battery. Dacia says it can be replenished to 80% of its capacity from 20% in 45 minutes if you hook it up to a fast charger.
The quoted WLTP (Worldwide Light Vehicle Harmonised Test Procedure) combined range figure is a modest 140 miles. We couldn’t squeeze more than 130 miles out of our demonstrator, however.
That was despite the fact that we drove as frugally as we possibly could, pressed the ECO button frequently and regularly used the B setting on the transmission lever. Doing so ensures that any kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal is recovered and pumped into the battery.
We also took notice – up to a point – of what the onboard computer was telling
us. It proffers advice on how to drive more frugally.
At least the Spring Cargo charges up quickly and the instrument panel clearly shows how much charge remains in the battery in percentage terms, and how much range you have left. The charging point is beneath a flap at the front of the vehicle.
Loading and interior
Access to the 1.1m3 load area is by means of a hinged door on each side, both of which have opaque windows, and a glazed rear hatch. Putting an opaque film on the rear window would make good sense to stop the criminally inclined from seeing what you are transporting.
The rear seats have been removed and a steel mesh bulkhead fitted, along with a carpeted cargo bed with four tie-down points concealed beneath pull-up flaps.
Carpeting and plastic mouldings protect the cargo bay’s sides and doors against minor scratches and scrapes incurred during loading and unloading. Bear in mind that you cannot tow a trailer with this vehicle.
You can have any colour of Spring Cargo you like just so long as it’s white, and the little load lugger comes with a single level of specification. It includes a 10in infotainment screen, manual air-conditioning, a dinky little reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, traction control and cruise control.
Bluetooth connectivity, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are all included in the deal as are driver, passenger and side airbags, a 12V power point and a couple of USB ports. Nice to see that the heating and ventilation system is controlled by chunky, user-friendly, knobs.
Electric windows are fitted, but the exterior mirrors have to be adjusted manually. We can’t recall the last time we saw outside mirrors on a van that didn’t feature electric adjustment.
We can’t quite figure out why the Spring Cargo has got an ignition key given that electric light commercials don’t have an ignition system, and we’re surprised that it is equipped with a manual parking brake. Surely an electronic parking brake would be more appropriate?
We can only conclude that it is an attempt to cut costs on a van which, despite the presence of air con and a reversing camera, is perforce built to a price. Hence the manual mirrors plus the single windscreen wiper and the absence of height adjustment on the driver’s seat.Fortunately, you can at least alter the height of the steering wheel.
A small van spells a small cab which spells limited in-cab storage space, but the Spring Cargo does the best it can given the circumstances. For your money, you get a very deep, lidded, but not lockable glovebox with a tray above it, pockets in each of the front doors with a moulding to hold a bottle of water, and a tray at the bottom of the dashboard.
Onboard safety devices include Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Emergency Braking Assist and Advanced Emergency Braking System.
Our demonstrator sat on 14in steel wheels with plastic trims and shod with 165/70 R14 LingLong GreenMax HP tyres.
Linglong? We’d never hear of them either, but they are a major Chinese tyre maker with plants in China, Thailand and Serbia, and heavily into football sponsorship.
You don’t get a spare wheel, alas. You have to make do with an inflator/sealer instead.
Driving
For a diminutive puddle-jumper on small wheels, the Spring Cargo rides surprisingly well, and the handling is sharp and satisfying. It’s not short on performance either, although an awareness of its range limitations meant we avoided flooring the loud pedal as enthusiastically as we might otherwise have done.
On the downside, it generates rather too much in-cab wind and tyre noise for our liking, and it feels a bit plasticky and tinny. Nor are the warning lights all that dependable, although that is a characteristic of quite a few light commercials we’ve encountered recently.
A light flashed up to tell us that a tyre had lost pressure. So we stopped and checked, and none of them had.
Then another light illuminated two or three times to tell us that we were breaking the speed limit along familiar local stretches of highway. We weren’t.
Manufacturers need to bear in mind that if onboard warning systems cry ‘wolf’ too many times, they will eventually be ignored – and if that happens, the potential consequences could be catastrophic.
| Model | Dacia Spring Cargo 65 |
| Price (ex VAT) | £14,907* |
| Price range (ex VAT) | £14,907* |
| Insurance group | 23A |
| Warranty | 3yrs/ 60,000 miles (battery 8yrs/74,000 miles) |
| Service intervals | 2yrs/18,000 miles |
| Load length | 1,162mm |
| Load width (min/max) | 933mm/1,137mm |
| Load bay height | 933mm |
| Gross payload | 370kg |
| Load volume | 1.1m3 |
| Engine size/power | 65hp electric motor with 26.8kWh battery |
| Range (WLTP) | 140 miles |
| CO2 | 0g/km |
| Key rival | Toyota Corolla Commercial |
| Verdict | It’s not the biggest cargo carrier on the market. Nor does it have the best range. But we can’t help liking it. |
| Score | 6/10 |
* Qualifies for £2,500 Plug-In Van Grant
