I buy an electric car in France (Dacia Spring)

In this video I show you a walk around of a Dacia Sping Extreme electric car.
I also show you some of the charging options and the range you can expect in summer and winter.
We bought the car from new at a Renault dealership in Vannes.
The car has the fast charging option and the extended range battery pack.
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With Colin ‪@FrenchCountrysideLife‬
AJ

[@FrenchCountrysideLife]

Fascinating stuff Andy. When the Peugeot is fixed the Dacia could be Janes new car. Is the government grant still available ? Also, If you plan a long journey with the satnav will it plan your recharge along the way ? I'm looking forward to seeing the installation of the fast charger at home and how the car fits into the off grid system. Great video. 👍🏼

[@ajinfrance]

Hi Colin, the app on the phone plans your journey via recharge stations if needed. I also have another app that shows you where all the stations near you are and what type. It also shows the price per kWh. If it's just a run around like I use it for then you will always charge from home overnight it's super cheap.

[@mavcek]

Definitely waiting for a nuclear car !! 😃

[@ajinfrance]

I would love that, have to be made of lead though.....

[@nativetexson]

Congrats on the new wheels and the informative video. A couple of my neighbors here in the Aude have recently purchased the same model. It's a nice looking car.

[@ajinfrance]

Thanks, it's not a super car but it is certainly the most practical car I have had. I noticed that in the hamlet where my mum is that there are 1/3rd electric cars. That's a lot. Thanks for watching.

[@nativetexson]

@@ajinfrance 👍

[@duncanblanchard334]

Very interesting video, what are your electric costs when charging at home. We already have solar panels and would be interested in using them to charge a battery which would then charge the electric car. Has your insurance gone up much. Will be really interested to see the installation of your home charger. Thanks 😁.

[@ajinfrance]

Stay tuned for the home charger. Costs currently to charge on my tariff: 0.13 euros per kWh overnight and around 0.16 during the day. I don't think using a battery would be feasible but I can explain better in my solar video. Thanks for watching.

[@rhiantaylor3446]

Thanks for the review, I was interested in the Spring but they may have missed the boat for the UK, I guess it wasn't worth producing a RHD version for our numbers though I understand we are getting the updated version soon. In the meantime prices have dropped especially for the used market so I bought a Zoe ze50 which has the same bells and whistles as the Spring as both are Renault Group.

[@ajinfrance]

Yes the Zoe is a good car. Please let me know how you get on with it. 👍👍👍

[@columroche435]

Good video Andy. In the UK will be some time before big take off in EVs, distinct lack of investment in charging points, e.g. few installed outside towns, 40% of houses don't have ability to charge at home, in England 42% of all chargers are in London, etc.

[@ajinfrance]

That's a good point, I think because I am lucky enough to have a house then everyone else has one, which is silly of me. I guess you could make it work if you had a fast charger nearby, or could charge at work. Very good points I failed to mention. 👍👍

[@anamartinez-bj4zs]

Really nice car and look easy to drive and to look after, for big road trips maybe a portable solar panel would help to charge it? Or is too weak?

[@LimousinLife]

Great video Andy, really useful practical information. France is definitely embracing that more than the uk, another brexit benefit I guess. Nice car 🚙

[@ajinfrance]

There's just so many benefits, someone should make a list....

[@LimousinLife]

@@ajinfrance Ask Boris

[@user-es2iz6wh8l]

Thankyou for the EV info Andy. Great vlog. Mike says how long does it take to charge up fully using fast chargers and normal chargers when using a public charging station...compared with say charging it up at home .... And how much do the public chargers cost ? Are the ones in aldi and Lidl free? 🤔 Cheers for the info 👍

[@ajinfrance]

Interesting questions. So Aldi is free and is a 7kw charger Home granny charger is 2kw Home wall box is same as public at 7kw Went to super U today and hooked up to the fast charger at 32kw!! Got around 20% charge for 3 euros. To charge at home from 20% to 100% is around 4 euros. Time for charge 20- 80% is as follows Home granny charger 8 hours Public type 2 7 KW 2 hours Public fast charge 35 minutes Hope that helps.

[@user-es2iz6wh8l]

@@ajinfrance thanks for your prompt answers Andy. Great info. We are seriously looking into it all the Dacia spring is launched in the UK later this year we have put our name down with *£99* refundable deposit. My concern is not about EV's but downsizing the car from our Dacia Duster size though ! 🤪

[@ajinfrance]

@@user-es2iz6wh8l Yes the Spring is smaller thats for sure. It doesnt matter to me too much as its a second car. Let me know how you get on. AJ

[@user-es2iz6wh8l]

@@ajinfrance will do ! 👍 We can buy a used EV 2022/23 reg. 4,000 miles on the clock.. warranted till 2029.. it's the MG5 EV models . For £17,000. That's just one example of many in a dealership near where we live in the uk. It's a bigger car, similar to our Duster in size. Obviously size will effect the battery . Time to charge and distance of travel.. but keeping our options open. But we will probably call into a French dacia dealer when we are over in France in a few weeks time to actually see the "Spring" as they're not in the uk atm !! 👍

[@johnroadley-battin4577]

I have looked into going for an electric car, the running may be environmentally sound, but the manufacturing isn't, apparently, it take 7 year to be net zero from all the elements that goes in to producing the batteries, plus the other humanity issues regarding the mining for the elements and the batteries will need replacing after 10 years. Until this is improved I'm going to wait, plus the infrastructure isn't good in the UK, and if we all went electric there wouldn't be enough electricity supply to cope with the demand. I'm not able to charge an electric car from my home which is another issue, that would be the case for nearly everyone that live on our estate and a majority of people that live in this country. I brought a diesel car in the UK 10 years ago, the first diesel I have ever owned, I'm 69, because the government said that it was better for the environment, they even reduce the road tax to £30 a year to encourage me change over. Now I cant drive the car in some cities without being penalised.

[@ajinfrance]

It was really unfair that diesel was pushed out then suddenly it's the most expensive fuel on the forecourt. I agree with you that the UK has massive infrastructure problems with the grid, some houses are not being built because they can't get connected. I understand the environmental issue with the sourcing of materials for the car, there's not much I can do. I intend to recharge from solar when possible so I expect the carbon offset to be much sooner. The batteries come with a 10 year guarantee as you say, hopefully by then there's a better replacement. Thanks for watching.

[@Escapetofrance-Charente]

Hey Andy. Love the concept but not brave enough just yet. Ever heard of ‘range anxiety’ when it comes to electric vehicles? Also if when you start the journey and it shows 210km left, does it decrease as soon as you turn on the air con stereo etc? 👍🇫🇷

[@ajinfrance]

No it doesn't decrease, it recognises how you drove last, temperature and time of day to calculate it. The range is pretty accurate. There are more charging stations than there are petrol stations near me. And don't forget only €4 to charge it up.

[@Escapetofrance-Charente]

@@ajinfrance looks like a no brainer really. Our next car must be an EV 🇫🇷👍

[@WoodenItBeNice]

Very interesting video Andy. Being honest I'm still sitting on the fence regarding EVs. The charging infrastructure around where we live is terrible and charging while at home isn't an option due to no driveway. Take care mate. Cheers, Huw

[@ajinfrance]

All very good points to note. Last time I was at Big Dave's house near Aylesbury I checked the map on the app and there were so few charging points. Thanks again Huw.

[@user-es2iz6wh8l]

Ps!! Me again!! 😅mike says is the Spring " CCS compatible " to connect to the rapid super charging station 50kw+ ?? 😊

[@ajinfrance]

This model is, the extreme. If you look at the charging port it has the normal socket with two extra circle plugs under it. That's CCS.

[@user-es2iz6wh8l]

@@ajinfrance cheers for explaining that 👍

[@newbeginnings8566]

Safety tests for this vehicle are worrying... A decent size? - It's tiny...

[@ajinfrance]

You are correct. I wouldn't like to hit anything in it. I guess that's why it's cheap. 👍

[@davidspencer7254]

Nah. That's overblown if you felt safe in a 2014 Zoe you should feel safe I this.

[@WoodenItBeNice]

1st😂😂

[@ajinfrance]

Who's this? Not got your number in my phone.......... 🤣🤣🤣

[@WoodenItBeNice]

@@ajinfrance If you don't know by now LOL.