Once upon a time, EVs were incredibly slow, and many drivers avoided them simply because they took forever to accelerate from 0 to 60. Since then, Tesla and other automakers have proved you don’t have to give up speed to save the planet with an electric vehicle. 

However, not all automakers have gotten the memo that electric cars can go fast, and there are some electric vehicles on the road which are incredibly slow. The Dacia Spring Electric might just be the slowest of them all, and the time it takes to get from 0 to 60 is highly depressing.

The Dacia Spring Electric’s specs aren’t terrible

The Dacia Spring Electric gets a total power of 33 kW (45 PS), according to the Electric Vehicle Database. The torque is rated at 125 nm or 92 lb-ft. 

Speed is nothing to brag about, as the Dacia Spring tops out at 125 kmh or 77 mph. Given that Germany is famous for the Autobahn, which has many stretches of highway with no speed limit, you probably don’t want to drive the Dacia Spring EV there. 

Thankfully, the charge time doesn’t take that long compared to other EVs. It’ll take approximately 5 hours to go from a dead battery to a fully charged Dacia Spring Electric. This is thanks largely to a charging speed of 36 kilometers of range per hour.

While all this isn’t exactly amazing, it’s not terrible either. So, why are some critics not exactly enthusiastic about the Dacia Spring?

You can’t keep up with the Dacia Spring

So, how fast can the Dacia Spring go? It’ll take you about 15 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. Not only is this incredibly slow, but according to the Electric Vehicle Database, it’s literally the slowest EV on the market currently.

To put that in perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid takes 2.1 seconds to do the same. The Porsche Taycan Turbo S takes 2.8 seconds, the Ford Mach-E takes 3.5 seconds if you opt for the GT Performance Edition, and the Tesla Model 3 takes 6.1 seconds. The second slowest vehicle on the list is the Peugeot e-Traveller Long 75 kWh, which takes 14.3 seconds. That’s not exactly exhilarating levels of speed, but compared to the Dacia Spring Electric, it just might feel like it.

So, why would you ever buy a Dacia Spring EV when it’s so slow compared to other vehicles? It all boils down to how much you’re willing to spend.

There are some redeeming factors to the Spring Electric

For some drivers, it’s not all about the speed. Seriously. Sometimes it’s more about the range, price, and what’s currently available in a specific market. While the Dacia Spring Electric is far from perfect, it does manage to tick those three categories.

According to InsideEVs, the price is more than affordable for a new vehicle. In France, it can be purchased for €16,990 or $17,911.88. When you add government incentives to go electric, the price drops to €12,403 or $13,075.99.

The range is also very good for anyone living in the city. You can get 305 km (189 miles) on a single charge. However, the weather will play a role in this range.

According to the Electric Vehicle Database, in cold weather you can expect 170 km or 105 miles. If the weather is mild, this jumps to 265 km or 164 miles. It’s not amazing when you have vehicles that can go over 300 miles without having to stop to charge, but given the price difference between the two, this make the Dacia Spring EV very attractive for anyone on a budget who wants to go green.