An all-electric powertrain option, along with a 4x4 option will be offered on the Duster.
03 Jul 2025 | 2119 Views | By Rivan RS, Autocar India
The Duster is set to get an all-electric powertrain option, our sister publication Autocar UK can confirm. That the Renault Duster EV, which will be sold under the Dacia brand in European markets, “will come in time” was stated by Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot. This statement confirms our exclusive ...
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The Duster is set to get an all-electric powertrain option, our sister publication Autocar UK can confirm. That the Renault Duster EV, which will be sold under the Dacia brand in European markets, “will come in time” was stated by Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot. This statement confirms our exclusive report from April last that plans for a Duster-based EV were afoot.
As ICE cars in the UK and European markets are scheduled to be phased out by 2035, Dacia is looking to putting an electric line-up in place. At the moment, the brand’s only electric car is the Spring EV, but plans are in place to have an EV powertrain option for all models, including the Bigster.
The Duster EV will use the same EV-specific CMF-BEV platform that underpins the Renault 5 and 4 crossover. This architecture, which is essentially an EV-adapted version of the current, petrol-powered Duster’s CMF-B platform, will be the basis for all of Dacia’s upcoming electric cars.
As all the current cars that use the CMF-BEV platform are front axle-driven, there was uncertainty whether the architecture could house a second motor at the rear. However, Renault recently revealed a 4x4 concept version of the 4 – understood to preview an imminent production version – which adds a driven rear axle to enhance the crossover’s off-roading abilities. This means that CMF-BEV can house a second motor on the rear axle, indicating that the Duster EV is likely to have a 4x4 variant.
The Duster is set to be the second Dacia model, from its current line-up, to gain an EV. The first will be the Sandero hatchback, which will get an EV option with the next-gen model, due in 2027.
While the new Duster is coming to India in early 2026 and we have stated a hybrid version will arrive within 12 months of the petrol model, we had reported last year, that Renault had already begun work on a Duster EV for our market. At the time, the Renault-Nissan alliance had started engaging with home-grown cell and battery manufacturers to ensure an extremely accessible price point. Whether plans for the Duster EV for India come to fruition is yet to be seen. Stay tuned.