New Chinese entrant beats MG4 as our cheapest EV by just $100
BYD’s Dolphin is now the second sub-$40k EV option available to Australians undercutting the MG 4 by just $100.
Priced from $38,890 before on road costs and rebates, anticipation for the Dolphin has been strong, mainly due to rumours around its sub-$40k price tag – a value proposition strengthened by rebates like Queensland’s (up to) $6,000 kickback.
What do we know so far?
The Dolphin Dynamic that BYD launched is the base model but battery size, motor output, and range have not been disclosed as yet.
The Dolphin is expected to feature a 44.9kWh battery, with the base 70kW/180Nm electric motor giving a range of 340km. However the larger 60.48kWh battery and more powerful 150Kw/310Nm motor are not off.
Confirmed features are a 12.8-inch infotainment screen which can be electronically rotated to display in portrait or landscape orientation, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, sat-nav and voice recognition.
BYD has confirmed standard safety inclusions on the Dolphin include seven airbags, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Driver Fatigue Monitoring, Rear-Cross Traffic
Alert and Braking, Adaptive Cruise-Control and Lane Keeping Assistance.
The Dolphin utilises a ‘Blade’ lithium iron phosphate battery, which BYD claim is the “world’s safest blade battery technology”.
BYD’s Blade battery system is safeguarded against thermal runaway, in the case of a perforation, partly due to the use of lithium iron phosphate as well as the arrangement of cells as long ‘blades’.
Vehicle dimensions were also confirmed with a 2700mm wheelbase for the Dolphin, and the five-door hatch layout offers 345 litres of boot space or 1310 litres with the rear seats folded.
Price war or not, BYD distributor EVDirect is reported saying the close pricing is a coincidence and was “locked in months ago”.
“We are proud to introduce an EV of such high quality and safety that is now within reach for more Australians,” EVDirect CEO, Luke Todd said.
“With state government rebates as high as $6,000 in Queensland, this makes the Dolphin Dynamic as low as $32,890 plus on-road costs.
“In some instances, this positions it at a lower price point than similar petrol-powered vehicles, a circumstance that is unprecedented until now.”
BYD officially opened the order books for the Dolphin at 8pm June 22, following the official launch event at SeaWorld, with deliveries expected from Q4 this year.
“We’ve received an exceptional number of expressions of interest for the BYD Dolphin,” Mr Todd said.
“Given BYD’s proven supply chain capabilities, we eagerly look forward to delivering many thousands of Dolphins, with shipments scheduled to begin in Q4 2023.”
Keyword: BYD Dolphin splashes onto the scene