The appears to be getting quite a bit of traction among Thai electric vehicle (EV) buyers with its cute and retro looks. Soon, though, it could receive a rival that also hails from China with an equally fauna-tastic name, the BYD Dolphin.
Autolife Thailand has reported that the Chinese EV specialist could be relaunching itself in June 2022 under a new company to be called BYD Automobile Thailand. The new venture is led by Pratarnwong ‘Pok’ Phornprapha, the third-generation heir of Siam Motors Group, the company that introduced and distributed Nissans in the Kingdom from 1962 until 2004.
BYD currently has a presence in Thailand where it is distributed by Siam ATR but it’s worth noting that the models offered only consist of commercial vehicles including the BYD T3 electric van as well as BYD electric forklifts.
According to Autolife Thailand, BYD has previously granted distribution rights to Sayayokolkarn Holding Group and SCG International but this new deal will overturn the previous agreement. 4 Thai capital groups led by Pok are preparing to sign the deal in May and THB 20 billion (RM 2.52 bil) are said to be invested in the new company.
Most of the investments, about THB 17.3 billion (RM 2.18 bil), are reported to be for the new plant while the remainder is for the sales and aftersales network.
BYD is the second Chinese EV company that is looking to turn Thailand into its regional base after Great Wall Motors (GWM) which is the parent company of Ora. The Thai plant will not only serve the ASEAN region but also other right-hand-drive markets including Australia.
Yes, BYD literally stands for “Build Your Dream”
Reportedly, the BYD Dolphin will be BYD Automobile Thailand’s first model and if the deal goes through, it might be launched by the end of 2022.
Powered by a single 177 PS/290 Nm electric motor that is juiced up by the 44.9 kWh Blade battery pack, the Dolphin has a range of 405 km on a single charge according to NEDC ratings. It takes 6 hours and 25 minutes to charge up the Dolphin via 7 kW AC charging while DC fast charging (up to 60 kW) from 30-50% takes 30 minutes.
Besides, BYD Automobile Thailand is also looking to receive incentives including rebates and full excise tax exemption in line with the Thai government’s EV drive. After incentives, the Dolphin is expected to start around THB 700,000 (~RM 88k) which is cheaper than the base Ora Good Cat which starts from THB 989,000 (~RM 123k).
If BYD can fulfil the expected price, then there’s no doubt that the Dolphin could be another massive hit for the EV market in Thailand. Could we see the Dolphin make a splash in Malaysia?
Keyword: BYD to sign agreement with ex-Nissan Thailand distributor, Dolphin EV to be first model launched