BYD Dolphin EV hatchback delayed
Chinese giant’s smallest and cheapest model being re-engineered for Australian crash testsThe BYD Dolphin electric hatchback has been re-engineered to ensure it achieves a five-star ANCAP safety rating locally, delaying the Australian launch of what would have been the Chinese EV brand’s smallest and cheapest model.
BYD Australia importer EV Direct says the compact five-door hatch, which will sit below the existing BYD Atto 3 small SUV and the upcoming BYD Seal mid-size sedan, has had to undergo “modifications” to ensure it achieves a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.
“The Dolphin, in particular, has had to be significantly re-engineered for the Australian market to reach maximum ANCAP ratings,” says EV Direct managing director Luke Todd.
Todd was recently in China where the BYD is produced and said the company had to “redesign the front-end of the Dolphin for right-hand drive for the Australian market”.
BYD has also ensured it will arrive here with three child seat tether points across the rear to meet Australian Design Rule requirements, something that temporarily tripped-up the Atto 3.
It’s unclear exactly what changes or updates were applied to the Dolphin, but they have delayed the arrival of the car into Australia. The Dolphin was initially due on sale in 2022.
“It’s impacted on the timeframe that we can bring the vehicle to the country,” says Todd. “We had hoped to have that on the market by now.”
He says pricing and details will be announced in January before deliveries kick off later in the first half of 2023. The larger Seal – which is seen as a Tesla Model 3 rival – is slated for the second half of the year.
“The Dolphin will go on sale and delivery in the first half and the Seal will go on sale mid-year with deliveries in early Q3,” says Todd.
It’s also unclear whether the engineering changes will increase the price of the Dolphin. This week BYD raised the price of the Atto 3 by eight per cent in response to inflationary pressures and increased raw material costs.
BYD had previously warned that the Dolphin was likely to be priced closer to $40,000 than the initially estimated $35,000.
“I’m not going to comment on the price, we’ll announce that when we launch the vehicle,” says Todd.
Raising the price of the Atto 3 theoretically provides more headroom for the Dolphin, which Todd says will be the most affordable in the BYD family.
Another question with the Dolphin is what it will be called in Australia.
BYD was initially adamant that it would adopt a new name locally. One early option was Atto 2, although that has since been shelved.
BYD has also considered nautical-inspired names in keeping with the global positioning.
But it appears the Dolphin name may be back on the table.
“I’m comfortably calling them to you those names [Dolphin and Seal],” says Todd, before adding that the name of each model is “yet to be decided”.
When asked whether the Dolphin and Seal names would stick, Todd was leaving the door ajar.
“Not sure… it really is undecided.”
Related: BYD Atto 3 prices hiked
Related: BYD Seal 2022 Review – International
Related: BYD Atto 3 awarded five-star ANCAP safety rating – sort of
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