BYD Dolphin launched as Australia’s cheapest EV – by $100

UPDATED 22/06/2023 5:30PM: BYD Australia has revealed more details of the upcoming BYD Dolphin, the entry-level version of which will be called the ‘Dynamic’.

In a press release issued this afternoon, Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle was confirmed to arrive Down Under in the fourth quarter of this year.

The small electric hatch will come standard with a panoramic glass roof, heated seats, wireless smartphone charging, climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring and satellite-navigation (in addition to features listed below, including a 12.8-inch rotating infotainment screen, digital instrument cluster, alloy wheels and LED exterior lighting).

The Chinese brand’s local division says there’s 345 litres of cargo space behind the split rear seat, which can be folded flat to free up a total of 1310L.

Headline safety gear includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, driver fatigue monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert and braking, adaptive cruise-control and lane keeping assistance.

BYD Australia CEO Luke Todd said he was expecting “a substantial volume of pre-orders” from 8:00pn tonight, when the Dolphin finally goes on sale.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED 22/06/2023 1:00pm: The 2023 BYD Dolphin is officially Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle, undercutting the box-fresh MG4 Excite 51kWh by a cheeky $100 with a starting price of $38,890 plus on-road costs.

Despite the apparent convenience of the Dolphin’s asking price, BYD Australia CEO Luke Todd told media the manufacturer’s list price had been locked in months prior to today’s announcement and that its proximity to the new entry-level MG4 was pure coincidence.

But while we now have a new budget EV king, we still don’t have any concrete details about what local buyers will get in exchange for their $38,890, beyond the global highlights like the 12.8-inch rotating infotainment screen, digital instrument cluster, alloy wheels and LED exterior lighting.

Those details are set to be announced later today ahead of the Dolphin’s official release at 8:00pm tonight, when pre-orders open, but the New Zealand line-up suggests Aussie consumers will be offered a two-pronged model line-up comprising one Standard Range and one Long Range variant.

The former is powered by a 70kW/180Nm motor and draws current from a 44.9kWh battery pack that yields an effective driving range of up to 340km, while the latter is good for 150kW/310Nm and can cover up to 427km courtesy of a bigger 60.48kWh battery.

One thing we do know for sure is that both the BYD Dolphin and MG4 are well below the various state and federal EV incentive thresholds, which means they can both be had for around $40,000 drive-away in most states and territories.

Queensland is the currently the national leader in EV incentives with $6000 rebates available to those who purchase an EV priced under $68,000, which lowers the Dolphin’s effective RRP down to just $32,890 plus on-roads, which means a sub-$38,000 drive-away price once discounted rego and stamp duty fees are factored in.

“In some instances, this positions it [the Dolphin] at a lower price point than similar petrol-powered vehicles, a circumstance that has been unprecedented until now,” Todd said.

Petrol-powered alternatives for the Dolphin – which measures 4290mm long, 1770mm wide and 1570mm high – include the Toyota Corolla, Hyundai i30 and Mazda3, the former two of which are priced from just under $29,000 in their most basic forms.

For comparison’s sake, the MG4 measures 4287mm long, 1836mm wide and 1504mm tall, and has an effective range of between 350km and 530km depending on the variant.

First deliveries of both new battery-powered Chinese hatches commence in coming months; the MG4 arrives in mid-August and the BYD Dolphin in the fourth quarter of this year.

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