BYD - no longer known as Build Your Dreams in Europe - is soon to launch a budget electric car in Ireland, priced at less than €26,000. The Chinese company, which is making major inroads into the European market, expects the car to be in Ireland by next May.
Like other budget electric cars due to be launched in Europe from companies such as VW and Dacia, the car will have a smaller battery and a shorter range than is usually the case right now. Right now, BYD is ahead of the competition in terms of the timing of its launch.
BYD says the entry level Dolphin will have a 44.9 kWh battery with a claimed range (usual caveats apply on claimed ranges) of up to 340 kilometres and a price tag of €25,570, so it's more a city car than a long-haul prospect.
With the Dolphin, the company has entered the fiercely competitive small family hatchback car market in Ireland with its second electric car.
Given the wave of Chinese EV competition that has begun to hit Europe the Dolphin may have a rather strange, if apposite, name. It’s a car that aims to take on the big names in the family sector, such as VW, Hyundai and Toyota. As with BYD’s Atos 3, this car is another that aims to compete on price and levels of specification.
The first versions to have arrived - the Comfort and the Design - have a starting price of €29,318. These models have a bigger 60.4 kWh battery that has a claimed range of 427 km in ideal driving conditions - but few cars reach the their claimed ranges. The Design version costs €31,192. Both versions are said to be be able to charge rapidly from 30% battery power to 80% in 29 minutes, as long as you can find a charger powerful enough.
At 2.7 metres the wheelbase is quite long and the width and height are both about average for the family hatchback class. Seats and headrests are made from vegan leather and there is full electric adjustment for the front seats.
The 345 litre boot capacity is also average and you will have to fold rear seats flat to get a big load on board.
Standard features include adaptive front headlights, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic 360-degree camera, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, stability control, traction control and hill descent control.
