BYD Dolphin

[kobayashiGT]

 

Everything you need to know about the BYD EA1

All the details of the BYD Dolphin, which we initially knew by its codename ‘BYD EA1,’ are now officially out now. Australia will get the BYD Dolphin, Nexport, the country’s official distributor of BYD vehicles, has confirmed.

Design

Wolfgang Egger, the former Audi design chief who is now the Global Design Director at BYD, has designed the Dolphin. The little electric hatchback is the first BYD model to adopt the company’s “marine design concepts,” and it premieres a new logo as well. The new Chinese EV features a swoopy but odd-faced front and sporty side and rear structures. The interior has a fluidic and minimalist design theme and a huge central touchscreen in landscape orientation. The cabin has more than 20 storage spaces, and the boot can accommodate four 20-inch cabin bags.

Quote

This is our urban dream. It is a vision. It’s not just a car, but it is a device for future mobility in the city. It’s compact, it’s fresh, individual, and an icon. As you remember, I always say that a car should be defined only by three lines (inaudible). It’s a new architecture for electric mobility, and only these three lines, they define the shape. It’s really unique. It’s an icon. You see once, and you never forget again, can you?

Wolfgang Egger, Design Director, BYD

YouTube channel Wheelsboy has uploaded a walkaround showing the BYD Dolphin in the metal. On the outside, the design of the lights, especially the tail lights, impresses the presenter. The technical-looking tail lights take inspiration from the Chinese knotting handicraft. The 16-inch two-tone alloy wheels look more than inspired by the VW ID.3’s 20-inch Sanya rims.

Inside, the cylindrical panel of physical controls on the centre console has the attention of the YouTuber. Indeed, this panel with rotary dials for most functions and a nice little gear selector switch that allows selecting, drive, neutral, and drive with a simple flick is a neat touch. The sports seats in two-tone white/black colour and orange accents make the cabin very appealing for young car buyers.

 

Platform

The BYD Dolphin sits on the company’s new e-platform 3.0, but it is just an economical city car. So, it doesn’t benefit from the platform’s top-end specifications, like support for 800-volt high-power chargers for rapid charging, for instance.

BYD calls e-platform 3.0 “the cradle of the next generation of electric vehicles.” The design of the vehicle body integrates the company’s ultra-safe Blade battery pack into it as a structural part. The new platform allows parameters like 2.9-second 0-100 km/h acceleration time, a 1,000 km range, and rapid charging at a level powerful enough to gain a 150 km range in just five minutes. The company suggests that the torsional rigidity of e-platform 3.0 models can be double that of its ICE models.

Specifications

The BYD Dolphin measures 4,070-4,150 mm in length, 1,770 mm in width, and 1,570 mm in height. The small electric car has a 2,700 mm wheelbase. It is available in three technical configurations, each with a different range.

The base and middle configurations employ a 70 kW/180 Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor. This motor draws energy from a 30.7 kWh Blade LFP battery pack in the base configuration and a 44.9 kWh Blade LFP battery pack in the middle configuration.

The base configuration provides a range of 301 km (NEDC), and the middle configuration allows a noticeably longer range of 405 km (NEDC). Both these configurations feature 16-inch alloy wheels with 195/60 R16 tyres.

The top-end BYD Dolphin, which should make it to Australia, gets a more potent permanent magnet synchronous motor that generates 130 kW (177 PS) and 290 mm of torque. An MIIT filing that we have accessed has shown that it can attain a top speed of 160 km/h. Its battery pack is the same 44.9 kWh unit as that of the middle configuration, but it gives a slightly lower range of 401 km (NEDC).

Price & Features

The BYD Dolphin launch in China was held at the 2021 Chengdu Auto Show on 30 August 2021, with prices falling in the range of CNY 93,800-121,800 (AUD 19,808-25,721). According to a report from autohome.com.cn, BYD received 2,000 pre-orders for the Dolphin in just one hour after pre-sales began on 13 August 2021.

LED headlights and taillights, heated ORVMs, 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 5-inch digital instrument cluster, heat pump, 6-way adjustable driver seat, 4-way adjustable front passenger seat, driving recorder, mobile key (NFC-based), and a panoramic sunroof are some of the main features of the Dolphin. It is worth noting here that no other EV in this segment comes with a heat pump.

[Watwheels]

The BYD blade battery is quite impressive but they need to work on their car design. The MIC material in the interior is quite disappointing but given its price point I cant expect much.

[kobayashiGT]

10 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

The BYD blade battery is quite impressive but they need to work on their car design. The MIC material in the interior is quite disappointing but given its price point I cant expect much.

They managed to have Wolfgang Egger onboard. So I am sure thier design lanauage will improve over time. They need to sell more car worldwide first.

yah. the blade battery is promising.

[Heartbreakid]

On 10/16/2021 at 10:29 PM, kobayashiGT said:

They managed to have Wolfgang Egger onboard. So I am sure thier design lanauage will improve over time. They need to sell more car worldwide first.

yah. the blade battery is promising.

BYD had exMercedes, exAudi people working for them in their design and suspension tuning since BYD had introduced their "Dynasty" series models like Han, Qin, Yuan, etc... Since then their designs have improved way lot better than previous copy and make over.

[kobayashiGT]

 

[Fitmugen]

Anyone knows pricing? Think it will be launched in July

[shuigao]

On 6/18/2023 at 1:51 PM, Fitmugen said:

Anyone knows pricing? Think it will be launched in July

Given $95k Cat A COE how cheap can it be? Maybe $15k or so cheaper than the Cat A Atto 3 so around $140-150k range assuming you trade in, take in house loan, etc.

Edited June 20, 2023 by shuigao

[Didu]

It's in today's Straits Times  😁🐬

Car review: BYD Dolphin for frolicking fun

Given its round, pudgy shape, the BYD Dolphin could have had a more appropriate name – like Penguin or Puffer.

But there is little logic in the way carmakers name their cars. What do Corolla, Civic, Avante, Polo or Miata mean, and what do they have to do with the vehicles bearing their names? Nothing.

https://www.straitstimes.com/life/motoring/car-review-byd-dolphin-for-frolicking-fun

[Dafansu]

On 7/1/2023 at 10:25 AM, Didu said:

It's in today's Straits Times  😁🐬

Car review: BYD Dolphin for frolicking fun

Given its round, pudgy shape, the BYD Dolphin could have had a more appropriate name – like Penguin or Puffer.

But there is little logic in the way carmakers name their cars. What do Corolla, Civic, Avante, Polo or Miata mean, and what do they have to do with the vehicles bearing their names? Nothing.

https://www.straitstimes.com/life/motoring/car-review-byd-dolphin-for-frolicking-fun

they launching this car at Waterway Point. BYD having road show there. Dolphin still wrapped up this afternoon, not sure what time is the actual launch. 

[Benarsenal]

Launch already. $156,888. At Waterway Point until next week

https://carbuyer.com.sg/2023-byd-dolphin-ev-singapore-new-launch-price/

[Didu]

In China, they priced it at about RMD106,000 (i.e. less than SGD20K)   😆

比亚迪价格战！海豚4S店优惠超1万 新款再官方降价？

...目前购买2023款海豚可享超过1万元的现金优惠，入门版裸车低至10万出头。随着其临近改款，接下来的优惠可能会更大。

https://www.sohu.com/a/694084244_115342?scm=1019.20001.0.0.0&spm=smpc.csrpage.news-list.5.1688452565484MYDj6m6

[inlinesix]

On 7/4/2023 at 2:48 PM, Didu said:

In China, they priced it at about RMD106,000 (i.e. less than SGD20K)   😆

比亚迪价格战！海豚4S店优惠超1万 新款再官方降价？

...目前购买2023款海豚可享超过1万元的现金优惠，入门版裸车低至10万出头。随着其临近改款，接下来的优惠可能会更大。

https://www.sohu.com/a/694084244_115342?scm=1019.20001.0.0.0&spm=smpc.csrpage.news-list.5.1688452565484MYDj6m6

https://paultan.org/2023/06/16/byd-dolphin-to-be-priced-under-rm100k-in-malaysia/

In Thailand, it is priced at Bhat 800k.

Export and domestic has some different (I don't know what's the difference)

Edited July 4, 2023 by inlinesix

[Benarsenal]

No need to compare la. COE alone is more than 60 percent of the car's price here.

[inlinesix]

On 7/4/2023 at 3:10 PM, Benarsenal said:

No need to compare la. COE alone is more than 60 percent of the car's price here.

After COE is removed, it is still expensive.

Almost $61k.

 

[Watwheels]

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/volkswagen-id4-pro-takes-left-field-ev-approach

VW/Skoda more atas brand lah. 🤣

Simi dolphin, guppy...the water creatures in the water and ev running on electricity cannot mix/link. Out of the blue there's the Atto3. Their name branding and marketing on ev needs work.

[Didu]

$159,888 

 

[inlinesix]