BYD’s electric hatchback, the Dolphin – the latest in a new line of lower-cost EVs – has once again been spotted in Australia. This time it was spotted by Jeremy, one of The Driven’s readers who shared the photos taken in Canberra.
The photos show the white Dolphin electric hatchback with a lightly camouflaged front. This vehicle also is in the right-hand-drive configuration which is also a promising sign for the local market.
On the rear, like the Atto 3, there is a “Build Your Dreams” logo and a sticker advising that the vehicle is being used for testing.
Image: Jeremy WThe logo does seem to blend in better within the rear light housing compared to BYD’s larger SUV.
There are also orange accents that can be seen along the length of the car which curve up before going back down towards the rear.
The wheels on the car also appear to have an aero treatment to them for greater efficiency which is a good thing in all-electric cars, particularly those designed for city driving.
Sightings of the Dolphin being tested started back in November last year when one was seen driving around in Sydney.
This latest sighting comes only days after expression of interest opened for this electric hatchback across the ditch in New Zealand.
The specs of the NZ-bound car are a bit light but more is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Other right-hand-drive markets like Thailand and the UK have also had a sneak peek of the Dolphin making its way across the oceans to get there in the coming months.
This is great news for those looking for a smaller electric hatchback, particularly driving in our major cities given the shorter length of this hatchback compared to an average SUV on the road.
It comes in at a length of 4,290 mm which is 400 mm shorter than Australia’s best-selling electric car, the Tesla Model 3.
On the pricing front, it’s expected to start under $45,000 given the recently announced pricing of the MG4 electric hatchback. The MG4 starts at $44,990 plus on-roads.
In April, BYD sold over 30,000 units in China with global expansion plans well underway.
BYD has quickly become a well-known EV brand with over 3,000 local sales in 2023 so far. With the Dolphin appearing to be getting closer to an expected local launch, the brand is sure to become a household name in the coming years.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.