One week after it cut prices of the Atto 1 to make it the lowest cost EV, and new car of any fuel type in Australia, Chinese car giant BYD has also slashed prices on the next model up, the Dolphin.
BYD announced over the weekend that small electric hatch is now available at $28,888 driveaway, a saving of over $4,400 on the driveaway price of the base Dolphin Essential model, which previously cost $29,990 before on-road costs and in states like NSW was up to $33,300 driveaway.
This offer is eligible for those who place an order on the car by the 15th December and take delivery before 31 December 2026.
The current BYD Dolphin lineup comes in two variants. The essential is powered by a 70 kW motor, which is paired with a 44.9 kWh battery pack. On the charging front, it offers 7 kW AC charging and 60 kW peak DC charging.
This pack can deliver up to 340 km of WLTP range and is a popular option for anyone looking to get from A to B and for inner-city driving.
The more expensive Premium variants bump that power up by having a 150 kW motor which is paired with a larger 60.48 kWh battery pack, offering a range of up to 427 km of WLTP range. With this battery, DC charging speeds have been bumped up to 80 kW of DC charging.
This Premium model is priced from $36,990 before on-roads or over $40,000 driveaway in states like NSW. This makes it over $11,000 more than the $28,888 driveaway offer on the entry Essential model.
The powertrain on the Premium variant is similar to that found on the base model Atto 3 electric SUV, which recently also received additional variants with the launch of the Atto 3 EVO models.
Dolphin model was first launched in 2023, a year after the brand’s first model the Atto 3, and at the time was pitched as Australia’s cheapest EV, coming in under $40,000.
Sales of the Dolphin have been seeing a bounce back off the back of high interest in EVs and the first 8 months of the year seeing over 3,000 local deliveries.
The latest offer makes the Dolphin, one of the most affordable hatchbacks on the market, competitively priced against the MG4 Urban and Geely EX2.
With competition in the electric hatch market only heating up in the coming months with the launch of multiple new brands and price cuts being announced on a weekly basis in recent times, now could be the best time for drivers to consider an EV and avoid future petrol station trips.
You can find The Driven’s detailed EV sales data here: Australian electric vehicle sales by month in 2026; by model and by brand.
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