BYD Dolphin Active

The BYD Dolphin Active is the cheapest trim of BYD’s Dolphin, a five-door electric hatchback in the B-segment. It seats five, uses one front motor, and is built on e-Platform 3.0. BYD added it in mid-2024 with a smaller battery and a weaker motor than the original car: 95 hp and 180 Nm. It shouldn’t be confused with the Dolphin Surf Active, a smaller city car, or the Dolphin G DM-i Active, a plug-in hybrid.

Energy comes from a 44.9 kWh usable LFP battery with a heat pump. BYD quotes 211 miles (340 km) on the WLTP combined cycle for Europe, and there’s no EPA rating. AC charging maxes out at 7.4 kW via Type 2, so 0-100% takes about 7 hours 18 minutes. DC peaks around 60 kW, with 10-80% in roughly 38 minutes. Sources disagree on that peak: one says 60 kW, another 65 kW. Motor1 reported 150 kW, but that can’t be squared with a 38-minute charge, so it’s unconfirmed.

Launch price was about £26,000 in the UK and €30,000 in Europe, and one European database lists €29,990. UK pricing now depends on who you ask and when, and some dealers have new stock listed well under launch. With 95 hp and 60 kW DC charging, it makes most sense for commuters, second cars and fleets that charge at home and skip long motorway runs. Inside BYD’s range it sits above the Dolphin Surf and below the Atto 3, and the Dolphin Boost shares its battery with a stronger motor. Outside the brand, the usual rivals are the Renault 5 E-Tech and the Citroën ë-C4. The nearest direct match is the MG4 Standard Range, which Parkers rates at 218 miles WLTP against the Active’s 211.

BYD Dolphin Active Images

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