This post was originally published on Autocar
Chinese giant’s second UK offering brings long range and impressive practicality to the small EV class at a very keen price
The BYD Dolphin is the second step in the Chinese giant’s plans to become a major presence in the UK. Bobbing in the wake of the BYD Atto 3 crossover, it’s an electric hatchback sized roughly between the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and the Volkswagen ID 3.The Dolphin sits below the Atto 3 and Seal saloon in the brand’s electric line-up and it’s aimed directly at Chinese counterpart MG and its 4 electric hatchback. Don’t assume the name is a misnomer: the Dolphin, along with the Seal saloon, forms part of the brand’s ‘Ocean Series’ line-up of electric cars, which have been named after sea creatures because of their ‘Ocean aesthetics’.In all honesty, we can’t see much ocean-related design in the Dolphin, and opting for a quirky name isn’t anything new; remember the Ora Funky Cat (now Ora 03) electric hathcback?Beyond its quirky name, BYD is aiming to bring genuine affordability to the UK’s electric car market – something that rivals like MG and Ora have managed to achieve with their respective battery-powered models. So is the BYD Dolphin set to shake up the small electric car market in the UK? Let’s find out.