Confirmed: 2023 BYD Dolphin is Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle: EVs go mainstream as new model undercuts the MG4
The incoming BYD Dolphin will launch in Australia this year from $38,890, earning the Chinese brand the title of Australia’s cheapest electric vehicle.
It’s a Chinese EV arms race for to offer the country’s most affordable EV at the moment, with MG just this week claiming the title when it announced a $38,990 starting price for the incoming MG4.
But it was an honour it held for only about 48 hours, with BYD set to undercut the MG4 by $100 with its new Dolphin.
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The pricing will be announced this evening, but has now been confirmed by EV Central.
While the specification detail is yet to be confirmed, we’re expecting the Australian BYD Dolphin to match the outputs of the New Zealand-spec car that’s already been released across the ditch.
If that’s the case, expect the cheapest model to get a 44.9kWh battery and a single electric motor producing 70kW. Driving range should be around 340kms on a single charge.
Conversely, the cheapest MG4, the Excite 51, gets a 51kWh battery and a single electric motor produces 125kW of power. Clammed range should be similar, with the MG4 delivering around 350kms.
The price war between MG and BYD — and, to a lesser extent, GWM with its Ora — is good news for consumers, says the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), with EVs at last entering the true mainstream with mass-market appeal.
“This is evidence that electric vehicle are becoming more affordable, and it will open the idea of electric vehicle ownership to more Australians than ever before,” says FCAI Chief Executive, Tony Weber.
