We first saw this car at the Festival of Motoring where the BYD team promised that the car would not only deliver good range, unmatched levels of safety, efficiency and ample features but this would priced in an attainable bracket, boy have they backed this up. Meet the most affordable EV in Mzansi the BYD BYD Dolphin Surf.
It's a quirky little thing that BYD claim is designed to be a fun, safe, and is a practical vehicle that makes zero-emission driving accessible to a wider market. The Dolphin Surf's exterior design is out there to say the least, but this is the case with most EVs
The front features a sharp nose flanked by LED Headlights with LED daytime running lights elements inter-grated. The car also has a lot of cladding to give it that go-anywhere appearance but we doubt you'd even attempted going over a street curb with this compact hatch.
The roofline is sleek and has an integrated spoiler at the rear which gives it a surf board kind of look from the side profile. For wheels you get stylish 16-inch alloy wheels that are finished in a black color.
The cabin is a practical space that has been well thought of, with 20 smart storage solutions throughout the cabin, there's keyless entry via an NFC key, and there is enough space for your cooler box and camp chairs as you get 230L of boot capacity that expands to 930L with the seats down.
The Surf has a neat Vehicle-to-Load (VtoL) function that allows users to, as BYD claim "charge up the party" by using the car's battery to power external devices. To keep the party going as well BYD have fitted a built-in karaoke function for you and your occupants.
For screens you get a 10.1-inch touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 7-inch digital instrument panel, a 15W wireless charging pad and voice control activated by a simple "Hi, BYD."
At the heart of the Dolphin Surf is a Blade Battery and purpose-built e-Platform 3.0. The Dynamic model is equipped with a 38.8 kWh Blade Battery, offering a WLTP combined range of 295 km. It delivers 55 kW of power to the front wheels and supports DC charging up to 40 kW, allowing for a 30-80% charge in just 30 minutes.
The Comfort model features a 30 kWh Blade Battery with a WLTP combined range of 232 km, powered by a 55 kW front-wheel-drive motor with a maximum DC charging rate of 30 kW.
The Dolphin will be available in two distinct models, the Dynamic and the Comfort. Pricing will be as follows:
BYD Dolphin Surf Dynamic: R389,900
BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort: R339,900
BYD is backing the Dolphin Surf with a robust warranty and service package: a 3-year/60,000 km Service Plan, a 3-year/100,000 km Complete Vehicle Warranty, and an 8-year/200,000 km Power Battery Warranty. Each vehicle includes a 7 kW Home Charger Wall Box, a 3-7 Charger, and a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) socket.