A lot of interest is brewing as Chinese automotive brand BYD gears up to introduce its Dolphin electric vehicle model to the South African market.
With promising cutting-edge design and eco-friendly features, the Dolphin is believed to embody BYD’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.
Drawing inspiration from the motion of dolphins, the BYD Dolphin boasts a sleek ‘ocean aesthetics’ design concept. Its LED headlamps mimic the dynamic breaching of dolphins, while the interior welcomes drivers with vegan leather seats and a futuristic floating centre console. Underneath, the Dolphin showcases BYD’s advanced e-Platform 3.0, tailor-made for electric vehicles. According to BYD, this platform prioritises intelligence, efficiency and safety.
BYD’s Blade Battery – a unit with 29 years of research behind it – powers the Dolphin. According to the manufacturer, the battery’s charging capabilities allow for a 30-80% charge in just 29 minutes using a 100kW DC charger.
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The electric hatch comes in two variants – the Dynamic and the Premium, featuring different battery sizes.
The Dynamic is equipped with a proprietary 44.9kWh Blade Battery while the Premium boasts a larger 60.48kWh module. The BYD Dolphin Dynamic produces 70kW of power and 180N.m of torque and the claimed 0-100 km/h time is 12.3 seconds. On the other hand, the top-spec Premium model delivers 150kW of power and 310N.m of torque, propelling the vehicle from 0 to 100 km/h in just seven seconds. According to BYD, the Dynamic has an operating range of around 340km and the Premium around 427km.
With the Dolphin already making waves on local BYD dealers’ websites, anticipation is building for its official launch and pricing announcement. As the Chinese automotive scene gains traction in South Africa, all eyes are on BYD to see if it’s poised to make a splash on the local market.
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