BYD’s Dolphin brings 265-mile range and £25,490 starting price

Chinese firm BYD has launched its second new model in the UK – the Dolphin.

Following on from the Atto 3, the Dolphin brings a range of up to 265 miles courtesy of a 60.5kWh ‘Blade’ battery which is cobalt-free and offers a ‘much higher level of safety’ compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Priced from £25,490 and due to start delivery in the year’s final quarter, the Dolphin will be offered in four different specifications – Active, Boost, Comfort and Design. Active models use a smaller 44.9kWh battery and bring a lower range of up to 211 miles, while boost versions use the same setup but add in multi-link rear suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Step up to Comfort and you get that larger battery and longer range, while a maximum charging speed of 88kW means that a 30 to 80 per cent charge can be conducted in 29 minutes. These versions are priced from £29,490.

Finally, the Design has the same mechanical setup as the Comfort, but adds a panoramic roof, two-tone paint and tri-colour wheels alongside wireless smartphone charging and privacy glass. Prices for Design-spec Dolphin models start from £30,990.

All versions of the Dolphin get a heat pump as standard, too, which helps to improve the efficiency of the batteries during colder weather. Versions of the Dolphin equipped with the 60.4kWh battery use a single electric motor that enables a zero to 60mph time of just under seven seconds and a top speed of 100mph.

Vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology also means that the Dolphin can use its battery charge to power external devices, while its 345-litre boot can be expanded up to 1,310 litres by folding down the rear seats.