KATHMANDU: BYD has officially launched its compact electric city car, the Dolphin Surf, in Europe. Dolphin Surf was unveiled amid a ceremony in Berlin on Wednesday.
Dolphin Surf is BYD’s 10th offering in the European market and is expected to intensify competition in the affordable EV segment. The car is essentially the European version of its popular budget EV – Seagull. While Seagull is priced at around $10,000 in China, the Dolphin Surf will be priced in Europe in the range of $26,100 to $35,100, depending on the variant.
As part of an introductory offer valid through until June, the base model will start at $22,700. This makes Dolphin Surf one of Europe’s most affordable EVs with modern features.
The Dolphin Surf will be available in three variants: Active, Boost and Comfort. The Active variant is equipped with a 30 kWh battery and 65 kW motor delivering a WLTP range of 220 km. It supports DC fast charging of up to 65 kW. Similarly, the Boost variant uses the same 65 kW motor but has a larger 43.2 kWh battery offering a WLTP range of 322 km.
The Comfort variant also utilizes a 43.2 kWh battery but packs a powerful 115 kW motor to deliver superior performance. It delivers WLTP range of 310 km. The Boost and Comfort variants support up to 85 kW fast charging. The Comfort variant has features like 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, heated sets, LED headlights and electric folding mirrors.
All variants include a 10.1-inch touchscreen, heated and power-adjustable mirrors and BYD’s proprietary Blade battery technology.
Even at its base price, the Dolphin Surf delivers better value than competitors like the Dacia Spring and Citroën e-C3.
BYD, now the world’s top EV manufacturer, is rapidly expanding in Europe. Production of the Dolphin Surf recently began at BYD’s plant in Hungary to reinforce its local supply chain in the region.
Earlier, the model was produced only for left-hand drive markets. The production of right-hand version could pave the way for its entry into Nepal where the small EV hatchback segment is currently led by the TATA Tiago.
Cimex Inc, BYD’s official distributor in Nepal, has seen strong demand for models like the Atto 3 and Dolphin. While Cimex has not confirmed launch plans for the Seagull, a test vehicle was recently spotted in Nepal hinting that the car may hit Nepali roads in the near future.
