BYD Dolphin

Segment: Budget-friendly urban car 

Segment: Compact hatchback 

Estimated Price: $32,000 – $40,000 CAD 

New car competitors:  Nissan Leaf Plus, VW ID.3

We all seem to need more room. The BYD Dolphin addresses this need as a practical five-door hatchback with useable range, modern technology all at an reasonable price.

Standard features (even on base trim):

• Heat pump (uses the refrigerant system to efficiently manage temperature without significantly draining the vehicle’s battery, extending driving range)
• 360-degree camera system
• Adaptive cruise control
• 12.3-inch rotating touchscreen
• V2L (vehicle-to-load) capability: Acts as a portable power source, allowing electric vehicles to use their battery power to supply electricity to external devices or other vehicles.

The Blade Battery Advantage

BYD’s proprietary Blade Battery technology (lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack with a distinctive flat-cell design) is used in every BYD vehicle. The technology was tested using the following metrics:

Safety: Some EV batteries have succumb to a fire risk known as thermal runaway. The BYD Blade Battery passed a nail penetration test, showcasing its safety.

Cold tolerance: Many around the world demand reliable winter performance. In some parts of the world, temps can drop to -40 C. BYD claims that LFP chemistry handles temperature extremes better than NMC or NCA alternatives. When paired with BYD’s active thermal management, the Blade Battery seems to instil confidence for more reliable winter performance.

Longevity: BYD claims 3,000+ charge cycles to 80% capacity, which depending on the frequency of charging can last the lifetime of the vehicle.

Daily charging: It is recommended that EV and other rechargeable batteries be charged to 80%, to prevent accelerated degradation. BYD claims that the LFP can be charged to 100% daily, limiting the aforementioned risk.

BYD and public transportation in Canada

BYD and Uber released a joint statement announcing a “partnership designed to bring 100,000 new BYD electric vehicles onto the Uber platform across key global markets.” The ride-share program would begin in Europe and Latin America, expanding into the Middle East, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In large format, public transportation, BYD Canada announced that the Toronto Transit Commission aka TTC (Canada’s largest and North America’s third largest transit operator) will put into operation, 10 zero-emission, 40-foot K9M battery-electric buses.

BYD Models offered worldwide*