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BYD Dolphin
Owner Verdict · Small electric hatch

BYD Dolphin

One reviewer drives a car for a week. We read what owners and long-term testers say after living with it, in Australia.

Owner Verdict score
Very cheap to run and nicely made. Tyres and support are the weak spots.

Editorial score from 4 owner and expert sources (how we score). Not a statistical average. October 2026. Covers 2023–26 cars; one owner's 15,000 km log anchors the running-cost figures.

Score breakdown

Running costs9.5
About $300 of power for 15,000 km vs ~$2,150 in petrol
Efficiency9.0
13.6 kWh/100 km lifetime average; 11.5 in town
Cabin quality & quiet8.0
Stylish, premium-feeling, very quiet on the motorway
Driving & handling7.5
Easy and responsive; wet grip poor on factory tyres
Charging6.0
7 kW AC and ~90 kW DC are only "okay"
Driver assist6.0
Sign recognition must be switched off each start; lane keep tugs
After-sales service5.0
Slow repairs and warranty refusals in some reports
Tyres & equipment5.0
Low-grade factory tyres and no spare

What owners love

Tiny running costsA Sydney owner's 15,000 km cost about $300 in electricity.
Efficient everywhere11.5 kWh/100 km in town, 14–17 on freeways.
Quality feelFit, finish and comfortable seats beat expectations.
V2L powerRan a fridge-freezer for 8 hours in a blackout on about 1.5 kWh.
Long trips are possibleA 2,500 km Sydney–Broken Hill round trip, outback towns included.

What owners complain about

Factory tyresWet-road traction loss on the stock tyres; no spare.
Slow or refused fixesHot-air A/C took two months; a seat hole was refused after a year.
Alerts every startSign recognition and lane keep need switching off each drive.
Charging speedSlow 7 kW AC; a supplied charger failed and cost ~$1,000 to replace.
Hot cabinBig glass areas cook the cabin in Australian summers.

Real range vs the brochure

Premium (60.5 kWh). Claimed WLTP range is 427 km.

Claimed (WLTP)
427 km
100%
Owner lifetime average, 13.6 kWh/100 km
445 km
104%
Owner freeway, ~15.5 kWh/100 km
390 km
91%
Outback roads with camping gear
320 km
75%

All from one NSW owner's 15,000 km log (CleanTechnica); average and freeway rows are 1300EV calculations from his consumption figures.

Known issues & fixes

Wet-road wheelspin, traction control cuts powerMedium
Common (factory tyres)

Fit higher-grip tyres; use Snow mode in the wet.

Over-sensitive lane keep and sign recognitionLow
Common

OTA V2.0.0+ calms it; set lane keep to alert-only.

Screen freezes, silent audio, app disconnectsMedium
Sometimes

Hold the volume roller 10–15 s; dealer can reflash the T-Box.

False TPMS error (2023–24)Low
Sometimes

Replace or re-pair sensors at a dealer.

A/C blowing hot airMedium
Isolated

Warranty repair; one owner waited about two months.

Supplied charger failureMedium
Isolated

One owner quoted ~$1,000; argue it under consumer law.

Owners in their own lives

Summarised in our words from the reports listed below.

Western Sydney · 15,000 km in 5.5 months

Took it to Broken Hill, Cobar and Wilcannia. No faults; loves the economy and V2L; hates the tyres and the sign-recognition beeps.

Western Australia · since Nov 2023

Likes the handling, but a seat fault and an A/C failure were handled poorly.

Owner · 1 year

The supplied charger failed and responses were slow; would not buy another.

NSW motorway commuter

Calls it very quiet at speed and about $5 per 100 km to run.

What it costs to drive 100 km

Using the Dolphin Essential's official energy use of 13.2 kWh/100 km and today's Melbourne prices.

Home, standard rateiSource: Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 (flat rates 26–32c/kWh across Melbourne networks) · checked 31 Oct 2026$3.70per 100 km at 28c/kWh
Home, overnight off-peakiSource: Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 time-of-use off-peak (9pm–11am, 21–23c/kWh) · checked 31 Oct 2026$2.90per 100 km at 22c/kWh
Public fast chargeriSource: Canberra Times – cost of fast charging (Chargefox, Evie, NRMA, Tesla, BP Pulse: 59–79c/kWh, July 2026) · checked 31 Oct 2026$9.90per 100 km at 75c/kWh

Compared with petrol, hybrid and diesel

BYD Dolphin · home chargingElectric · charged at home
$3.70
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (2WD)Hybrid SUV · 4.5 L/100 kmiSource: CarsGuide – 2026 RAV4 hybrid official fuel use
$10.71
Mazda CX-5 G25Petrol SUV · 7.4 L/100 kmiSource: Cars24 – 2026 Mazda CX-5 price and specs
$17.60
Toyota HiLux SR5 2.8 dieselDiesel ute · 7.2 L/100 kmiSource: CarExpert – 2026 HiLux SR5 price and specs
$20.15

Your yearly fuel bill

This EV$554
Petrol SUV$2,641
Hybrid SUV$1,606
You save vs petrol$2,086$10,431 over 5 years

Electricity: Victorian Default Offer 2026–27iSource: Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 (flat rates 26–32c/kWh across Melbourne networks) · checked 31 Oct 2026. Public charging: typical network pricesiSource: Canberra Times – cost of fast charging (Chargefox, Evie, NRMA, Tesla, BP Pulse: 59–79c/kWh, July 2026) · checked 31 Oct 2026. Fuel: Melbourne median prices, 29 Oct 2026iSource: FuelCrisis.com.au – Greater Melbourne median unleaded 91, 29 Oct 2026 · checked 31 Oct 2026. Energy and fuel use are official laboratory figures (WLTP for EVs, ADR 81/02 for petrol, hybrid and diesel). Real-world use is usually higher for every car, and EVs also lose a little energy while charging. Solar or an EV electricity plan can cost much less. Checked 31 Oct 2026.

Buy it if…

  • You want the cheapest running costs possible
  • Most driving is urban or suburban
  • You value a quality-feeling small car
  • You will budget for better tyres

Sources (4)

Every claim on this page comes from these reports. AI-assisted research, checked by a human editor. We don't accept payment for verdicts.
  1. CleanTechnica – 6 months with a BYD Dolphin Premium (NSW owner)
  2. ProductReview.com.au – Dolphin owner reviews
  3. Australian Car Reviews – Dolphin recalls and faults
  4. AutoExpert – Critical Dolphin opinion piece

See all Owner Verdicts