Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD proudly introduced the Dolphin Mini on social media platform X on Tuesday as it prepares the model for international markets.
BYD Seagull rebranding
In hindsight, BYD discreetly launched the electric city car Seagull at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show.
Interestingly, The Driven suggests that the Chinese automaker rebranded the Seagull as the new Dolphin Mini, which will soon hit the international markets.
This rebranding adheres to the company’s ocean-themed electric vehicle series, including the low-cost Dolphin electric hatchback and the Seal. Both models are already available in the Australian market.
Design and other features
The design of the Dolphin Mini is ideal for urban driving. The compact size of the electric car’s body offers excellent practicality and manoeuvrability.
As you can see in the promotional video BYD released on Tuesday, the lime green Dolphin Mini seamlessly navigated the narrow streets. It also demonstrated its park-assist technology to enable better-precision parking even in small spaces.
It also has a bottle holder, LED lights, USB ports, and an enticing integrated seat.
Performance
BYD equipped the Dolphin Mini with a single-motor drivetrain that generates a maximum power of 55kW, making it an ideal car for city driving.
In China, the model offers 30.08kWh and 38.88 kWh battery configurations. The larger 38.88 kWh battery enables a CLTC-rated driving range of up to 405 km (about 300 km per WLTP standards).
This electric city car received over 10,000 orders in just a day when it launched in April, highlighting the customers’ growing preference for cheaper electricity cars over expensive large e-SUVs. In fact, it also hit the 200,000-unit production milestone within just six months in November 2023, advancing its position as one of the fastest-selling EVs in the market.
It is worth noting that the European versions of the original Dolphin received specification adjustments compared to Chinese versions partly due to enhanced safety technologies on export models, which can potentially raise the prices for export markets.
For comparison, the Dolphin Seagull’s pricing in the Chinese market starts at only ¥73,800 (around $17,000). Considering the specification upgrades for markets beyond China, the Dolphin Mini’s prices will likely increase from $17,000 to the range of $20,000-$30,000. BYD has yet to specify which markets across the world will first receive the Dolphin Mini.
