R350,000 electric hatchback coming to South Africa — with backup power and 300km range

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD is set to launch a new model in South Africa that could become the first realistic competitor to budget petrol cars.

The Dolphin Mini — sold as the Seagull in its home country — is set to make its local debut sometime during 2025.

It will form part of a line-up of 10 or 11 EVs and hybrids available from BYD in South Africa by the end of the year.

The 5-door subcompact hatch made waves when it was first unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2023, thanks to a price tag of just 90,000 Chinese yuan (R230,000).

It has regularly ranked in the top five of China’s monthly best-selling EVs since its launch.

In South Africa, the Dolphin Mini will be available in two variants — an entry-level GL model and higher-end GS.

The main differences between the two options are their battery chemistries and capacities.

The GL comes with 15-inch wheels and a 30.1kWh sodium-ion battery that supports up to 305km of range on the China Light-Duty Vehicle Testing Cycle (CLTC).

The CLTC is a bit more optimistic than the more generally accepted Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) cycle.

The WLTP cycle is typically around 82% of the CLTC. Therefore, the Dolphin Mini GL should deliver around 250km of range on the WLTP cycle.

While the WLTP is achievable in certain conditions, long-distance travel at highway speeds will reduce the range to around the WLTP figure.

Therefore, the entry-level Dolphin Mini should be capable of a realistic range of around 200km on a single charge.

That means it will primarily be suited for in-city driving but can realistically also cover longer distances on routes with charging stations at least every 200km — like the N3 between Johannesburg and Durban.

The higher-end GS model features a 38.9kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery with up to 405km range on the CLTC cycle — or about 332km when converted to WLTP.

It should realistically be able to cover somewhere around 270km on a single charge, making it the better option for frequent long-distance travellers.

A realistic alternative

With an estimated starting price of R350,000, the Dolphini Mini will not only be the most affordable EV in South Africa, it could compete with other non-EV models in the A-segment, including the Fiat 500, Kia Picanto, and Hyundai Grand i10.

While entry-level versions of those petrol models start at around R260,000, you will have to cough up over R300,000 for a variant that can realistically compete with BYD’s extensive tech, safety, and comfort features.

Both Dolphin Mini models come with LED headlights, a rear-view camera, cruise control, autohold, electronic stability program, and a rotating 10.1-inch central touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple Carplay support.

There is also a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster for viewing essential driving information.

The built-in BYD assistant allows users to control features like volume, fan speeds, and air conditioning temperatures.

Safety and savings

While the Dolphin Mini has yet to be NCAP-tested, it should be noted that BYD’s EVs are generally highly reputed for excellent safety.

All three of the brand’s other EVs in South Africa have 5-star Euro NCAP safety ratings.

The Dolphin Mini comes with many safety features that could see it scoring well in this department, including a minimum of six airbags and a high-strength body structure.

There is also an optional driver assistance system with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control.

In addition to the extra tech and safety features, the Dolphin Mini will be far cheaper to run to petrol models.

The electricity used to charge an EV works out to around a third of the cost of the fuel to cover the same distance in a similar petrol-powered model.

The average South African motorist covers about 15,695km in a year.

At the current price of R21.47 per litre of unleaded 95 petrol inland and a consumption of 5.0 litres per 100km, which is easily achievable for subcompacts, you would be spending about R16,849 per year on fuel.

Using electricity would cost R11,120 less per year. Therefore, you could make up the cost difference between the entry-level Dolphin Mini and an entry-level Fiat 500 in less than four years.

It is also worth mentioning that the Dolphin Mini supports vehicle-to-load, allowing users to discharge the battery to power various appliances — like we did with the more expensive BYD Atto 3.

The table below compares the specifications of the two Dolphini Mini variants that will be available in South Africa.