The BYD Dolphin Wants Us to Calm Down With the EV Anxiety

The BYD Dolphin Wants Us to Calm Down With the EV Anxiety

As far as hatchbacks go, the BYD Dolphin stacks up pretty well against Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars. It makes a solid case for swapping in that Honda Jazz, Mitsubishi Mirage, or Toyota Wigo of yours for one of these bad boys. Yes, we get it, tradition, blah, blah. But electric vehicles are the future, after all. And by 2030, ready or not, we’re bound to see a ton of them in the Philippines.

As the largest manufacturer of new energy vehicles in the world, BYD knows a thing or two about electric vehicles (there’s a reason it has a rivalry of sorts with Tesla on the international stage). BYD’s battery production, in particular, is its strong suit. When ACMobility brought the brand in, it promised all the usual hallmarks: reliability, safety, and of all things practicality.

At 4,290mm, the Dolphin feels like a concept car at first glance. From the initial looks, the Dolphin has what BYD calls the “Ocean Aesthetics.” It’s supposed to be an easy-going vehicle with just as easy-going of an appearance. The hatchback is supposed to be inspired by, err, the dolphin and yes it may have shades of those old ’80s Saturns to it but we’ll take it.

The space will surprise you. The Dolphin can fit four people with ease. Head, elbow, and leg room are pretty decent for their size and the vegan leather feels nice to the touch. Inside the car, the big 12.8-inch touchscreen rotates seamlessly under. Of note, too, is the voice assistant that is meant to make the daily drive a lot easier. Think Alexa or Siri on the road.

Graphics are pretty cool and the menu, while it may seem confusing at first, is serviceable once you get the hang of it. As for the dashboard, the screen and digits are smaller than your average hatchback. But again, it just takes some getting used to.

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The Filipino market, of course, still has a lot of questions about EVs. Electric anxiety is a very real thing. Charging means changing routines and lifestyles. BYD, nevertheless, is working to exterminate those myths. Recently, it invited a few people for a test drive of one of its flagship vehicles, the BYD Dolphin, in hopes of squashing those concerns.

The Drive

From BYD Quezon Avenue, the first new dealership under the Ayala distributorship, to Subic, the trip presented a simulation of an ideal vacation scenario: the family drives out of town for a quick getaway, the kind of road trip we’ve all taken every once in a while.

Featuring an e-Platform 3.0 and the embedded BYD OS, the BYD Dolphin has smart and efficient driving. The BYD Dolphin, with its 405-km NEDC range and a top speed of 130 km/hr, was a pretty fun drive, all things considered. The Dolphin, as with any EV, is one quiet behemoth, too. This means, yes, you can listen to yourself talk inside without any noise whatsoever. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the vibes that day.

We left in the morning to make our way to Subic with about a decent 97-percent charge on the battery. Coming back, despite a detour, we managed to return in the late afternoon with a good 12 percent left (mind you, this was a 12-hour drive, basically). BYD also flexes its 5-star ANCAP Safety Rating, and for the duration of the drive, the guarantee didn’t fail us.

The handling was a breath of fresh air albeit for a few hurdles in terms of surfaces we traversed on our way to Pampanga. Drivers can switch between Economy or Sport mode, as well. Acceleration goes from 0 to 99mph in about six to eight seconds. Its steering, regeneration, and friction were all right, although we would say that it does better at lower speeds. Admittedly, the braking will need some getting used to once you’re in it.

One cool safety feature that we want to mention here is the lane-departure and speed warning integration, which quite literally scolds you if you’re going over the speed limit even on the expressway. Families should appreciate this more for the sake of the kids during those long drives. Adults and teens, maybe not so much, especially the ones trying to look cool in front of the gang. All of this only means that the driver assistance systems are working just fine.

Interestingly, we never stopped for a charge, passing by some of them on NLEX. In any case, BYD promises that the Dolphin can go from 30 percent to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. The Dolphin benefits from a “Blade” battery with lithium iron phosphate cathode chemistry, which (in English), means it’s more dependable and cobalt-free.

An Emphasis on Practicality

BYD is selling the public on lower maintenance costs, as well. According to the brand, BYD electric vehicles, on average, can cost 60 to 80 percent less than traditional Internal Combustion Engine cars when it comes to maintenance. This is based on a recent BYD Cars Philippines Efficieny Run observed by the Automobile Association Philippines. The BYD Dolphin, for instance, saves up on average around 63 percent more than the usual ICEs. This adds to P292,655.55 in savings over five years. Not too bad.

The BYD Dolphin comes in Urban Grey, Pale Mauve, and Cream White, starting at P1,398,000. For more information, visit the BYD website here.