If you’re in the fortunate position to acquire a new car, the pressing question has to be whether to go electric for your next ride. While it may not be feasible for those who require frequent long-distance journeys, the majority of drivers can actually make that switch, all you need to do is to have an honest assessment of your own requirements.
Numerous studies and researches have established that 80% of drivers in the world chalk up less than 100 km a day. In many parts of Asia, that sum is typically lower at less than 50 km a day. Now take a moment and tabulate how many kilometres do you clock each day? If your annual mileage is around 10,000 km a year, that works out to approximately 27 km a day. Double that to 20,000 km a year, and that would still only equate to around 55 km a day.
With a range of 490 km based on the NEDC cycle (427 km WLTP) for the Premium Extended Range variant, the BYD DOLPHIN offers more than adequate range to last over a week if a user clocks an average of 50 km a day, before needing to be topped up. Even the Dynamic Standard Range variant with a NEDC-rated range of 410 km (340 km WLTP), the BYD DOLPHIN can travel for the best part of a week before requiring charging.
Home charging is ideal, public charging network is fast expanding
And what about charging? If you have access to a landed property, AC home charging would be ideal for overnight top ups; once or twice a week would suffice in the case of the DOLPHIN. But of course, for those residing in condominiums or apartments, that would be subject to the availability of charging equipment within the facility. That said, the public charging network in the country is expanding rapidly as we speak, with both AC or fast DC charging available at consumers’ disposal (refer to websites such as plugshare.com for locations). The BYD DOLPHIN offers both AC and DC charging, from 7 kW via Type 2 AC charging and up to 80 kW of DC CC2 fast charging, the latter able to top up from 30% to 80% in less than 30 minutes.
How the BYD DOLPHIN complements city life
Designed by a multinational team and engineered by the world’s leading NEV (New Energy Vehicle) manufacturer, the BYD DOLPHIN is high-tech hatchback with a cheerful yet pragmatic disposition. While it may look compact from the outside, the BYD DOLPHIN will accommodate five adults with ease thanks to its space-optimising BYD Blade battery packaging which enables a flat rear floor design that frees up more legroom. Even with the expansive panoramic glass roof found on the Premium Extended Range variant, headroom is ample and uncompromised.
Due to frequent traffic congestion in town, the attributes of a vehicle when stationary have become just as important as when a car is in motion. The stylish interior of the BYD DOLPHIN utilises a premium mix of materials such as supple vegan leather for the seats and touch points, and smooth fabric on the door panels. The fluid cabin design is not only pleasing to the eye, but is practical as well with numerous storage solutions on the floating centre console and charging options for digital devices.
To say that the BYD DOLPHIN is in its element when in traffic is not an overstatement. As an EV, it consumes only a small amount of energy compared to a vehicle powered by an idling internal combustion engine, with no vibration, noise or emission from its electric motor to speak of. When you factor in cooling ventilation on its supportive front seats (Premium Extended Range variant only) – a feature found in premium-priced vehicles, along with an intuitive rotating infotainment system offering excellent audio quality, the BYD DOLPHIN’s soothing cabin ambience becomes the perfect foil to the chaos of rush hour jams.
And when the traffic does clear, the BYD DOLPHIN can turn from being docile to decisive in the way only an electric vehicle could. The delivery of 310 Nm of torque is smooth yet urgent, the calibration by BYD is spot on and it makes modulating speeds in city traffic effortless; primary controls such as the steering and pedals are also sensibly weighted so as to inspire confidence from the first turn of the wheel. All of which is assisted by a generous array of cutting-edge active safety features to make driving in the city not only fun but safe again.
Are you ready for the city EV of choice?
While the joys of being powered by electric is a major draw of owning an EV, other latent benefits can be just as compelling over the longer term. Imagine never needing to handle greasy fuel pumps again, or to worry about the high costs associated with maintaining a vehicle that runs on fossil fuel, or the tailpipe emission that ICE cars emit.
In addressing concerns of looking after an EV, the BYD DOLPHIN comes with a comprehensive warranty package that includes a six-year or 150,000 km general vehicle warranty, an eight-year or 160,000 km high-voltage battery warranty and an eight-year or 150,000km warranty on main electric drive components.
Of course, no amount of vehicle warranty can alleviate every doubt of a new technology. The same also applies to the expanding charging infrastructure in Malaysia, it simply can’t compare in scale to the fossil fuel network that have existed over decades. But with knowledge and preparation, owning and running an EV in an urban setting is actually more than feasible, but instead of taking our word for it, why not make your way to any of the 14 BYD showrooms (20 by end of the year) around the country and take the BYD DOLPHIN out for an extended test drive to experience just what the future holds.
To obtain even more granular information on the BYD DOLPHIN and to keep abreast of upcoming models, visit the official BYD website and follow BYD on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
[This advertorial is brought to you by BYD by Sime Darby Beyond Auto]
