Change is inevitable and in today’s world it comes about frequently through innovation. Remember Blackberry and the tiny phones from Nokia in the early 2000’s and how quickly both those companies shrank. The futuristic iPhone and Samsung touch screens with their amazing Apps grew from nothing to everything in just a few years.
Another revolutionary change is happening, this time in the automotive industry with the advent of the Electric Vehicle (EV). In this rapidly evolving landscape, the Chinese Build Your Dreams (BYD) automotive manufacturer stands out. They are less well known than Tesla, but they actually sell more cars then Elon Musk’s iconic brand.
I had the pleasure of driving the BYD Dolphin for a day and it’s easy to see why this fantastic urban commuter with its blend of style, performance, and advanced technology is taking the world by storm.
Before we get to the electric engine and why it is a game changer let’s look at some of the normal car features.
Interior Styling and Comfort
The BYD Dolphin’s interior is a testament to modern automotive design. The cabin exudes a sense of spaciousness despite its compact exterior dimensions. This is achieved through clever design choices such as a minimalist dashboard, slim seats, and a well-thought-out layout that maximizes passenger and cargo space.
I love an ergonomic design and the Dolphin had some excellent features. In particular, I enjoyed the holding trays where I could place my phone securely and reach it quickly and easily.
High-quality materials are used throughout, giving the interior a premium feel. Soft-touch surfaces, brushed metal accents, and ambient lighting create an inviting atmosphere.
The seats are ergonomically designed and provide excellent support. The ‘leather seats’ are vegan, and it was only when I read about this feature that I became aware that they were not made of that old status symbol of interior styling.
Special Features and Technology
The BYD Dolphin is packed with features that cater to the tech-savvy driver. The centrepiece of the dashboard is a large touchscreen infotainment system that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This system is intuitive and responsive, offering seamless connectivity for navigation, music, and other apps.
I won’t dwell too much on the features as they are standard on most cars today but because this is an electric powered car the dashboard shows in battery life instead of a fuel tank reading and it also tells you how much power you are using or gaining. Yes gaining – that’s not a typo.
The Electric Engine – Range, Recharging and Performance
Justin Zeelie from Kelston Motor Group in Gqeberha was brim full of knowledge on the BYD Dolphin and answered my varied and sometimes sceptic questions easily and knowledgably.
Of course, my first question related to the range of this car and it turns out that it is a respectable 340 kilometres. The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, can achieve this on a single charge, making it more than capable of handling daily commutes and weekend trips without frequent stops for recharging.
Unless I’m do a really long trip I don’t think I have ever driven more than 340km in my daily commute or weekend chores and getaways.
My next question was about the duration of recharging and Justin said that the BYD Dolphin supports fast charging. It can replenish the battery from 20% to 80% in just under 1 hour on a DC 60KW charger. On a Single Phase 7kw home charger it can charge to full in just under 8 hours..
This may be a lot longer than the few minutes it takes to fill a tank of petrol but just think about it like your cell phone. I remember when cell phones came on the market everybody worried about battery life and so kept their landlines for years until they realised that once you get into the habit of charging your phone when you go to bed or watch TV you’ve got nothing to worry about.
Just think of your EV like a cell phone and you’ll adapt quickly.
My next question was how much my prepaid electricity meter will move when I charge my EV. Justin says that it will cost about R185 in electricity to charge overnight. I did a few mental calculations, and it turns out that the BYD Dolphin costs about a quarter of what a similar petrol engine costs to run. However, if you have solar at home or at the office, well then you can thank Eskom for forcing you into having free transportation!
Under the hood, the BYD Dolphin features a robust electric powertrain. The motor delivers a peppy 70kWh and 180nm of torque. I found that the acceleration is fantastic but not very noticeable until you check the dashboard speedometer. That’s because the electric engine is so quiet, and you don’t get the growl as your revs increase in a petrol or diesel car.
The instant torque delivery is typical of EV and makes the Dolphin feel lively and responsive, whether you’re darting through traffic or merging onto a highway.
The Dolphin’s powertrain is complemented by a well-tuned suspension system that strikes a balance between comfort and agility. The car handles urban roads with ease, absorbing bumps and rough patches that are all too familiar to deliver a smooth ride.
Its compact size and very nimble handling make it easy to navigate through crowded city streets and tight parking spaces.
Ride Quality and Handling
The ride quality of the BYD Dolphin is one of its most appealing attributes. I spent some time navigating Gqeberha’s roads and free ways and the car offers a smooth, quiet, and comfortable ride. Thanks to its electric powertrain, the Dolphin is virtually silent on the road, enhancing the sense of tranquillity inside the cabin. Its so quiet that when I first pushed the start button I did it more than once and Justin, laughing, said that it only took one touch to start. Maybe there’s a feature, just as with your phone, that gives you startup jingle which wasn’t activated.
The suspension system is tuned to provide a comfortable ride without compromising on handling. The Dolphin feels stable and composed, even at higher speeds. Its low centre of gravity, a result of the battery placement, further enhances its handling characteristics, making it feel planted and confident around corners.
Why EV’s will be replacing fossil fuelled vehicles
I asked ChatGPT for “Reasons Why EV Cars Will Replace Fossil-Fueled Cars” and the list was long, too long to include in this article so I thought about why I would by an EV vehicle over a combustion engine car.
The main reason would be running costs. Having solar power of my own I can take a huge chunk out of my monthly household budget allocated to petrol and do something better with it. The service costs on and EV are negligible too. I recently took my really inexpensive petrol driven runabout in for a day long service and it cost R5k for some oil, sparkplugs, an air filter and one or two other small items to be replaced. These don’t exist on an EV and service requires that you plug the car into a tablet and do a couple of tweaks in a few minutes.
I am a keen conservationist and EV’s make so much more sense. Even if you don’t have solar they will create less air pollution not to mention sound pollution. As I sit here typing I can hear some guy tearing down the main road two kilometres from my home in his outsized fuel guzzler. This won’t happen with EVs.
As time goes by EV’s will get better and better – just think of cars in the 1920’s relative to what we have today. Just think of the iPhone 1 in the late 2000’s and what we have just 15 years later. Yip, EV’s are here to stay and change the world.
For more information or to book a test drive contact Justin Zeelie at Kelston Motors off Buffelsfontein Road, Gqeberha on 071 385 4510 or email justin.zeelie@kelston.co.za