BYD Dolphin Surf: Budget baby EV coming to UK soon

BYD boss Stella Li confirms a new name for small electric car that should cost under £20,000

The new electric BYD Dolphin Surf will go on sale in the UK costing less than £20,000 (BYD)

BYD’s next new all-electric model is set to be another budget arrival with the Dolphin Surf expected to go on sale in the coming months with a price below £20,000.

The Surf is a new name for the car that’s already on sale in other markets as the BYD Seagull or Dolphin Mini and has made it to the final three of the World Urban Car of the Year Award.

The new BYD Dolphin Surf is part of the company’s Ocean Series of cars (BYD)

The Dolphin Surf is part of BYD’s Ocean Series of cars, which includes the Seal, Sealion 7, Dolphin and Seal U DM-i. With a new BYD Atto 2 joining the Atto 3 in the existing range, that will make seven new models launched in the UK in just two years.

The new budget model won’t be the cheapest EV in the UK, but Stella Li claims that it will be “the best value” with a level of technology above the likes of the £14,995 Dacia Spring or £15,995 Leapmotor T03. Volkswagen has recently revealed a concept of its upcoming VW ID. 1 model that is expected to cost less than £20,000, too.

The Dolphin Surf will use a version of BYD’s e-Platform 3.0 and the company’s blade battery tech that is built into the body of the car for added safety. Although there’s no word yet on battery or range, a 38kWh battery could be expected with just under 200 miles of range. BYD claims on its website a 30 minute fast charge from 30 to 80 per cent, at speeds up to 40kW.

The inside of the new BYD Dolphin Surf features a 10.1-inch infotainment screen (BYD)

The ocean-inspired wavy design theme is on the outside and the inside, where there’s also a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless charging and ‘Hey BYD’ voice control.

Speaking at the launch of the new BYD Sealion 7, Li confirmed that BYD had made 4.27 million new energy vehicles (either electric or plug-in hybrid) in 2024, a 1.2 million increase on 2023. A similar increase is expected in 2025 with BYD aiming to become the world’s number one car makers.

As well as BYD models, Li confirmed that the company’s Porsche-rivalling Denza brand will be coming to the UK this year, while Yangwang with its Ferrari-rivalling U9 supercar will also be going on sale at some stage.

BYD has also just announced a new ultra-rapid charging system in China, claiming to charge EVs in the same time it takes to fuel a petrol car. The new Megawatt Flash Charging system charges at speeds up to 1,360kW, adding 1.2 miles of range every second. However, Li said that it would be ‘several years’ before we see these chargers in Europe