The 2024 BYD Dolphin electric car has had its price reduced by $2000. Initially, it was Australia's most affordable new electric vehicle. However, competition in the budget electric car market has grown. The base model, Dolphin Dynamic, which has a range of 340 kilometers, now starts at $36,890 plus on-road costs. The Premium variant, with a 427-kilometer range, is priced from $42,890 plus on-road costs. Both prices reflect a $2000 decrease.
Despite the reduction, the Dolphin is no longer the cheapest new electric car in Australia. The GWM Ora holds that title, starting at $35,990 drive-away. This price cut surprised industry experts because BYD executives had previously ruled out reducing prices to compete with rivals like Tesla and MG. They wanted to avoid a 'price war.' However, since its debut late last year, the Dolphin's sales have been falling, with no month-on-month increase in deliveries in 2024.
The Dolphin saw 589 deliveries in November 2023 when it first reached the initial pre-order customers. But sales dropped significantly after that. In January 2024, 256 units were sold, followed by 219 in February, 213 in March, 181 in April, and 175 in May. This decline happened even though the overall electric vehicle market grew by 4 percent during the same period. Electric vehicle sales were also 27 percent higher in the first five months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
In May, the BYD Dolphin outsold the GWM Ora, which had 116 deliveries. However, it was significantly outperformed by the MG 4, which sold 565 units that month. The MG 4's strong performance is clear, with nearly as many MG 4s sold in the past two months (1041 units) as BYD Dolphins sold since the start of the year.
The price cut for the BYD Dolphin coincides with the launch of an updated BYD Atto 3 electric SUV. The new Atto 3 has also had its price reduced by $3562. Despite the lower price, the updated Atto 3 features a larger touchscreen, higher-quality Continental tires, and other new features.
This strategic price reduction for the BYD Dolphin shows the company’s effort to boost sales in a competitive market. Industry watchers will closely monitor how the Dolphin performs after this price cut as BYD tries to maintain and grow its market share in the evolving electric vehicle landscape.