BYD Dolphin: as Atto 2 possible to the Netherlands

Models from the Chinese BYD (Build Your Dreams) are also available in the Netherlands via importer Louwman, although these are only a fraction of the number of models BYD sells in China. BYD supplies a huge number of cars in its home country, models that it has divided into different lines. For example, the Han and Tang that you can buy in the Netherlands in China are part of the Dynasty series and the Atto 3 called BYD Yuan Plus here is part of the Dynasty series. In addition to the Dynasty line, BYD also carries the so-called Ocean Series, complete with cars named after animals or even boats; from the BYD Frigate to Destroyer and from the Sea Lion and Seagull to the Seal and Dolphin. The last two fully electric cars in particular are interesting for the European and therefore Dutch market.

We have already covered the BYD Seal – an electric sedan that could possibly be called Atto 2 here. AutoWeek turned up patent plates registered in Europe for that potential competitor of the Tesla Model 3, which may indicate that the model is also heading in this direction. This time we have similar news, but with regard to the BYD Dolphin. We also have a European patent image of that compact electric hatchback. So that BYD Dolphin may also come to the Netherlands. Don’t be surprised if that car here is called BYD Atto 2 instead of Dolphin. Fun fact: just like the Atto 3 and the Seal, the BYD Dolphin/Atto 2 is signed by none other than Wolfgang Egger, responsible for the design of cars such as the Alfa Romeo 8C and various other Alfas and known as Head of Audi Group Design. Egger has been the design boss at BYD since 2017.

The BYD Dolphin on European patent image.

BYD Atto 2/Dolphin is compact EV

Well and good, but what is a BYD Dolphin then? The BYD Dolphin is a relatively compact hatchback that is 4.07 to 4.15 meters long depending on the version and has been supplied by BYD since 2021. This makes it slightly smaller than cars such as the MG 4 Electric (4.29 meters) and the Volkswagen ID3 (4.26 meters). In terms of size, it is therefore more of a rival for cars such as the Peugeot e-208 (4.06 meters) and Opel Corsa-e. The wheelbase of the BYD Dolphin is impressive. At 2.7 meters, it is very spacious for a car of its length. For comparison, the e-208 has 2.54 meters between the front and rear axles. The wheelbase of the Volkswagen ID3 is only a little 7 centimeters longer. The luggage space of the Dolphin 3 therefore swallows up a considerable 345 litres, just 5 liters less than the larger MG 4 Electric.

The interior of the BYD Dolphin.

The BYD Dolphin/Atto 2 is on a variant of the e-Platform 3.0, which is also used by the BYD Atto 3, which is already available in the Netherlands. The BYD Atto 3 is only available in the Netherlands with a 60 kWh battery, but is also available in China with a 50 kWh version of its Blade Battery. The BYD Dolphin is available in its home country with a 31 kWh battery pack and with a 45 kWh battery pack. The basic version is 95 hp and 180 Nm strong in China, the more powerful version kicks it up to 180 hp and 290 Nm. According to the not entirely accurate NEDC method, the BYD Dolphin with a 31 kWh battery can travel up to 300 kilometers on a full charge. The version with 45 kWh of electric lung capacity kicks it up to about 400 NEDC kilometers.

Whether and when the BYD Dolphin will actually come to Europe and the Netherlands cannot be said with certainty at the moment. Do you think it is an interesting model for the Dutch market? Why or why not?