BYD, the China-based Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has begun teasing its Malaysian fanbase with snippets and hints of the Dolphin EV. Initially previewed during the launch of the Atto 3 back in December last year, all the teasers posted on the brand’s social media pages point to a 27 July reveal, which is the end of next week.
Specifically, the teasers for the Dolphin EV were posted via BYD’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. On Facebook, the teaser poster simply shows the silhouette of the EV, with the captions “Rolling in Soon”, along with the launch date. Do note that BYD’s Facebook and Instagram pages are separate from the one operated by BYD Sime Darby Motors, its distributing partner in Malaysia; if you visit one of the pages operated by the latter, the reveal date on its posters is listed as a day later. Regardless, the reveal is set to take place via a Facebook live stream on 27 July.
That being said, the link provided across all social media pages for the Dolphin EV all link back to the same Registration of Interest page, so it is possible that the page handled by BYD Sime Darby Motors may simply be a typo error on their part. In any case, those that register will be eligible for a test drive with the Dolphin.
In terms of specs, the Dolphin EV is a vehicle designed in the shape of a hatchback. The vehicle comes in two SKUs: a standard range, and an extended range model. The Standard Range model of the Dolphin features a single electric motor that delivers up to 70kW of power or 95 BHP, along with 180Nm of torque. In terms of acceleration, the company claims that this version of the EV goes from 0 – 100km/h in 12.3 seconds. Powering the entire vehicle is a 44.9kWh BYD Blade battery pack, which gives the Standard Range model a maximum distance of 340km on a full charge.
For charging, the standard range model of the Dolphin EV comes with a 7kW AC charger built into the vehicle, but also supports up to 60kW DC fast charging.
As for the Extended Range model of the Dolphin EV, this SKU comes with a bigger 60.48kWh battery, giving it a much improved WLTP range of 427km and a punchier acceleration of 0 – 100km/h in just seven seconds. Like the standard model, it shares the same 7kW AC charger, but supports faster DC fast charging of up to 80kW. Oh, and this model comes with multi-link suspension, instead of a torsion beam setup like the standard model.
At the time of writing, it is uncertain which of the two Dolphin EV models BYD intends on shipping in Malaysia. Guess we’ll just have to wait until 27 July to find out.
(Source: BYD Facebook, Instagram)
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