The news was broken on Linkedin this morning by Luke Todd, the founder of the Chinese auto giant’s local distributor, EV Direct, who said: “Australia’s most affordable, high quality electric vehicle of all time will be on sale. #dolphindynamic”

The actual pricing of the Dolphin will not be released until June 22, but in New Zealand the standard variant, with a 44.9kWh BYD Blade battery and range of up to 340 km, is being offered at at the equivalent of $A46,250. That is before a rebate that should shave the price down below $A40,000.

Similar rebates are available in Australia, depending on states, although Victoria recently revealed it is canning its EV rebate.

This variant goes from zero to 100 km/h in just over 12 seconds, which isn’t quick but it’s zippy enough for driving around town. The extended version, with the more powerful motor, and a 60.5kWh battery, does it in around 7 seconds and is being offered in New Zealand at the equivalent of $A51,810, or around the same price as the BYD Atto 3.

The BYD Atto 3 has become one of the best selling cars in the Australian market, taking second place in the month of May – overtaking the Tesla Model 3 – and has become the best selling EV in New Zealand in the last month.

The Dolphin is about 165mm shorter than the Atto 3 and about the same size as the Toyota Corolla hatch. Its biggest competition for the lowest cost EV in the Australian market is the recently launched MG4, which is priced at about $44,990 plus on roads.

A video published by EV Direct of the BYD Dolphin showcases some of the key styling features of the car. It includes the unique tail light design, the front carbon fibre-like grill and the interior.

EV enthusiasts applauded the news. “Amazing! 2023 is set to be a ground breaking year for EV affordability” one said. “I’m genuinely excited about this one,” said another.