The BYD DOLPHIN isn’t only widely acclaimed for its design, spacious interior, performance, and unmatched value for money. BYD’s all-electric five-door hatchback also makes a significant impression in terms of sustainability and efficiency. This has now been confirmed by Green NCAP, which awarded the BYD DOLPHIN a five-star rating and an impressive overall score of 98% in its latest test.
Green NCAP is an independent, international organisation focused on assessing the environmental performance of passenger cars. The aim of Green NCAP is to provide consumers, businesses, and policymakers with clear and reliable information on the environmental impact of various cars. This assists in making more informed choices when purchasing cars and contributes to the promotion of cleaner and more sustainable means of transport.
Green NCAP conducts comprehensive tests on cars to assess various aspects of their actual environmental performance, supplementing legal requirements. Green NCAP rewards those manufacturers whose vehicles exceed the minimum requirements and offer excellent, robust, real-world performance. The Green NCAP tests focus on three main points: tailpipe emissions, the real-world energy consumption, and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions based on a Well-to-Wheel+ approach.
Outstanding Performance
The BYD DOLPHIN is one of the first cars to be rigorously tested by Green NCAP in 2024, achieving a fantastic score of five stars and an overall rating of 98%. With no tailpipe emissions, the all-electric BYD DOLPHIN obviously scored the full 10 points in the ‘Clean Air’ part of the assessment. Moreover, the BYD DOLPHIN demonstrated low consumption values in all tests, according to Green NCAP’s verdict.
“In the standard WLTC+ Lab Tests, the recorded values are around 17 kWh/100 km considering the charging losses. Very low energy demand is also measured in the Highway Test and the -7°C Cold Ambient Test: 24.1 and 25.6 kWh/100 km, respectively”, as Green NCAP states in its test report.
“A significant contributor to the DOLPHIN’s excellent performance in cold conditions is BYD’s complex heating system, utilizing a PTC heater, heat pump, and waste heat from powertrain components. The On-Road Drive was performed at around 6°C, and the DOLPHIN needed about 20 kWh/100 km, leading to a range of around 340 km.”
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Index is based on a Well-to-Wheel+ approach, meaning that the GHG emissions related to the supply of energy are added. “Following this approach, the estimated GHG emissions of the BYD DOLPHIN originate only from the upstream processes of electricity supply – around 47 grams of CO2/km in the Warm Lab Test and reaching 72 grams of CO2/km in the Cold Ambient Test. Thanks to its efficient electric powertrain and heating concept, as well as the relatively low GHG of EU electricity production, the DOLPHIN scored 9.9 out of 10 points.”
Final Verdict
The BYD DOLPHIN, with its 150 kW electric motor and BYD Blade Battery with a declared usable capacity of 60.5 kWh, offers an average driving range (measured by Green NCAP procedures) of 365 km. The car demonstrates its potential in short urban trips with a driving range of around 480 km.
“At the battery capacity test, the vehicle was charged up to 100% with 11 kW charging power in just 6 hours and 15 minutes. The recharged energy of 68.4 kWh and the usable battery energy of 58.3 kWh gives a grid-to-battery output efficiency of 85%. By improving the performance in the charging process, the DOLPHIN would obtain even better results, considering that the average energy consumption of about 17 kWh/100 km in the standard WLTC+ test is creditable enough and close to the officially declared value. Overall, the BYD DOLPHIN receives an average score of 98% and very well-deserved five Green Stars, thanks to its high efficiency.”
Check out all the Green NCAP test results for the BYD DOLPHIN or download the full test report.
