Brilliant review, Mark. Exactly what we need to help us wade through the plethora of new electric cars on the market these days. Thanks for this! 🙏👊👏 I just subscribed. 😊
Good review as usual Mark. Might have been worth comparing the exterior and interior size to current cars so we could get an idea of size as the car is very hard to put a size to.
Great review, found out some new stuff I hadn't seen in other Dolphin reviews. I sawe this car at the Farnborough EV show (UK)... on release and was impresses - the quality of the interior is good for this segment (better than the MG4 imo - which is fairly "plasticy")... and it has better tech too. I think the MG4 is more exciting to drive though. The "Build Your Deams" on the back is so "corny" though!... I know they removed it on other models/regions due to feedback - it's more of a mission statement than a company name. BYD are gonna be massive in UK/Europe... they outsold every other EV manufacturer globally (incluiding Tesla) in October, and are actually profitable (unlike VW/Merceds, BMW, Ford, and ALL the others with the exception of Tesla)... they have a price advantage as make th ebatteies, which is ~40% of the cost of th ecar, and therefore no battery supply-chain issues either. This car is so needed... you cannot buy a Ford Focus Petrol for 25k - and most others in this segment like Pegeuot/Vauxhall have been "playing-at-it" with "EV conversions". This and the MG4 are the most exciting cars to hit the market by far. The ID3 is just "too average", "too safe", and too expensive! The BYD Seal is really gonna rattle Tesla's model 3 cage too. Now they just need a proper full family size Shootingbrake/Tourer/SUV for us dog-owners with 3 "big kids" and loads of luggage.
Ev6 owner here, a while ago I rented the Atto3 in Germany and must say, I was seriously impressed. With the exception of the charging speed. Looking at this car, impressed again. Shame though about their horrible naming convention. Seal, Atto3 and Dolphin. Aside from the marine life theme on 2 out of the 3, make it make sense.
Hi Nobby, the price is €29000. the MG4 does come with a rear wiper for the 23 model year on and heat pumps do run off the battery. They are more efficient but they still run off the battery.
They do run off the battery but they draw most of their heat by scavenging it from the heat generated in the traction battery. That along with the sealed pump system, similar to a house heat pump, is why they are so much more efficient.
@@geoffreyhallam6228 yes but from cold the heat pump is no more efficient than a PTC heater. So for short journeys in winter it makes no real difference but for long trips the heat pump proves it's worth.
I have a dolphin! Absolutely love it over my old mg4 Niro and cupra born. If ling long tyres are fitted go and change them!! Byd changed for free as the tyres were borderline dangerous 😂
Hello Nobby,,,, At last a car that is well priced and available in Ireland, Byd will definitely cause european car makers to price more aggressively. Gone are the days when made in China was a slur,,,,, there now so so far ahead of European ev car makers, thanks for showing us what is available out there.... only thing left to do now for byd is get more dealers spread across the country
Really? Wouldn't you want to see how they do over time before drawing such a conclusion? The big reason they are cheap is because they are heavily subsidized by the Chinese government. They have done this in the past with solar panels and after driving all competitors out of business they then put the prices back up!
Take a look at Tesla owners in Sweden in a massive queue waiting to charge. The infrastructure is not in place to accommodate e v’s. on a grand scale ( yet) The dolphin will attract first time ev owners. Good review. Although personally I would not want a silly statement as a permanent feature on the rear of my car.
In the uk this cost £30,195 so more expensive than MG4 if it was £22,000-£25,000 is would be number 1 but I think MG still has that also vw ID 2 is meant to start at £22,000 so that would be interesting if it does ?
@@NobbyOnCars yes indeed so hopefully by then the other Chinese cars coming will have made a big impact in pricing so vw can’t go sky high with there prices
@@willsmyth639Before Chinese EV coming into the market, everyone is smoking high and put high price on ev cars. Even bloody vauxhall list Astra E like 40k lol. What are they smoking lol.
It's shocking that the grants are getting cut back, next to get the chop is the charger installation and I'm sure it'll be only a matter of time before the car grant is fully cut back. On top of that the EU having a fit about the competitive pricing of the Chinese cars. The consumer seems to be at the bum deal of everything 😂
EU had row back on adding tariffs to Chinese cars for now, yes grants are going out window and extra taxes on EVs are coming in like UK, you will pay tax by weight and more
@@mickdaly6537 they really are doing everything they can to deter people to make the switch, I'm not usually into the conspiracy theories but can't help but think that the tax money coming in from petrol and diesel is probably playing a big role.
What burns my bottom is the price that these cars retail for in China compared to what we are charged over here in the West. I will continue to buy used. The price of used EV's has crashed over here in the UK. A used Model 3 or a new Dolphin? Which would you choose? Me? I'll stick with used Ice for the time being.
Regarding the beeps this thing makes..''In general, Dolphins make two kinds of sounds, “whistles” and “clicks”.....so perhaps an eh eh eh eh eh eh eh over speed warning would be the go, and an R2D2 whistle when reversing?. I read somewhere that UK cars will be losing that ''Build Your W** Dreams'' stuff, it has no place in legacy markets, people will laff, perhaps in emerging markets like Madagascar it may be a thing. Officer, I was playing with my screen and became giddy and smashed into the parked car... truly - ruly.....
A note in that seat belt cutter in the car, I remember the first Japanese imports that came in country years ago had as standard, a warning triangle, a belt cutter/glass and a little flare incase needed at nighttime, these were then removed because our nanny state decided we couldn't be trusted with them 😂
Yep and they ignore the gimped 95bhp motor and tiny 44kWh battery it’s comes with 6 years ago a 150bhp, 40kWh Leaf had an on the road price of €26,000 and Nissan offered scrappage and low finance too You’ve got to love the progress of EVs for the mass market 😂 Maybe in 6 more years they might have 150bhp and 60kWh battery Only took till 2030 to get 1/3 the range of my diesel hatchback at the same price 😂
Build Your Dreams on the boot? I foresee a lot of duct tape. Cringe! When my daughter saw that she said "forget that, then". Thanks for the review. €30k seems like a huge jump from the Chinese price, even allowing for included vat and vrt. Why?
The Dolphin that is sold in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and possibly Malaysia is the global version of the Dolphin that is longer than the Chinese model so that it can accommodate additional safety features, it also has a split rear seat and rear wiper/washer that the original Chinese model didn't have. If you look at photographs of the front of the global and Chinese versions they are slightly different. I have just found out that the 2023 Chinese Dolphin has a rear wiper/washer. In the UK the tyres have been changed from Linglong to Hankook and presumably this will happen in Ireland as well. This change transforms the behaviour. I don't know whether this is the case in Ireland, but in the UK some people have been quoted high insurance premiums for some electric cars, particular for Teslas. On being concerned about this, I investigated the price of a Honda Jazz and the new prices were in the region on £26,000 to £28,000. The Honda Jazz is a hybrid and has a complicated drivetrain that I am sure would be expensive to repair. For a few thousand pounds more you could buy the Dolphin Comfort that has the bigger motor and battery. Which one would you go for? I would go for the Dolphin.
@@catherinegrimes2308hybrid cars arent that complicated though, theyve been around for decades now and theyre fairly reliable as well. Granted, it would be best to buy a paralel hybrid like the ones in Prius rather than a plug-in hybrid or a mild hybrid. A plug in hybrid is way more complex than a paralel hybrid, a mild hybrid is way more simple but you wouldn't get nearly the same numbers of efficiency compared to the paralel hybrid. So yes, hybrids are still the one to get if you only have one car and occasionally use it for long trips. EVs are good as second cars at least for now. This is why I have a Leaf 40kwh for city use and a regular gas Harrier (Toyota version of the Lexus RX) for long road trips out of town.
@@catherinegrimes2308Everyone has a impression or a myth that EV will just go boom and battery will died etc. Is like an mobile phone with wheels, battery doesn’t died that often. My old iphone 6 still works and no issue with battery lol.
Most new cars come with apps for user interfacing. On my VW I know my data goes to Germany where (in theory) it's managed under EU laws and regulations. Which country holds your user data for a BYD?
You know that thing you typed the comment with? Where do you think that came from? I’m not on board with the Chinese way of doing things but it’s impossible to get away from products made there. If you don’t want to buy a car from there, don’t. Btw, VW have heavily invested in that part of the world this year also.
A logical question - and something I thought about before buying a laptop made outside of China. My point though was about where data is held, not the origin of the product. Is the data held in Ireland?
Thank you - section 8 confirms the buyers/personal data would be transferred outside the EU and not necessarily covered by EU laws at all times. That's fine. Lately I've become very concerned at how all companies use and monetise our data.
Good point, as someone who works closely with personal data, it amazes me how some can disregard how important the protection of personal data is. Section 8 of their agreement is a real worry - basically you’re just hoping they’ll play nice.
Get over it. I saw a DELSEY handheld scale at a price of EUR 24,99 ( you may want to google it, if you see a "smile face", that's what I am talking about). The exact same product, apparently from the original manufacturer but without the trademark, costs less than EUR 2,00 in China.
Thanks for this. Can I suggest you show a LOT less of you sitting in the car. This is not visually informative. Similarly please avoid standing where you're obscuring the view of the car. Your commentary could be dubbed onto close-up multiple angle drone footage of the car stationary &/or in motion.
@@glenndavid8725 ah cool, so this might be educational for the rest of us, do you mind summarising in high level what countries produce battery cells, drive units, circuit boards, steel etc that go into manufacturing the likes of Tesla, and the German bloc cars? I'm not being smart, just generally interested in factual data.
No parts of it is built using slave labor. Its built in China which unlike the US does not have slave labor industry (private prison slavery complex) and it also use LFP battery which don't use the metals which are mined with no labor regulation in Congo.
That was a quick turnaround from a launch this morning, good job Mark and great review, it's an impressive machine
Thank you Mr. Stig!
Well the EV infrastructure is shocking
Can't wait for your BYD Yangwang U 9 review Nobby! 😂
Love that little 🐬
the price mentioned is for the basic model, after incentives, but the specs like range, charging speeds are for the more expensive models.
And that’s been covered multiples times in the video
Cant wait for BYD's Seagull
Brilliant review, Mark. Exactly what we need to help us wade through the plethora of new electric cars on the market these days. Thanks for this! 🙏👊👏 I just subscribed. 😊
I'll wait for the BYD Shark 🦈
Great review Mark
Thanks!
Good review as usual Mark. Might have been worth comparing the exterior and interior size to current cars so we could get an idea of size as the car is very hard to put a size to.
Hi Nobby. The latest MG4 does now have a rear wiper.
Good to hear 👌🏻
I thought that was just the xpower?
@@peterarmstrong3853Nope
Great review Mark 👏
Thanks 👍
Great review, found out some new stuff I hadn't seen in other Dolphin reviews. I sawe this car at the Farnborough EV show (UK)... on release and was impresses - the quality of the interior is good for this segment (better than the MG4 imo - which is fairly "plasticy")... and it has better tech too. I think the MG4 is more exciting to drive though.
The "Build Your Deams" on the back is so "corny" though!... I know they removed it on other models/regions due to feedback - it's more of a mission statement than a company name.
BYD are gonna be massive in UK/Europe... they outsold every other EV manufacturer globally (incluiding Tesla) in October, and are actually profitable (unlike VW/Merceds, BMW, Ford, and ALL the others with the exception of Tesla)... they have a price advantage as make th ebatteies, which is ~40% of the cost of th ecar, and therefore no battery supply-chain issues either.
This car is so needed... you cannot buy a Ford Focus Petrol for 25k - and most others in this segment like Pegeuot/Vauxhall have been "playing-at-it" with "EV conversions". This and the MG4 are the most exciting cars to hit the market by far. The ID3 is just "too average", "too safe", and too expensive!
The BYD Seal is really gonna rattle Tesla's model 3 cage too. Now they just need a proper full family size Shootingbrake/Tourer/SUV for us dog-owners with 3 "big kids" and loads of luggage.
3rd most valuable automotive brand in the world, apparently
pity the speed sign number on the driver screen does not work., eg it could say 50 in a 120 motorway
Other cars have similar issues as well. I’m on a Nissan and the road says 40mph but speed recognition sign on the dash tells me is 120mph!
Ev6 owner here, a while ago I rented the Atto3 in Germany and must say, I was seriously impressed. With the exception of the charging speed. Looking at this car, impressed again.
Shame though about their horrible naming convention.
Seal, Atto3 and Dolphin. Aside from the marine life theme on 2 out of the 3, make it make sense.
The mix of themes is unusual alright
Hi Nobby, the price is €29000. the MG4 does come with a rear wiper for the 23 model year on and heat pumps do run off the battery. They are more efficient but they still run off the battery.
They do run off the battery but they draw most of their heat by scavenging it from the heat generated in the traction battery. That along with the sealed pump system, similar to a house heat pump, is why they are so much more efficient.
@@geoffreyhallam6228 yes but from cold the heat pump is no more efficient than a PTC heater. So for short journeys in winter it makes no real difference but for long trips the heat pump proves it's worth.
My 2022 MG4 standard range came with rear wiper
Not sure why these reviewers get there prices from.
Can't get black interior in Atto 3 unfortunately.
2nd car, town car, family car. Yeah can't argue with the money and the spec is premium compared to our euro poverty spec were accustomed to.
I have a dolphin! Absolutely love it over my old mg4 Niro and cupra born. If ling long tyres are fitted go and change them!! Byd changed for free as the tyres were borderline dangerous 😂
Hmmmm 🤔
@@NobbyOnCars ?
You are right that a 25k car will make a huge impact because there are lots of people who don’t have so much money to spend on a car
Hello Nobby,,,, At last a car that is well priced and available in Ireland, Byd will definitely cause european car makers to price more aggressively. Gone are the days when made in China was a slur,,,,, there now so so far ahead of European ev car makers, thanks for showing us what is available out there.... only thing left to do now for byd is get more dealers spread across the country
Thats a big comment to say they are so far ahead of the European EV car manufacturers.....you get what you pay for
Really? Wouldn't you want to see how they do over time before drawing such a conclusion?
The big reason they are cheap is because they are heavily subsidized by the Chinese government. They have done this in the past with solar panels and after driving all competitors out of business they then put the prices back up!
MG4 do fit a rear wiper now and have done for some time
Not when I filmed them 👍🏻
@@NobbyOnCarssince March 2022
@@mikemorley2797 well the last one I filmed was Feb 2023 and it had none
Take a look at Tesla owners in Sweden in a massive queue waiting to charge. The infrastructure is not in place to accommodate e v’s. on a grand scale ( yet) The dolphin will attract first time ev owners. Good review. Although personally I would not want a silly statement as a permanent feature on the rear of my car.
In the uk this cost £30,195 so more expensive than MG4 if it was £22,000-£25,000 is would be number 1 but I think MG still has that also vw ID 2 is meant to start at £22,000 so that would be interesting if it does ?
Won’t be until 2025 though
@@NobbyOnCars yes indeed so hopefully by then the other Chinese cars coming will have made a big impact in pricing so vw can’t go sky high with there prices
@@willsmyth639Before Chinese EV coming into the market, everyone is smoking high and put high price on ev cars. Even bloody vauxhall list Astra E like 40k lol. What are they smoking lol.
🎉🎉🎉Competition is good for consumers.
I hope they launch the seagull.... My wife is looking to get it
Looks to be a decent car.
It sure is. Very impressed.
It's shocking that the grants are getting cut back, next to get the chop is the charger installation and I'm sure it'll be only a matter of time before the car grant is fully cut back. On top of that the EU having a fit about the competitive pricing of the Chinese cars. The consumer seems to be at the bum deal of everything 😂
EU had row back on adding tariffs to Chinese cars for now, yes grants are going out window and extra taxes on EVs are coming in like UK, you will pay tax by weight and more
@@mickdaly6537 they really are doing everything they can to deter people to make the switch, I'm not usually into the conspiracy theories but can't help but think that the tax money coming in from petrol and diesel is probably playing a big role.
What burns my bottom is the price that these cars retail for in China compared to what we are charged over here in the West. I will continue to buy used. The price of used EV's has crashed over here in the UK. A used Model 3 or a new Dolphin? Which would you choose? Me? I'll stick with used Ice for the time being.
Model 3 because a Dolphin would be too small for my needs.
Regarding the beeps this thing makes..''In general, Dolphins make two kinds of sounds, “whistles” and “clicks”.....so perhaps an eh eh eh eh eh eh eh over speed warning would be the go, and an R2D2 whistle when reversing?.
I read somewhere that UK cars will be losing that ''Build Your W** Dreams'' stuff, it has no place in legacy markets, people will laff, perhaps in emerging markets like Madagascar it may be a thing.
Officer, I was playing with my screen and became giddy and smashed into the parked car...
truly - ruly.....
Do you choose this one or atto 3?
If you don’t need the space, I’d take a nice trim version of this I guess
@@NobbyOnCars I see, may I know can second row accomodate 3 adults?
It could, helped by the flat floor but I'd say it would still be tight.
@@NobbyOnCars I see thanks mate. Btw how it's compared to MG4? is second row MG more comfortable
Definitely one to kick the tyres on…..
He is good at reviews 👍🏼 I’d rather buy a 19 year old Vauxhall corsa though 🎉
Astra for me :D
I will buy if speed beeping could be turned off ☺️
“What u drive “
A dolphin
“Can’t be easy “
🤣
Nah, you just need to tame it, no harder than a Volkswa.., I mean a horse-drawn wagon.
€25000 340km?
A note in that seat belt cutter in the car, I remember the first Japanese imports that came in country years ago had as standard, a warning triangle, a belt cutter/glass and a little flare incase needed at nighttime, these were then removed because our nanny state decided we couldn't be trusted with them 😂
A flare?! 🤣
@@NobbyOnCars yep, as in lit it from cap and stood it on road behind car, used be kept on passenger side clipped under glovebox
Does the €25000 include the MSL delivery charge of €1950? All the reviews for the Seal simply ignored this additional charge.
Yep and they ignore the gimped 95bhp motor and tiny 44kWh battery it’s comes with
6 years ago a 150bhp, 40kWh Leaf had an on the road price of €26,000 and Nissan offered scrappage and low finance too
You’ve got to love the progress of EVs for the mass market 😂
Maybe in 6 more years they might have 150bhp and 60kWh battery
Only took till 2030 to get 1/3 the range of my diesel hatchback at the same price 😂
Who ignores?
@@NobbyOnCars Nearly every review of the seal when launched, yourself, Nevo never mentioned the 1950 additional costs.
In Finland 35.000€
Build Your Dreams on the boot? I foresee a lot of duct tape. Cringe! When my daughter saw that she said "forget that, then". Thanks for the review. €30k seems like a huge jump from the Chinese price, even allowing for included vat and vrt. Why?
Because, Ireland.
The Dolphin that is sold in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and possibly Malaysia is the global version of the Dolphin that is longer than the Chinese model so that it can accommodate additional safety features, it also has a split rear seat and rear wiper/washer that the original Chinese model didn't have. If you look at photographs of the front of the global and Chinese versions they are slightly different. I have just found out that the 2023 Chinese Dolphin has a rear wiper/washer.
In the UK the tyres have been changed from Linglong to Hankook and presumably this will happen in Ireland as well. This change transforms the behaviour.
I don't know whether this is the case in Ireland, but in the UK some people have been quoted high insurance premiums for some electric cars, particular for Teslas. On being concerned about this, I investigated the price of a Honda Jazz and the new prices were in the region on £26,000 to £28,000. The Honda Jazz is a hybrid and has a complicated drivetrain that I am sure would be expensive to repair. For a few thousand pounds more you could buy the Dolphin Comfort that has the bigger motor and battery. Which one would you go for? I would go for the Dolphin.
@@catherinegrimes2308hybrid cars arent that complicated though, theyve been around for decades now and theyre fairly reliable as well. Granted, it would be best to buy a paralel hybrid like the ones in Prius rather than a plug-in hybrid or a mild hybrid. A plug in hybrid is way more complex than a paralel hybrid, a mild hybrid is way more simple but you wouldn't get nearly the same numbers of efficiency compared to the paralel hybrid. So yes, hybrids are still the one to get if you only have one car and occasionally use it for long trips. EVs are good as second cars at least for now. This is why I have a Leaf 40kwh for city use and a regular gas Harrier (Toyota version of the Lexus RX) for long road trips out of town.
@@catherinegrimes2308Everyone has a impression or a myth that EV will just go boom and battery will died etc. Is like an mobile phone with wheels, battery doesn’t died that often. My old iphone 6 still works and no issue with battery lol.
Most new cars come with apps for user interfacing. On my VW I know my data goes to Germany where (in theory) it's managed under EU laws and regulations. Which country holds your user data for a BYD?
You know that thing you typed the comment with? Where do you think that came from? I’m not on board with the Chinese way of doing things but it’s impossible to get away from products made there. If you don’t want to buy a car from there, don’t. Btw, VW have heavily invested in that part of the world this year also.
A logical question - and something I thought about before buying a laptop made outside of China. My point though was about where data is held, not the origin of the product. Is the data held in Ireland?
@@PixelVibe42 light reading - www.byd.com/eu/privacy#2
Thank you - section 8 confirms the buyers/personal data would be transferred outside the EU and not necessarily covered by EU laws at all times.
That's fine. Lately I've become very concerned at how all companies use and monetise our data.
Good point, as someone who works closely with personal data, it amazes me how some can disregard how important the protection of personal data is. Section 8 of their agreement is a real worry - basically you’re just hoping they’ll play nice.
Air until the Seagull lands.
The €25,000 model is pretty crap though, 95bhp, 44kWh, the Leaf had similar specs and price in 2018, that's 6 years ago, some progress eh😄
@@camillionmonkey The Leaf 40kWh has an 8 year warranty like the BYD, it’s a good car
Your confusing the Leaf from 2011 not 2018 I think
rather get a MG4 extended range for like 2k plus and actually proven that its super reliable
No way will never buy an EV not fit for purpose, to many problems and a new disease rang anxiety, they next thing we will see is buy one get one free
the used market will be... the atto3 with less then an year is 10k€ less than new... dolphin will be...
This should shut up all the people in Ireland saying EVs are to expensive...but they will now find something else to moan about am sure 😂
It's Chinese!!!
Well there’s plenty of negative things with EVs.
@@desmondbeattie3954 Let us hear them please?
25k for a chinese EV. Cheap. Are you out of your mind? In 2010 a new car like a Dacia Duster cost 11k.
@@Hanoitami Mate this isn't 2010.
It still costs more than double of what they are selling it for in China
Get over it. I saw a DELSEY handheld scale at a price of EUR 24,99 ( you may want to google it, if you see a "smile face", that's what I am talking about).
The exact same product, apparently from the original manufacturer but without the trademark, costs less than EUR 2,00 in China.
Because Chinese government heavily subsidies EV cars manufacturers and most of them are state owned companies
Despite the price being twice that of China, the European Union considers Chinese cars to be cheap and dumping
Thanks for this. Can I suggest you show a LOT less of you sitting in the car. This is not visually informative. Similarly please avoid standing where you're obscuring the view of the car. Your commentary could be dubbed onto close-up multiple angle drone footage of the car stationary &/or in motion.
Hey Stephen Spielberg, I didn’t know you were on RUclips under a random handle but you can’t suggest no, sorry.
Yet to see one of these things on the road.
Hear the EV market is really struggling & the whole thing is just a joke!
In my eye the Dolphin isn't a very good looking car.
It's not the best looking car, it looks a lot like the old Chevrolet Aveo. I would put the MG4 above this.
Buy chinese dont buy british is good for the british economy :)
Great price horrible looking car and 400km is around 250 miles in English so bog standard these days.
Its Cheap for a Reason
Byd doesn't sell at all in Europe, very unreliable cars and lot of rust issues....they look modern and state of the art, but 100% rubbish....
And you’re basing this info off?
@@NobbyOnCars salesfigures....
@@avdp9095 but sales figures don’t mention rust or reliability?
@@NobbyOnCars see internet and google rust/byd
Parts of it built using slave labour? Heat pump, that'll annoy the neighbours 😂
Take a wild guess where the components for all other car manufacturers are made 😂
@@ateivizI don't need a wild guess, I have access to the most extensive parts database in the World. ❤
@@glenndavid8725 ah cool, so this might be educational for the rest of us, do you mind summarising in high level what countries produce battery cells, drive units, circuit boards, steel etc that go into manufacturing the likes of Tesla, and the German bloc cars? I'm not being smart, just generally interested in factual data.
No parts of it is built using slave labor. Its built in China which unlike the US does not have slave labor industry (private prison slavery complex) and it also use LFP battery which don't use the metals which are mined with no labor regulation in Congo.