BYD undercuts MG4 as Australia’s cheapest electric car

Three brands are brawling to sell Australia’s cheapest electric car, giving consumers a cut-price alternative to the likes of Tesla.

Aussie motorists in the market for an electric car will benefit from a price war between growing Chinese brands.

Australian electric car importer EV Direct has announced that the new BYD Dolphin electric car will cost $38,890 plus on-road costs, making it Australia’s cheapest battery-powered machine by a single banknote.

Australian sales of the BYD Dolphin start tonight.

The new machine undercuts its closest competition – the new MG4 electric car – by just $100.

MG and BYD have already gone blow-for-blow in the fight for customers with the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV, electric cars that cost less than $50,000 drive-away.

The latest machines are even cheaper, and could come in under $40,000 drive-away in Queensland, where eligible customers benefit from a $6000 electric car rebate.

BYD Dolphin

EV Direct chief executive Luke Todd said it is the most affordable electric car in Australia.

“We are proud to introduce an EV of such high quality and safety that is now within reach for more Australians,” he said.

“With state government rebates as high as $6000 in Queensland, this makes the Dolphin Dynamic as low as $32,890 plus on-road costs.

“In some instances, this positions it at a lower price point than similar petrol-powered vehicles, a circumstance that has been unprecedented until now.”

The MG4 electric car was briefly Australia’s cheapest EV.

Sales of the BYD Dolphin start at 8pm tonight, Thursday June 22.

The car is expected to combine a 68kW motor with a compact 45kWh battery offering 340 kilometres of range.

Metallic paint is standard, and the car comes with a rotating 12.8-inch touch screen with sat nav and smartphone mirroring.

Mark Harland, chief operating officer of BYD distributor EV Direct, with hundreds of electric cars. Picture: Alex Coppel.

The car is similar in size to the Toyota Corolla, and has a decent array of safety gear as standard, including seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, driver fatigue monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.