Bytedance Released a New Dolphin Pure Electric Car Based on E Platform 3.0

On August 13, Bytedance released a new pure electric car model, the Dolphin, based on its E Platform 3.0. The Dolphin is positioned as a small car with a pre-sale price ranging from 96,800 to 124,800 yuan, and will be sold through Bytedance’s e-commerce channels. It will be launched at the end of this month and delivery will be directly available. At the first opportunity, we went to the store to conduct a detailed static experience.

Quick Look at Bytedance’s Dolphin

1. The Dolphin provides four models with pre-sale prices of 96,800, 106,800, 111,800, and 124,800 yuan respectively.

2. It is equipped with two kinds of lithium iron phosphate blade batteries: 30.7 kWh and 44.9 kWh. The cruising ranges are 301 km, 405 km, and 401 km respectively.

3. The front permanent magnet synchronous motor provides the maximum power of 130 kW and the maximum torque of 290 N·m for the top version “Knight” while providing the maximum power of 70 kW and the maximum torque of 180 N·m for others.

4. Other highlights include the first Bytedance car model that uses E Platform 3.0, the first Bytedance’s marine car model, blade batteries, heat pump air conditioning, VTOL external discharge function, and smartphone NFC key.

“Marine Aesthetic” Design Concept

Unlike Bytedance’s Wangchao series, Bytedance’s Dolphin uses a new “Marine Aesthetic” design concept. The front of the car adopts a new style of logo, and the overall body is full of flexible lines, which are matched with rich contrast color design, leaving a deep impression at first sight.

The car we experienced this time was the 11.18-pre-sale yuan version of the second highest version – the Fashion, with a color matching of Bei Bei Grey + Du Du White + Mi Mi Orange, without any chrome decoration that young people do not like. Additionally, there are four style options that are available: Pupu Pink, Surfing Blue, Sparkling Blue, and Sasa Green.

The Dolphin series come with a standard near-far integrated LED headlight, and the enclosed lower grille integrates an LED light strip, achieving a through-effect on the overall appearance. Only the LED daytime running lights are absent in the lowest mate version.

The Dolphin’s dimensions are 4125 (lowest mate 4070) / 1770 / 1570 mm (length / width / height). With the E Platform 3.0, it has a super long wheelbase of 2700 mm, which is absolutely leading among the same level of models.The 45-degree angle of the dolphin’s tail is, in my opinion, the best-looking angle. The super-short front and rear overhangs and the forward-sloping waistline design are very sporty and reminiscent of a “steel cannon.”

The dolphin comes standard with 16-inch two-tone low-drag aluminum alloy wheels (upgraded to 17 inches in the top model) paired with 195/60 R16 Chaoyang tires. The design looks pretty good, but at first glance, it seems somewhat similar to the Volkswagen ID.3’s wheels.

The orange rearview mirrors with black supports, mounted on a light gray body, create a very special effect. The NFC logo is printed on the mirror cover, indicating that the dolphin can unlock the vehicle using an NFC smartphone key.

Using hidden door handles on a low-cost small car is not very realistic, but in order to minimize the damage to the overall look of the car, the dolphin uses mechanical handles that open upwards, and all models have a keyless entry button on the driver’s side.

The “Build Your Dreams” emblem is integrated into the taillight cover, and the continuous LED taillight design is very avant-garde and provides super high recognition when lit.

A Brand-New Interior Like Never Before

The dolphin’s interior is also a brand-new design. Although the overall layout is still symmetrical and features a floating center console screen, the circular air vents and the center console composed of various materials and color combinations are eye-catching.

The leather multi-functional steering wheel is also standard across the series, with protrusions at the 2 and 10 o’clock positions. The larger buttons are marked either in Chinese or with graphic symbols, and the hand feel of the scroll wheel is also quite good.

The 5-inch full LCD instrument panel is very compact, with two main color themes for day and night, and the displayed information is also rich enough.

In the center is a 12.8-inch rotating LCD touchscreen, using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chip. The screen’s responsive touch, voice system response speed, and APP opening speed are all satisfactory. However, due to well-known reasons, Huawei has removed 5G from its latest P50 Pro phone, and it may not be able to provide 5G chips on cars in the near future.

The details of the air conditioning vent are very exquisite. It is understood that the BYD Dolphin is equipped with a heat pump air conditioning system, which is very helpful for energy saving.

Below the center console are a row of frequently used buttons and an electronic gear lever made of imitation metal materials, including driving mode, kinetic energy recovery adjustment, hazard lights, air conditioning, defrosting, and multimedia volume control roller.

The central button rotates down rather than simply up and down, with average hand feel, but the hand feel of the volume control roller on the far right is very good.

At the bottom, there are two USB-A ports and a 12V cigarette lighter socket, with the micro SD card slot for the built-in driving recorder in the middle.

The pure electric platform does not need to consider the layout of the gearbox, so it also brings ample storage space to the Dolphin. Under the retractable cover, there is a deeper storage compartment.

The electronic handbrake and Autohold are still designed in a very convenient position.

In front of the fixed central armrest is a wireless charging panel with a power of 10W, which is no longer a useless configuration.

The central armrest is fixed and there is no independent armrest box, but there is a very large hollow space underneath. However, the opening is relatively small and will be blocked by the seat belt buckle and the side wing of the seat, making it inconvenient to store and take out items.

The shape of the inner door handle is quite distinctive, resembling a dolphin fin.

Two high-end models are equipped with non-openable panoramic sunroofs with independent sunshade, while the low-end models have no sunroof.

The integrated sports seats are also decorated with orange lines, the padding is relatively soft, and the wrap is good, and the two high-end models also have electric adjustment function for the main driver.

Impressive space performance

In addition to the ones mentioned above, the dolphin still has many other conventional storage spaces, including upper and lower layers of the door panel, glove box, cup holder, seat back storage bag, and so on.

The author is 174cm tall and adjusts the seat to its lowest position with a sitting posture that is comfortable for the individual. At this time, there is still one fist and three fingers of headroom left (touching the edge of the interior trim), which is good for a small car.

The advantages of the long wheelbase are fully reflected, and the performance of the rear space is quite excellent. The angle of the seat back is moderate and not too steep, and the length of the cushion can support the thighs just right.

The completely flat central console, plus the central headrest, ensures comfort for three passengers in the back seat.

The space of the trunk is average, and the seats can be fully folded down, but cannot be completely flat.

There is no spare tire, and the tools such as inflatable pump and tire repair fluid are arranged under the cover plate.

Longest Endurance 405 km

The Dolphin series is equipped with a front permanent magnet synchronous motor, with the Knight version’s maximum power of 130 kW and maximum torque of 290 N·m. Other versions have maximum power of 70 kW and maximum torque of 180 N·m.

Front MacPherson and rear torsion-beam suspension are standard for this type of small car.

All DC and AC charging interfaces are arranged on the right front fender. The VTOL discharge function can be realized by connecting the external converter on the AC electrical interface.

The base model is equipped with a 30.7 kWh lithium iron phosphate blade battery, with a range of 301 km. Other models are equipped with a 44.9 kWh blade battery, with a range of 405 km (401 km for top model). With a DC fast charger, the battery can be charged to 80% within 30 minutes.

Conclusion

It is understood that BYD will soon launch more new models named after the Dolphin series. As the first model of BYD e-platform 3.0, the Dolphin has many outstanding features in terms of static product strength and configuration performance. However, its maximum endurance of 405 km does not have a significant advantage compared to other models in the same class/price, such as GAC Aion Y and Euler Cat. It remains to be seen whether it can offer a more surprising price than the pre-sale price.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.