BYD’s affordable Dolphin EV lands in North America as 500,000th unit rolls off the line

China’s largest automaker, BYD, launched its Dolphin electric car in Mexico Friday, expanding the brand in North America. With the 500,000th Dolphin EV also rolling off the line, the affordable EV looks to be a global powerhouse.

After launching its low-cost Dolphin electric hatchback in Japan to take on Toyota, BYD is now bringing it to North America.

BYD announced the milestone at a launch event on Friday, claiming its “ocean-inspired design and advanced technology” is being praised. The Dolphin is BYD’s fourth EV in the region, joining the Han sedan, Tang SUV, and Yuan Plus electric SUV launched in June.

The Dolphin EV will start at MXN 539,990 ($31,000) with up to 405 km (251 miles) NEDC range.

The EV is powered by a 70 kW electric motor and 44.9 kWh BYD Blade battery, which offers “class-leading efficiency” of 11 kWh/ 100 km.

At 4,125 mm (162 inches) long, 1,770 mm (70 inches) wide, and 1,570 mm (62 inches) tall, the model is 20 cm (7 inches) smaller than the European version, introduced in June. The EU version also offers an optional 60.4 kWh battery.

Exterior color options include gray, pink, and yellow. Inside, buyers can choose from an interesting selection of orange, pink, or brown.

BYD expands as Dolphin EV lands in North America

The Dolphin EV landing in North America comes as BYD continues its global conquest. The 500,000th model rolled off the assembly line Friday, just a week after its Yuan Plus electric SUV accomplished the same feat.

BYD profits more than doubled in the second quarter ($933 million) as deliveries surged to a new record. It was the automaker’s second-highest quarterly profit behind Q4 2022 ($1 billion).

In China, BYD is dominating the market, surpassing Volkswagen as the nation’s top-selling car maker for the first time earlier this year.

Despite the EU announcing a probe into Chinese electric vehicles, BYD is expanding into other key automakers like Japan, South America, Australia, India, and more. It’s currently the top-selling EV maker in Thailand, Brazil, Colombia, and Israel.

BYD will be a brand to watch as electric vehicle sales are only expected to continue climbing globally.

Over 2.15 million EVs were sold globally between May and July, with sales expected to surpass 14.5 million by the end of 2023. Tesla was still on top through the first half of the year with 21.7% of the share, according to data from TrendForce, but BYD is catching up at 16.2%.

One of BYD’s biggest advantages is affordability. The automaker makes key EV components in-house, including batteries and semiconductors, to avoid supply chain disruptions that have plagued the industry.