IT’S getting serious out there in the battle to sway motorists into the driving seat of electric cars.

Incentives are on offer, the latest by the Government waving a tantalising £3,750 discount if you buy one. But it doesn’t cover them all, nor do smaller ones qualify for the full amount.

Now BYD, somewhat miffed at their cars missing out (for the time being) are offering their own incentive to attract buyers. 

While BYD have formally applied to be included in the government-backed scheme, they haven’t had the thumbs up yet.

In response, and to demonstrate their long-term commitment to UK customers, BYD have increased their power battery warranty to eight years and 155,000 miles across their entire range of electric and DM-i vehicles, including those already on UK roads.

And they’re offering five years of free servicing on selected models – going beyond purely upfront discounts, to deliver long-term ownership benefits.

This new offer applies to Dolphin Surf, their smallest car to date with chic design and urban friendly dimensions which will surely win it fans.

Surf is an all-electric hatchback purpose built for the city with BYD’s durable and safe Blade Battery and e-Platform 3.0 – the eighth all electric car they have launched in Europe in just three years.

It has a spacious cabin and compact 308-litre boot and its comprehensive list of standard equipment gives you good value for your money.

Even the entry point to the range, the Active, gets a 10.1-inch rotatable touchscreen infotainment system as standard, along with rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, LED daytime-running lights, vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, keyless entry and start, adaptive cruise control, air conditioning, vegan leather seats and electrically adjustable door mirrors. The vibrant metallic launch colour, Lime Green, also comes as standard, though more subtle colours are available!

As well as a bigger battery and larger 16-inch alloy wheels, Boost sampled here adds electric adjustment on the front seats, along with rain-sensing wipers and electric folding door mirrors.

First impression behind the wheel was of steering that was about as accurate as my shots off the first tee on the golf course each week, but actually it’s not something you don’t get used to quite quickly. There’s a heavy-ish feel but the precision the wheel feeds back is ok. The overall ride can be a bit jittery at times depending on the quality of the road surface but the comfort afforded to occupants is not compromised.

The fact it frequently talks back to you, telling you to keep your eyes on the road, is an irritation you can do without….

Boost, the version with the longest range, has a 65kW motor and a 43.2kWh Blade Battery which propels it to 62 mph in 12.1 seconds.

It can get from 10 per cent to 80 per cent state of charge (SoC) in a reasonable 30 minutes.
UK pricing starts at £18,650 for the Active variant, Boost models are from £21,950 and Comfort starts from £23,950.

BYD Dolphin Surf Boost

Price: £21,950
Engine: 43kWh battery, 65kW motor
Power: 87bhp
Torque: 129lb/ft
Transmission: single speed
Top speed: 93mph
0-62mph: 12.1 seconds
Range: 200 miles
Emissions: 0g/km

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