BYD has launched two new trim levels for its Dolphin electric family hatch, effectively cutting £4,000 from the on-the-road price of the vehicle.

The Dolphin, a five-door C-segment car which was the Chinese brand’s second model when it launched onto the UK market in 2023, will now be available in entry-level Active and Boost trims, with on-the-road prices of £26,195 and £27,165 respectively.

The move comes as many traditional car manufacturers are aggressively discounting their electric models, to try and boost uptake in the sluggish retail EV market and reach the 22% of zero-emissions sales required by the end of 2024 by the Government’s ZEV mandate.

BYD has achieved the saving by employing a 44.9kWh version of its Blade-format battery in the Active and Boost models, compared to the 60kWh unit in the already available Comfort and Design variants.

In the Active the battery powers a 70kW (95hp) motor, while the Boost virtually doubles this to 130kW (176hp). Active models have a WLTP-certified range of up to 211 miles between charges, and the Boost 193 miles, which compares to the 265 miles of the upper-spec Dolphins.

Both versions can be charged by a 100kW DC charger from 30 to 80% in 28 minutes, and by 65kW DC, while the Active can employ AC charging at up to 7kW and the Boost by up to 11kW.

Equipment levels for both models remain broadly similar to the rest of the Dolphin range, including a full suite of active safety and driver aids, a heat pump to boost thermal efficiency in winter and vehicle-to-load capability allowing the car’s battery to power external electrical equipment.