BYD DOLPHIN | COSTS to BUY and MAINTAIN an ELECTRIC CAR in 2025

With electric cars becoming increasingly popular in our market, I am here to provide a complete, up-to-date survey of all the costs involved in purchasing and maintaining a BYD Dolphin GS 180EV 2025.

Purchase and registration costs

• Price on BYD website - R$ 159,800.00 (17/01/2025)

• FIPE Price, January/2025 (FIPE Code 095007-6) - R$ 156,840.00

• First registration fee - R$ 271.02 (Detran MG)

• Mercosul plates - R$ 300.00 (average prices in MG)

• IPVA (at the time of registration, 4% MG) - R$ 6,273.60, remembering that there is the possibility of exemption from IPVA in Minas Gerais, as long as the vehicle is manufactured in the same state (this is not the case with BYD, which is still imported from China)

• Licensing fee (at the time of registration) - R$ 35.18 (Detran MG)

• Insurance (average estimate of 5% of the FIPE table value) - R$ 7,842.00.

Therefore, the total cost at the time of purchase includes the price charged on the manufacturer's website, plus the first registration fee, Mercosul plates, IPVA, licensing fee and possible insurance, giving the value of R$ 174,521.80.

Annual costs - Documentation

To keep a vehicle like this fully registered for use on the streets, it is necessary to pay the IPVA (remembering that in some states, electric vehicles are exempt) and licensing fees, but here we will also consider insurance, since this is an annual expense.

The values that have already been defined previously add up to a total annual expense of R$14,150.78, or R$1,179.23 per month , which you should set aside in your budget to avoid surprises.

Overhaul and warranty costs

Currently, BYD offers Dolphin owners a 6-year unlimited mileage warranty (with the exception of some parts) for private use , while the battery warranty is 8 years. For commercial use , the period is 2 years or 100,000 km , whichever comes first, and for the battery, the period is 8 years or 500,000 km, whichever comes first.

According to the manufacturer, the maintenance plan states that revisions must be carried out every 20 thousand km or 1 year , whichever comes first, and the values of each revision are already defined according to the table below.

Therefore, we need to consider at least two usage scenarios for one of these vehicles to calculate what the maintenance costs would be over the warranty period:

SCENARIO 1: private use (6-year warranty) - maximum 20,000 km driven per year, 1 service per year, using the 6-year warranty:

Total 6 years: R$5,220.00, or average of R$870.00/year, or average of R$72.50/month.

SCENARIO 2: commercial use (2-year or 100,000 km warranty) - maximum of 40,000 km driven per year, 2 inspections per year, with the first 4 inspections carried out at a dealership:

Total 2 years: R$ 3,260.00, or average of R$ 1,630.00/year, or average of R$ 135.83/month.

Energy and charger costs

There are 3 ways to input power into the BYD Dolphin:

• Charging via alternating current - can be done using a Wallbox , with a capacity of 6.6 KW (depending on the manufacturer), or using a domestic socket, at 1.4 KW at 110V or 2.8 KW at 220V (according to tests carried out by other communication channels, i.e., on a 220V network it charges much faster than on a 110V network)

• Direct current charging - there are chargers on the market that can reach a capacity of 60 KW, which guarantees a recharge time of 30 to 80% of the battery in approximately 30 minutes, depending on the manufacturer.

• Regenerative brakes - energy recovery system when braking or going downhill, which are moments in which the engine starts to work as a generator, being driven by the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle itself to recharge the batteries.

Regarding the Dolphin battery, it is the Blade or LFP (Lithium Ion) type, more modern and cheaper, which have more efficient recharge cycles, but they are still in a liquid state and are not the best in energy density, which implies greater weight and volume to have satisfactory autonomy, therefore, its total capacity is 44.9 KWh.

The autonomy is 291 km considering the PBEV system , the Brazilian vehicle labeling program, from Inmetro, which is a standard developed exclusively for our market, thus being a more realistic test considering our type of relief, roads, traffic, etc., but which may indicate a lower value than in other markets, such as the American or European markets.

Therefore, the calculated average consumption , considering the declared autonomy and total battery capacity, is 6.48 km/KWh or 15.4 KWh/100 km , of course, and may vary according to speed, route, driving style, etc.

For comparison purposes, according to the Dolphin's Inmetro label, which is classified as “A” (the best energy efficiency class), it has a consumption equivalent to a vehicle with a combustion engine that does 51.9 km/l in the city, and 43.5 km/l on the highway , being very economical, in fact.

To calculate the cost per kilometer driven, we need to have an average energy cost, obtained from the CEMIG website, on 01/17/2025, considering a residential installation and green flag, before taxes, with a value of R$ 0.79969 / KWh, this value may also vary, according to the time of year and several other factors.

Considering the aforementioned 44.9 KWh battery, the total cost of a full recharge is R$35.91.

The total cost per kilometer driven (total cost of recharging/range) is R$0.12 , which is much cheaper than the general average for combustion cars, which is between R$0.30 and 0.40 per kilometer driven.

Therefore, if you drive an average of 1000 km/month , for example, you will spend R$123.39 per month on energy.

But we have to remember the cost of chargers, which can vary. For example, a 32A and 7.5 KWh Wallbox can be found on the internet for an average price of R$3,950.00 (of course, this may vary depending on the time of year, store, manufacturer, and many others).

We know that there are offers from the manufacturer, which provide the Wallbox free of charge when purchasing the vehicle, but this is something that always happens, which leads us to consider the worst case scenario, in which you have to buy this equipment yourself.

Assuming you keep a vehicle like this for its entire warranty period, which is 6 years (or 72 months), a charger at this price gives an average monthly cost of R$54.86 (not including installation costs).

Therefore, the average total monthly cost of energy and charger to travel 1000 km per month is R$ 178.25.

The BYD Dolphin can be an excellent electric vehicle option for everyday use, especially for those who live in large cities or capitals. In these locations, the model stands out for its energy savings , as it practically eliminates consumption in situations such as traffic jams.

Another attraction is the possibility of IPVA exemption , depending on your region, added to the extremely low cost per kilometer driven, which makes it ideal for frequent use.

On the other hand, before opting for a 100% electric car, it is essential to consider some factors. Check the feasibility of installing a fast-charging socket in your home or condominium and be aware of the limitations of infrastructure for recharging during trips, as charging points are still scarce on many roads.

In addition, there are questions about the future of these vehicles that deserve attention. What will the resale market be like after 6 years of use or 100,000 km driven? Will we be able to find replacement parts easily outside of dealerships? What will the depreciation rate be over time?

These are questions that will be answered more accurately in a while, but in the meantime, TELL ME: would you buy a BYD Dolphin or some other electric car now, or do you think it's not the right time yet?

LEAVE YOUR OPINION BELOW!!!