BYD Dolphin Surf vs Vauxhall Corsa-e

The Vauxhall Corsa-e costs £11,340 more than the BYD Dolphin Surf. For that premium it adds 71 miles more WLTP range, 35 kW faster peak rapid charging and 35 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Vauxhall Corsa-e comes out ahead overall.

The BYD Dolphin Surf is £11,340 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £160 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the BYD Dolphin Surf comes out roughly £11,220 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 87 miles for the BYD Dolphin Surf and 174 miles for the Vauxhall Corsa-e - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Vauxhall Corsa-e goes roughly 87 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 30-30 minutes.

The BYD Dolphin Surf is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 45 mm narrower than the Vauxhall Corsa-e. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 680 mm of total clearance for the BYD Dolphin Surf and about 635 mm of total clearance for the Vauxhall Corsa-e. The BYD Dolphin Surf also turns in a 0.4 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the BYD Dolphin Surf and 84% for the Vauxhall Corsa-e. That gives the BYD Dolphin Surf a modest edge in retained real-world range. The BYD Dolphin Surf's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Vauxhall Corsa-e's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use.