BYD Dolphin vs Hyundai Ioniq 3

The BYD Dolphin costs £7,950 more than the Hyundai Ioniq 3. For that premium it adds 52 miles more WLTP range, 42 kW more power and a 1.8s quicker 0-62mph time. The Hyundai Ioniq 3 is not just cheaper - it also offers 77 litres more boot space. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Hyundai Ioniq 3 comes out ahead overall.

The Hyundai Ioniq 3 is £7,950 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £136 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Hyundai Ioniq 3 comes out roughly £8,030 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 221 miles for the BYD Dolphin and 178 miles for the Hyundai Ioniq 3 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The BYD Dolphin goes roughly 43 miles further between charging stops.

The BYD Dolphin is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 30 mm narrower than the Hyundai Ioniq 3. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 630 mm of total clearance for the BYD Dolphin and about 600 mm of total clearance for the Hyundai Ioniq 3. The BYD Dolphin also turns in a 1.0 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.