BYD Dolphin vs Mercedes-Benz EQA

The Mercedes-Benz EQA costs £13,300 more than the BYD Dolphin. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The BYD Dolphin is not just cheaper - it also offers a 1.1s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BYD Dolphin comes out ahead overall.

The BYD Dolphin is £13,300 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £152 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the BYD Dolphin comes out roughly £13,420 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 219 miles for the Mercedes-Benz EQA - effectively matched, and both well below their WLTP figures because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV.

The BYD Dolphin is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 64 mm narrower than the Mercedes-Benz EQA. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 630 mm of total clearance for the BYD Dolphin and about 566 mm of total clearance for the Mercedes-Benz EQA. The BYD Dolphin also turns in a 2.0 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 and 84% for the Mercedes-Benz EQA. That gives the BYD Dolphin a modest edge in retained real-world range. The BYD Dolphin's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Mercedes-Benz EQA's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.