BYD Dolphin vs Renault 5

The BYD Dolphin costs £7,200 more than the Renault 5. For that premium it adds 73 miles more WLTP range, 30 kW faster peak rapid charging and 60 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the BYD Dolphin comes out ahead overall.

The Renault 5 is £7,200 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £144 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Renault 5 comes out roughly £7,240 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 160 miles for the Renault 5 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The BYD Dolphin goes roughly 61 miles further between charging stops.

The BYD Dolphin is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 38 mm narrower than the Renault 5. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 630 mm of total clearance for the BYD Dolphin and about 592 mm of total clearance for the Renault 5. The BYD Dolphin also turns in a 0.9 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 Renault 5. 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 Renault 5's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.