BYD Launches The Highly Anticipated Dolphin Surf In South Africa, Opening Electric Vehicles To The Mass Market - CleanTechnica

BYD Auto South Africa has launched the Dolphin Surf, a compact and affordable electric vehicle (EV) priced under R400,000 (~$30,000), marking a significant step toward making EVs accessible to the broader South African market. This launch addresses longstanding barriers such as high import duties and taxes on EVs, which have historically limited availability and affordability. While South Africa still imposes a 25% customs duty on EVs—higher than the 18% for internal combustion engine vehicles—other African countries like Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Mauritius have reduced or eliminated such duties to encourage EV adoption. The Dolphin Surf, also known as the Seagull or ATTO 1 in other markets, aims to fill the gap for an affordable, practical, and eco-friendly urban vehicle. The Dolphin Surf is offered in two models, Comfort and Dynamic, both equipped with a 55kW permanent magnet synchronous motor and a top speed of 130 km/h. The Comfort model accelerates from