BYD unveiled the Dolphin Surf in Berlin, marking the Chinese automaker’s tenth electric model available in Europe. The vehicle is offered in three configurations, priced between €22,990 and €24,990, depending on the range: either 322 km or 507 km.
With this move, BYD intensifies the pressure on European manufacturers to provide more affordable electric alternatives, as high costs remain a major obstacle to broader EV adoption.
Currently, only a handful of electric models are available in Europe for under €20,000, such as the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor’s T03. However, this year, eleven new models priced below €25,000 are expected to enter the market, including the Volkswagen ID.2, Renault R5, Fiat Grand Panda, and Hyundai Inster.
“The compact segment is the next frontier for electrification in Europe,” said Maria Grazia Davino, BYD’s regional managing director for Germany and other markets. “We believe this market holds significant potential.”
The Chinese version of the model, known as the Seagull, has been a key driver of BYD’s rapid growth in its domestic market. In 2024, it became the second best-selling model after Tesla’s Model Y, with over 442,000 registrations.
Globally, sales of the model have risen by 45% so far this year, reaching 170,000 units, BYD reported.
Having surpassed Tesla in 2023 to become the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD is restructuring its European operations. The strategy includes expanding its dealership network, offering more hybrid options, and hiring managers with local expertise, following initial challenges that hampered sales in the region.
The results of this overhaul are already visible. In Germany, sales totalled 2,791 units in the first four months of the year, approaching the 2,891 vehicles sold across the whole of 2024, according to data from Germany’s motor vehicle authority KBA.
This upward trend is reflected across the continent, with BYD quadrupling its sales in the first quarter, reaching 37,201 units, while Tesla’s sales dropped by 37.2%.
BYD plans to enter twelve new European markets in 2025, expanding its retail footprint to over 1,000 locations, Davino confirmed.
