Although BYD’s Dolphin was the cheapest EV when it landed in Australia in 2023, it’s now even more affordable. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, a new Dolphin Essentials trim is now available to order starting at $29,990 (plus on-road costs). It’s the first EV to start at under $30,000 in Australia.

A new entry-level BYD Dolphin sees it slide under $30,000 before on-road costs, while the Atto 3 now starts from less than $40,000.

The first electric vehicle priced under $30,000 is now on sale in Australia, with a stripped-back version of the Dolphin vehicle from Chinese carmaker BYD heading a growing list of lower-cost clean cars for Australia.

Despite new players entering the market and some of the cheapest electric vehicles in the world landing on our shores, EV sales in Australia increased by just 4.7% in 2024 with a total of 91,292 cars sold.