BYD Dolphin charging at home with a public fast charger in the background, comparing charging costs

BYD Dolphin Charging Cost per 100 km: Home vs Public

Using the owner's manual consumption figures of 12.6 and 14.2 kWh per 100 km, the BYD Dolphin costs about $3.20 to $3.60 per 100 km on Australian home off-peak rates, and roughly double that on public DC fast charging. In the UK, an EV off-peak tariff drops it to around £1 per 100 km, while in the UAE, home charging runs about AED 4 against DEWA's public rates. The pattern is universal: home charging wins everywhere.

Dolphin Charging Costs at a Glance

Measurement Detail
Maths base (manual) 12.6 / 14.2 kWh per 100 km, NEDC
AU home off-peak About $3.15 to $3.55 per 100 km
AU public DC About $7.56 to $8.52 per 100 km
UK EV off-peak tariff About £0.88 to £0.99 per 100 km
UAE home (mid slab) About AED 3.78 to AED 4.26 per 100 km
The rule Home beats public in every market

The Maths Base, Verified From the Manual

Every figure below is built on one verified foundation. The BYD Dolphin owner's manual states power consumption per 100 km under comprehensive working conditions as 12.6 kWh (NEDC) for the Standard Range and 14.2 kWh (NEDC) for the Extended Range.

Those are laboratory baselines, and real-world driving typically runs a little higher, around 15 to 16 kWh per 100 km depending on conditions. The tables use the manual's figures, so add a modest margin for real-world budgeting.

The One Formula You Need

Rather than trusting anyone's table, you can calculate your own exact cost in seconds.

Consumption per 100 km, multiplied by your tariff per kWh, equals your cost per 100 km.

For example: 12.6 kWh multiplied by a 25 cent rate equals $3.15 per 100 km. Swap in your own electricity rate and the sums below become personal.

Australia: Cost per 100 km by Tariff

Measurement Standard Range Extended Range
Home off-peak (about 25c/kWh) $3.15 $3.55
Home standard (about 32c/kWh) $4.03 $4.54
Public DC (about 60c/kWh) $7.56 $8.52

Off-peak home charging is the Dolphin's sweet spot in Australia, and even standard home rates comfortably beat any petrol equivalent.

United Kingdom: Cost per 100 km by Tariff

Measurement Standard Range Extended Range
EV off-peak tariff (about 7p/kWh) £0.88 £0.99
Standard rate (about 27p/kWh) £3.40 £3.83
Public rapid (about 79p/kWh) £9.95 £11.22

The UK shows the widest spread of all. A dedicated EV overnight tariff makes the Dolphin astonishingly cheap, around £1 per 100 km, while public rapid charging costs more than ten times as much. For UK owners, the overnight tariff is the single biggest money-saver available.

UAE: Cost per 100 km by Tariff

Measurement Standard Range Extended Range
Home (mid residential slab, about 30 fils/kWh) AED 3.78 AED 4.26
DEWA public AC (70 fils/kWh) AED 8.82 AED 9.94
DEWA public DC (120 fils/kWh) AED 15.12 AED 17.04

The Dubai figures use DEWA's EV Green Charger rates of 70 fils per kWh for AC and 120 fils for DC, set under Cabinet Resolution No. 81 of 2024, against typical residential slab rates at home. The lesson repeats: home charging costs less than half the public DC rate.

Home vs Public: The Universal Pattern

Across all three markets, the same three-tier pattern holds.

  • Home off-peak or EV tariffs: The cheapest kilometres you will ever buy
  • Home standard rates: Still excellent, and effortless
  • Public DC fast charging: Convenient on trips, but roughly double home rates or more, so treat it as a road-trip tool rather than a routine

The practical strategy writes itself: charge at home for daily driving, use public DC for long journeys, and if your retailer offers an EV or off-peak plan, take it.

Set Up Home Charging Properly

Since home charging is where the savings live, it pays to set it up well. A dedicated home charger for your Dolphin charges faster than a standard outlet and pairs perfectly with overnight off-peak windows, and the car's reservation charging can schedule sessions into the cheap hours automatically.

For what plugs in where, our guide to the Dolphin's charger types and port covers the Type 2 and CCS2 details, and for how these costs compare against the competition, our breakdown of BYD versus Tesla charging costs runs the same honest maths across brands.

Infographic of BYD Dolphin charging cost per 100 km across home and public tariffs in Australia, UK, and UAE

Common Mistakes

  • Relying on public DC routinely: It doubles your cost per kilometre or worse
  • Ignoring off-peak and EV tariffs: They are the single biggest saving in every market
  • Budgeting on lab figures alone: Allow a real-world margin above the NEDC baseline
  • Forgetting to schedule charging: Reservation charging puts sessions in the cheap window automatically
  • Comparing tariffs without the formula: Consumption times rate gives your true number in seconds
  • Assuming one market's prices apply everywhere: Tariffs vary widely, so use your local rates
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