Some of the world’s biggest carmakers are squaring off for a titanic battle over small cars in Europe, as native stalwarts like Volkswagen and Renault fight to maintain their hold on the market against an influx of cheap electric vehicles (EVs) from BYD and its Chinese peers.
Last month, BYD, which surpassed Tesla last year as the world’s largest EV maker, launched its Dolphin Surf compact hatchback in Europe. The company’s most affordable model, known in China as the Seagull, is priced from €22,990 (US$26,128) with a 322km range to €24,990 with a 507km range. A promotion this month lowers the starting price to €19,990.
The compact segment was “the next frontier for electrification in Europe” and had huge potential, said Maria Grazia DaVino, BYD’s regional managing director for Europe, at a launch event in Berlin.
“It’s a declaration of intentions from BYD that it is exploring the small car segment [in Europe],” said Felipe Munoz, senior analyst at Jato Dynamics. “It is a very competitive car, and can also shake the small car segment because of its price.”
The car’s introduction represents a big opportunity for European consumers to “finally” benefit from a competitive product, he said. “But it’s also an alarm for the European carmakers, which have been struggling to come up with really competitive small cars.”
