BYD Dolphin Home Charging UK: Cost per Charge, Time & Best Chargers
Vehicle guide
The 60.4 kWh Dolphin fills in about 8 hours on a 7 kW wallbox and costs under £5 on an off-peak tariff. Charge the Blade battery to 100%, but know that the car sleeps through smart-charger starts.
Battery
60.4 kWh
20–80% at home
~5h 15m
AC limit
11 kW
20–80% at 7.6p
£2.75
Range
~215 mi
Charging time estimates
Approximate AC charging times
| Charge window | 3-pin (~2.3kW) | 7kW | 11kW max |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20–80% | 17h 0m | 5h 35m | 3h 35m |
| 0–100% | 28h 20m | 9h 20m | 5h 55m |
Assumes 8% charging losses and rounded 5-minute estimates. 3-pin assumes about 2.3kW; 7kW uses up to 7kW; three-phase only appears when the vehicle can accept more than 7.4kW AC.
Vehicle-specific tariff cost
BYD Dolphin (60.4 kWh) charging cost at 10,000 miles.
EV electricity only, using 3.6 miles per kWh and assuming every charging kWh reaches the listed lower rate. Household electricity and the postcode-dependent standing charge sit outside these figures.
Compare the full household bill, eligibility and achievable off-peak share in the EV tariff decision guide.
Charger picks
BYD Dolphin (60.4 kWh): 3 chargers we’d pick
Picked for the trade-offs that matter most when you’re buying for BYD Dolphin (60.4 kWh) specifically.
Best fit for BYD Dolphin (60.4 kWh)
Easee Easee OneCheap, compact and OZEV-approved at £480; the Dolphin sleeps through smart-charger starts, so the charger is mostly a socket and the BYD app is the scheduler.
- Price
- £480
- Power
- 7.4kW
The best plain wallbox for the money, with a 7.3 m cable that copes with the front-right socket parked either way.
- Price
- £475
- Power
- 7.4kW / 22kW
Solar diversion runs in daylight while the car is awake, which sidesteps the Dolphin's overnight deep-sleep problem.
- Price
- £684
- Power
- 7kW / 22kW
The hardware
The Dolphin's Type 2 inlet is on the front right wing; park nose-in and a 5 m tethered cable reaches from most walls. The on-board charger depends on the version: the 44.9 kWh Active and Boost have a 7 kW single-phase charger, the 60.4 kWh Comfort and Design get 11 kW. On a UK single-phase supply all of them charge at 7 kW, so the difference only shows on a three-phase supply. BYD includes a 3-pin granny lead; whether a Type 2 cable is in the box has varied, so confirm with the dealer and budget about £150 if not.
DC peaks at 60 kW (44.9) and 88 kW (60.4), modest figures that suit the car's purpose.
Variants (2026)
| Variant | Battery (usable) | Max AC | Max DC | WLTP range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active (95 PS) | 44.9 kWh | 7 kW | 60 kW | ~211 miles |
| Boost (176 PS) | 44.9 kWh | 7 kW | 60 kW | ~211 miles |
| Comfort (204 PS) | 60.4 kWh | 11 kW | 88 kW | 265 miles |
| Design (204 PS) | 60.4 kWh | 11 kW | 88 kW | 265 miles |
Prices from £26,195 (Active) to £31,695 (Design); the 2025 facelift kept the packs. Real-world range is about 160 and 215 miles. The smaller Dolphin Surf (30 and 43.2 kWh) is a separate model. Figures below are for the 60.4 kWh car.
How long it takes to charge the Dolphin
The figures below are for the 60.4 kWh Comfort or Design, the version most people buy, with its 60.4kWh usable battery.
20% to 80%, the everyday window
| Supply | Charge time (20–80%) | Range added |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pin socket (~2.3 kW) | ~16 hours | ~130 miles |
| 7 kW wallbox | ~5 hours | ~130 miles |
| 11 kW three-phase | ~3.3 hours | ~130 miles |
A full charge is a short night on single-phase. On the 44.9 kWh cars there is no three-phase gain at all; on the 60.4 kWh cars it needs a three-phase supply most homes lack.
0% to 100%
| Supply | Charge time (0–100%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pin socket (~2.3 kW) | ~26½ hours | Emergency use only |
| 7 kW wallbox (single-phase) | ~8 hours | The standard overnight charge |
| 11 kW wallbox (three-phase) | ~5½ hours | Only if the house has a three-phase supply |
Costs
The tariff does most of the work. The Dolphin returns about 3.6 mi/kWh in real-world UK driving.
Cost per full charge (60.4kWh)
| Tariff | Rate | 0–100% | 20–80% |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDF GoElectric | 6.66p/kWh | £4.02 | £2.41 |
| Octopus Intelligent Go | 7.6p/kWh | £4.59 | £2.75 |
| Octopus Go | 9.5p/kWh | £5.74 | £3.44 |
| British Gas EV Power | 9.5p/kWh | £5.74 | £3.44 |
| Standard variable (Ofgem cap) | 26.32p/kWh | £15.90 | £9.54 |
| Public rapid charger | 79p/kWh | £47.72 | £28.63 |
Annual charging cost at 10,000 miles
| Tariff | Cost per mile | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Octopus Intelligent Go | 2.1p/mile | £211 |
| Octopus Go | 2.6p/mile | £264 |
| Standard variable | 7.3p/mile | £731 |
| Public rapid only | 21.9p/mile | £2,194 |
| Petrol equivalent | ~19p | ~£1,900 |
Petrol assumes 40 mpg at £1.45 a litre. The electricity figures are charging only: no standing charge, and no allowance for the 5–10% lost between the wall and the battery.
The gap between the standard rate and a good EV tariff is several hundred pounds a year on typical mileage, and it costs nothing to close. The interactive savings calculator runs the numbers for your mileage; the UK EV Charging Cost Index compares every tariff per mile.
Blade battery: charge to 100%
The Dolphin uses BYD's LFP Blade battery, the same chemistry as the Atto 3. The practical upshot: charge to 100% every night, no 80% limit needed, and BYD recommends a full charge at least weekly so the battery management system can calibrate its state-of-charge reading. LFP tolerates sitting at full far better than NMC, so there is no range anxiety about leaving it plugged in.
The BYD app is the weak point. It can schedule charging by time window, but it has no charge-limit setting (BYD owners' forum), which is tolerable only because the chemistry does not need one.
Smart tariffs and the Dolphin
Intelligent Octopus Go has no integration with the car, so the scheduling has to come from the charger. That rules in the Ohme Home Pro, Ohme ePod, myenergi zappi, Hypervolt Home 3 Pro, Indra, Andersen and Octopus's own Octopus Charge, and rules out a basic wallbox if you want the 7.6p rate with no manual timers. BYD is not on OVO's list either. And there is a BYD-specific catch: the car falls into a deep sleep about 15 minutes after plugging in, and from then on ignores a charger-initiated start, so a zappi or an Ohme on Intelligent Go reports "EV full" or a failed session at 1am (myenergi forum, ChargeHQ community). The workarounds owners use: set the schedule in the BYD app so the car wakes itself and matches the tariff window, or leave a 1 A trickle running so the car never sleeps. Neither gives you true Intelligent Go dispatch. For a Dolphin, Octopus Go or EDF GoElectric with the car's own schedule is the honest recommendation.
Choosing a charger
Every home charger on this site works with the Dolphin: Type 2 is universal for UK AC charging. Given the sleep behaviour, the charger is mostly a socket and the car's app is the scheduler.
- Easee One at £480: cheap, compact, OZEV-approved, RCD inside. A good match for a car bought on price.
- Tesla Wall Connector at £475: the best plain wallbox for the money, with a 7.3 m cable that copes with a front-right socket parked either way round.
- myenergi zappi at £684: if you have solar. Surplus diversion runs during the day while the car is awake, which neatly avoids the overnight sleep problem.
Full head-to-heads are on the charger comparison page, and the smart-tariff chargers guide covers which units talk to which supplier.
Common questions
Can I charge a Dolphin from a 3-pin plug?
Yes, and BYD includes the lead. At 2.3 kW a full 60.4 kWh charge takes over a day, so it is a stopgap. 3-pin guide.
Does the Dolphin work with Intelligent Octopus Go?
Not through the car, and only patchily through a smart charger because the car sleeps through start commands. A fixed-window tariff with the car's own schedule is the dependable option.
Should I charge the Dolphin to 100%?
Yes. It is an LFP battery; BYD recommends regular full charges.
Does the Dolphin have Vehicle-to-Load?
Yes, 3.3 kW through an adapter. No vehicle-to-grid.
Getting set up
- Switch to an EV tariff before anything else; the saving starts the day it goes live.
- Choose a charger, or compare them all.
- Get installation quotes: up to three local installers, no obligation.
- Read the installation guide so the day itself holds no surprises.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Your next useful step: compare the recommended home chargers.