Chinese vehicle manufacturing giant BYD on Tuesday unveiled South Africa’s new cheapest electric car, costing just R339 900.

BYD, often describes as China’s Tesla – and which is even outselling Tesla now in some markets – unveiled two derivatives of the new Dolphin Surf in Cape Town.

The first is the Dolphin Surf Comfort, which kicks off at R339 900 before an early adopter rebate of R10 000 that includes a “free extras” kit with a 7kW home wall charger, vehicle-to-load (V2L) socket, portable charger and point-to-point cable.

For the money you get a 30kWh blade battery (the safest on the market), 232km WLTP range, 30kW DC maximum charging rate, 55kW of power through the front wheels, and a host of toys including electric front seats and two screens – one for driver and a bigger for the centrally mounted control system.

For R389 900 (50 grand more), you get a 38.8kWh blade battery, 292km of WLTP range, up to 40kW of DC charging capacity and, interestingly, up to 15kW of wireless charging.

Wireless charging is an emerging technology that is yet to be proven or widely adopted but which is making its presence felt. In South Africa, it is largely confined to charging of mobile phones. But if the technology gains traction for EVs, it is good to know that the Surf is futureproofed.

V2L

V2L is rated at 3kW. This less than the BYD Shark’s 6kW but is enough to run your house without heavy appliances.

Indeed, it can charge up your home battery system. Even if you don’t yet have solar or batteries, this is still a useful feature that further futureproof the car.

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TechCentral’s first driving impressions were positive. Build quality at this price point is good. Rear seat occupancy in this segment size is impressive. Boot space is compromised but sufficient for shopping. The Surf is designed for day-to-day living and commuting, and it meets this brief.

At the launch, on a short 20km city circuit, performance was sufficiently nippy, typical of EVs. The ride felt firm and comfortable, but the included karaoke system was not tested — and never will be.