On September 22, 2023, as the 500,000th BYD Dolphin rolled off the production line, this new energy model with phenomenal market performance ushered in an important milestone moment.
At the same time, the more competitive Dolphin 500,000 commemorative edition was also launched at the same time, and BYD not only set a price range of 126,800-139,800 yuan for it, but also gave a time-limited right of 2,000 yuan to 9,000 yuan for the whole series, pressing the starting price of the Dolphin into 110,000 yuan. This strategy of "increasing the allocation without increasing the price" has been applied to a number of "Champion Edition" models under the BYD brand this year.
However, despite not being given the name "Champion Edition", the Dolphin has in fact been the best-selling A0-class sedan for a long time.
From its launch at the end of August 2021 to the launch of the 500,000th unit off the assembly line, the Dolphin took only 2 years and 1 month. In addition, this A0-class pure electric car has also achieved a series of achievements such as the A0-class car segment sales champion for 19 consecutive months, the A0-class car monthly sales champion for 6 consecutive times, and the monthly sales champion for pure electric cars for 5 consecutive times.
One
The emergence of a phenomenal product will have epoch-making significance. The launch of the Dolphin also divides the A0-class car market into "pre-dolphin era" and "post-dolphin era".
What was the "pre-dolphin era" like?
For car companies, the market and users, this era can be summed up as: the "fear" of being dominated by joint venture brands.
The word "fear" may be an exaggeration here, but it is undeniable that before the Dolphin was born, the front row of the small car sales list was indeed Toyota Zhixuan, Honda Fit, Volkswagen Polo and other fuel models priced at the 100,000 yuan level, and their annual sales were mostly between 5-100,000 units, and there were few products of the same magnitude that could be reached by independent brands.
In the small SUV market, some models from independent brands have made certain achievements by virtue of their price advantages, but the top two are still two Japanese brand products, and their sales have opened a significant gap with the models behind them, reaching the level of annual sales of 150,000 units, which is an insurmountable "mountain" for independent brands at that time.
In addition, at that time, the new energy models of independent brands had not yet fully begun to overtake in the corners of the A0-class market. It was not until the first half of 2021 that some relatively competitive new energy models began to emerge, ending the dilemma that consumers with a budget of 100,000 yuan could not buy suitable new energy models, but in terms of sales, these products are far from reaching the level of explosive models.
It can be said that before the launch of the Dolphin, automobile consumers still have to choose between the A0 joint venture fuel vehicles with low product power and cost performance, and there is no relatively successful precedent for independent brands to rely on new energy models to seize the market share of the former.
That all changed completely with the launch of Dolphin at the end of August 2021 and subsequent deliveries.
In terms of sales, the Dolphin achieved monthly sales of more than 10,000 units in the fourth full delivery month after its launch, and it took 11 months to achieve cumulative sales of 100,000 units; It took 4 months to complete the cumulative sales from 100,000 to 200,000, then to 300,000 and 400,000; It took only 3 months for the 400,000 to 500,000 vehicles. Since January 2022, Dolphin has held the sales crown of A0-class sedans for 19 months, with monthly sales exceeding 30,000 units for 7 consecutive months, and there has even been a phenomenon that Dolphin's monthly sales are greater than all other A0-class sedans combined, the market share of a single model in the market segment has reached nearly 70%, and the annual sales volume has reached an unprecedented 200,000 units.
It can be said that starting from the hot sales of dolphins, the main theme of the A0 market has realized the transition from fuel vehicles to new energy vehicles, and the triple advantages of product power, use cost and scene matching have also completed a complete transformation in the minds of target users in this market.
Since then, the A0-level market has also ushered in a new situation of "one super, many strong, a hundred flowers blooming".
Two
The key to creating a popular A0-class new energy vehicle priced at 10-150,000 yuan lies in the identification of user groups and the insight into user needs.
In the era of hot sales of A0-level joint venture fuel vehicles, these low-priced, simple-configuration cars are more to solve the problem of whether there is or not, that is: spend more than 100,000 yuan to buy a small travel tool that is enough for one or two people to shelter from the wind and rain, and the user needs are relatively simple.
However, as a large number of post-90s, 95s and even post-00s generations begin to pour into the automobile consumer market, the demand for enjoyment and intelligent experience of A0-level car users is also increasing. Although limited by economic strength, their car purchase budget has not increased significantly compared with the past user group, but the previous simple combination of "wheel + engine + shell" is difficult to meet them. In addition, the aesthetic requirements of this user group have also undergone subtle changes, and some traditional fuel vehicles with conservative interior and exterior design styles no longer meet their aesthetics.
At the same time, the increasing number of cars has led to the intensification of urban congestion, and the development of the economy has also allowed more families to have the ability to buy a second car, so there is a demand for an additional boutique car that is more suitable for urban commuting, as a supplement to the family's first vehicle with a larger size and space and suitable for long-distance travel.
Therefore, the mainstream users of today's A0-class cars can be roughly classified into two categories: one is the young user group with relatively new concepts, focusing on experience, and average economic strength, and the other is the family user group with middle and upper economic strength and the need for additional purchases.
From the perspective of the user's typical car use scenarios, urban commuting, picking up and dropping off children, shopping mall entertainment, supermarket procurement, short-distance travel and other high-frequency use scenarios are relatively high-frequency use scenarios, and on this basis, some relatively low-frequency additional scenarios such as in-car rest and in-car entertainment will be derived.
Thanks to their small body size and turning radius, A0 gasoline vehicles tend to be highly agile on city roads, but overly simplistic features – such as the lack of a reversing camera or even a parking sensor – cause a lot of inconvenience in the parking scene. In addition, fuel models at this price point also have shortcomings such as weak acceleration ability and almost no entertainment functions, which cannot meet the pain points of today's users' commuting efficiency and in-car entertainment needs.
Therefore, on the whole, at the time node in 2021, the big wave of change in the A0-level market is imperative and natural, and the dolphin that came into being rushed to the head of the wave with strength.
Three
In terms of satisfying user needs and solving pain points, Dolphin's advantages over fuel vehicles of the same level and price are overwhelming.
In the design of the exterior and interior, Dolphin chose a relatively neutral "marine aesthetics" design concept, rather than blindly taking the mellow and cute route, which can meet the aesthetics of mainstream male and female users at the same time. The 500,000 commemorative edition model on the market this time adds a more sporty package to the front and rear bumpers, side skirts and rear of the car, and adopts a more visually striking Delan black + heat wave crimson color scheme, which further enhances the car's sense of sportiness and fashion.
In terms of interior, the Dolphin also adopts a symmetrical design with more marine elements, and reserves enough storage space to meet the needs of users to store various small items such as water cups, glasses, paper towels, and trash cans. The adaptively rotating 12.8-inch floating center control screen, open DiLink intelligent network system and 6-speaker audio system give Dolphin a strong in-car entertainment ability, and realize functions that cannot be achieved by fuel vehicles of the same level such as watching videos/live broadcasts/karaoke in the car.
The Dolphin 500,000 commemorative edition has been further improved in the experience of the intelligent cockpit. The new continuous voice function makes the interaction in the car more convenient, and the intelligent power-on and power-on function also makes the car basically get rid of the use logic of fuel vehicles, which is more in line with the usage habits of today's new energy vehicle users.
Compared with several A0-class fuel vehicles that have been sold before, the Dolphin is at the same level in three-dimensional dimensions, and its restrained body size makes it equally convenient on urban roads, and it is more effective in dealing with narrow road U-turns and narrow parking spaces.
In various urban scenarios, the advantages of the dolphin compared with fuel competitors are mainly reflected in two points.
One is the wheelbase. As the first mass-produced BEV based on the e-platform 3.0, the 2,700mm wheelbase Dolphin has a class-leading rear space and a nearly flat floor. Although the rear seat is a relatively low-frequency use scenario for an A0-class sedan, when this demand arises, the Dolphin will undoubtedly bring a better riding experience to the rear passengers, far better than the A0-class competing fuel models.
The second is configuration. Compared with the joint venture fuel model, which is difficult to achieve even the parking radar standard, the Dolphin is equipped with a 360° panoramic image as standard, which also brings a better experience to the driver when dealing with narrow and complex road conditions and parking.
In addition, as a pure electric model, range and energy consumption levels are naturally the attributes that users focus on. The e-platform 3.0 brings new technologies such as 8-in-1 electric powertrain, battery pack refrigerant direct cooling and direct heating technology, and wide temperature range heat pump system to Dolphin, which is reflected in the user experience, which is lower energy consumption and higher endurance achievement rate.
The pure electric range of 401/420km and 60kW DC fast charging are enough for Dolphin to easily cope with most urban commuting and outdoor scenarios, reducing users' anxiety about battery life and energy replenishment. The 3.3kW external discharge function, which is standard on all models, can also be used as a supplement in outdoor scenarios, expanding the car's practicality for camping and outing.
It is not difficult to see that Dolphin has gotten rid of the stereotype of "new energy substitute for A0-class fuel vehicles" in the definition of products, but through the idea of creating high-quality cars and the application of new technologies to match the needs of today's users, so as to achieve sales performance that was difficult to achieve in the past fuel models.
This is "dolphin success".
summary
The market performance of Dolphin's "phenomenal explosion" is not accidental, but the inevitable result of the combination of technical advantages and successful product definition.
For the BYD brand, as the first mass-produced model of the e-platform 3.0, the Dolphin has also taken on the task of showcasing advanced technology. With the hot sales of dolphins, BYD's technology accumulation in the field of new energy has become more and more popular.
On the second anniversary of its launch, Dolphin not only ushered in an important milestone of 500,000 vehicles off the assembly line, but also ushered in more fierce market competition, and the 500,000th "jump" is more like the starting point of a new stage for Dolphin.
The next questions to watch out for include: As a leading new energy brand, how does BYD deal with competition? As the best-selling dolphin in the market segment, how will the product evolve? As a global model, what height can the Dolphin reach in overseas markets?