BYD Dolphin vs MG4: Cheapest EVs in Australia Compared (2026)
Australia’s cheapest EVs are also two of the most hotly debated. At under $37,000, the BYD Dolphin Essential and MG MG4 Excite 51 represent the most accessible entry point into electric vehicle ownership from a mainstream brand. They’re aimed at the same buyer, priced within reach of each other, and both deliver genuine capability without feeling like budget compromises.
157,000 new electric vehicles were registered in Australia in 2025, taking the national EV share to 13.1% of new car sales (Electric Vehicle Council, January 2026). A large share of that growth came from exactly this price bracket. The BYD Dolphin Essential sits at around $32,699 drive-away, the cheapest new EV in Australia from a name-brand manufacturer. The MG MG4 Excite 51 costs $36,990. That’s a $4,291 gap. Not huge in the context of a car purchase, but meaningful for buyers for whom price is the primary filter.
What you get for each dollar is genuinely interesting though. The Dolphin has V2L and costs less. The MG4 charges faster, has a slightly bigger battery, and carries one of the best warranties in the segment. Neither car is the obvious loser here. Your actual driving habits will decide which one suits you better.
Specs at a Glance
| BYD Dolphin Essential | MG MG4 Excite 51 | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive-away price | ~$32,699 | $36,990 |
| WLTP Range | 340 km | 350 km |
| Battery | 44.9 kWh LFP | 51 kWh |
| DC Charging | 60 kW | 87 kW |
| 0–100 km/h | 7.0 s | 7.7 s |
| Drive type | FWD | RWD |
| V2L | Yes | No |
| Warranty | 6 yr / 150,000 km | 7 yr / unlimited km |
| Body style | Small hatchback | Compact hatchback |
Price: The Dolphin Wins by $4,291
The Dolphin Essential comes in at around $4,291 cheaper than the MG4 Excite 51. At this end of the market, that gap matters. It covers a year or two of home electricity costs, a good quality home EV charger installation, or simply stays in your pocket.
The Dolphin also sits below the $33,000 mark, a threshold that unlocks maximum stamp duty concessions in several Australian states for zero-emission vehicles. Depending on where you live, that could add further savings on top of the sticker price difference.
For buyers where upfront cost is the main consideration, the Dolphin wins this category clearly.
Winner: BYD Dolphin (by $4,291)
Range: Effectively Identical
The MG4 Excite 51 claims 350km WLTP; the Dolphin claims 340km. Ten kilometres difference. In real-world Australian driving, you will never notice this.
Both cars suit urban and suburban use extremely well. City commuting, school runs, weekend errands: neither needs a second thought. For trips over 250km, both need a charging stop, and that’s true regardless of which direction the 10km gap falls.
The Dolphin runs LFP battery chemistry. LFP cells handle regular 100% charging without meaningful degradation, unlike the NMC cells in some competitors. So the Dolphin’s 340km is a number you can reliably extract day after day by charging to full every night. The MG4’s NMC battery is best kept to 80% for longevity, which trims its effective daily range to around 280km.
Winner: Draw (and arguably Dolphin in daily practice)
Charging Speed: MG4 Is Noticeably Faster
The MG4 Excite 51 peaks at 87kW DC. The Dolphin Essential peaks at 60kW DC. That’s a 45% difference and it shows up at public chargers.
At a 50kW charger (still common in regional towns and shopping centres), both cars are capped at the charger’s output and charge at the same speed. At a 150kW ultra-rapid charger, the MG4 charges to 80% in roughly 35 minutes. The Dolphin takes around 50 minutes for the same top-up.
For most drivers charging at home overnight, this is completely academic. A 7.4kW home charger adds 40–50km of range per hour, and overnight charging at home costs you roughly $4.50 per 100km at average Australian electricity rates. That’s compared to around $16 per 100km for a typical petrol car. Whether your charge takes 6 hours or 8 hours, you start the day full either way.
But if you regularly stop at fast chargers on the road, for regional runs, road trips, or because you live in an apartment without home charging, the MG4’s faster top-up is a genuine quality-of-life improvement.
Winner: MG4 (significantly, for public charging users)
Acceleration: A Small Edge to the Dolphin
The Dolphin reaches 100km/h in 7.0 seconds. The MG4 Excite 51 takes 7.7 seconds. Both feel nippy compared to equivalent petrol city hatchbacks. EVs deliver their torque immediately rather than building through the rev range.
In everyday driving, 0.7 seconds is imperceptible. You’re not going to feel the difference when pulling away from traffic lights. But if you’re the type who cares about this number, the Dolphin has the slightly quicker response.
Winner: BYD Dolphin (marginally)
V2L: A Real Bonus on the Dolphin
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) is one of those features that sounds niche until you actually use it. The BYD Dolphin includes a 2.2kW V2L outlet as standard. The MG4 Excite 51 does not have V2L at any configuration.
What can you do with 2.2kW from your car? Run a camp fridge and some lighting at a caravan site. Power a drill or grinder at a job site with no mains access. Keep a fridge running during a blackout. Charge a bike or power some tools on a farm. It’s not something you’ll use every day, but it adds genuine utility that extends the car beyond just transport.
Getting V2L on a $32,699 car is good value. At this price point, many cars don’t offer it at all.
Winner: BYD Dolphin
Warranty: MG Has the Stronger Cover
MG’s 7-year/unlimited km warranty is better than BYD’s 6-year/150,000km on paper, and meaningfully so for high-mileage drivers.
BYD’s cap works out to 25,000km per year averaged over six years. That covers most Australians comfortably. The average is around 13,000km per year. But for someone covering 30,000km annually (a tradie, a regional commuter, a rideshare driver), BYD’s limit is hit in five years. MG’s unlimited km term removes that calculation entirely.
The 7-year versus 6-year duration difference also matters for buyers who plan to keep the car long-term rather than upgrade in a few years.
Winner: MG4 (especially for high-kilometre drivers)
Running Costs and FBT
On home electricity at roughly 30c/kWh, both cars cost around $4.50 per 100km to run. Compare that to a petrol hatchback doing 8L/100km at $2.00/L, which is $16 per 100km, or about 73% more expensive. The savings add up quickly.
Both cars qualify for the FBT exemption on novated leases as pure battery electric vehicles under the $91,387 GST-inclusive threshold. If you have access to salary packaging through your employer, the annual tax saving can be a few thousand dollars, which effectively reduces the real-world cost gap between these two cars further. Check the electric vehicle rebates and incentives page for your state’s specific details. PHEVs lost this FBT exemption from April 2025, which makes cars like these two particularly attractive for packaging.
What About the BYD Atto 1?
If you’re here because you want the most affordable EV possible, it’s worth knowing about the BYD Atto 1. It launched in late 2025 from around $23,990 d/a (Essential, 220km range/30kWh) and $28,990 d/a (Premium, 310km/43.2kWh). That makes it significantly cheaper than even the Dolphin.
The Atto 1 is a small SUV rather than a hatchback, and the range is shorter. But if your driving is mostly around town, say under 150km per day, and the lowest possible entry price is what matters most, the Atto 1 deserves a look before you commit to either of these two.
Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?
These two cars are closely matched in the ways that matter most: range, size, daily usability. The differences come down to price, charging speed, V2L, and warranty.
Choose the BYD Dolphin Essential if: the upfront price is your priority, you primarily charge at home overnight, you want V2L capability, or you’re getting into EV ownership for the first time and want the lowest barrier to entry. The $4,291 saving is real money, and the LFP battery’s tolerance for regular full charges is a genuine long-term benefit.
Choose the MG MG4 Excite 51 if: you regularly use public fast chargers, you drive high annual kilometres and want unlimited km warranty cover, or the RWD driving dynamics appeal to you. The extra $4,291 buys faster charging and a stronger warranty for drivers who need both.
For most city and suburban buyers charging at home, the Dolphin’s price advantage and V2L make it the more compelling package. If you’re weighing up slightly larger options at a similar budget, our BYD Atto 3 vs MG4 comparison covers the step-up SUV segment. Browse all currently available electric vehicles on our full EV comparison page.
Common Questions
Is the BYD Dolphin really Australia’s cheapest new EV?
Yes, as of 2026 the BYD Dolphin Essential at around $32,699 drive-away is the cheapest new electric vehicle from a mainstream brand on sale in Australia. The BYD Atto 1 has since launched from around $23,990 d/a and is even cheaper, though it’s a small SUV rather than a hatchback.
Does the MG4 Excite 51 charge faster than the Dolphin?
Meaningfully faster, yes. The MG4 Excite 51 peaks at 87kW DC; the Dolphin Essential caps at 60kW. At a 150kW rapid charger, the MG4 charges to 80% in roughly 35 minutes. The Dolphin takes closer to 50 minutes for the same top-up. For home charging overnight, the difference doesn’t matter.
What is V2L and does the Dolphin actually have it?
V2L stands for vehicle-to-load. It lets you plug standard appliances into a socket on the car and run them off the battery. The BYD Dolphin Essential does have V2L built in. The MG4 Excite 51 does not. It’s genuinely useful for camping, job sites, or running a fridge during a power outage.
Which is better for someone who charges mainly at home?
If you charge at home overnight, the Dolphin makes more sense financially. The $4,291 price difference is the main factor, and charging speed matters far less when you’re topping up slowly on a home 7.4kW charger each night. Both cars will be full by morning regardless.
Do the BYD Dolphin and MG4 qualify for the novated lease FBT exemption?
Yes. Both are pure BEVs priced well under the $91,387 GST-inclusive threshold, so both qualify for the FBT exemption on novated leases. For employees with salary packaging access, this can save thousands per year. PHEVs lost this exemption from April 2025, which makes both of these even more attractive for packaging.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the BYD Dolphin really Australia's cheapest new EV?
- Yes, as of 2026 the BYD Dolphin Essential at around $32,699 drive-away is the cheapest new electric vehicle from a mainstream brand on sale in Australia. The BYD Atto 1 has since launched from around $23,990 d/a and is even cheaper, though it's a small SUV rather than a hatchback.
- Does the MG4 Excite 51 charge faster than the Dolphin?
- Meaningfully faster, yes. The MG4 Excite 51 peaks at 87kW DC; the Dolphin Essential caps at 60kW. At a 150kW rapid charger, the MG4 charges to 80% in roughly 35 minutes. The Dolphin takes closer to 50 minutes for the same top-up. For home charging overnight, neither difference matters.
- What is V2L and does the Dolphin actually have it?
- V2L stands for vehicle-to-load. It lets you plug standard appliances into a socket on the car and run them off the battery. The BYD Dolphin Essential does have V2L built in. The MG4 Excite 51 does not. It's genuinely useful for camping, job sites, or running a fridge during a power outage.
- Which is better for someone who charges mainly at home?
- If you charge at home overnight, the Dolphin makes more sense financially. The $4,291 price difference is the main factor, and charging speed matters far less when you're topping up slowly on a home 7.4kW charger each night. Both cars will be full by morning regardless.
- Do the BYD Dolphin and MG4 qualify for the novated lease FBT exemption?
- Yes. Both are pure BEVs priced well under the $91,387 GST-inclusive threshold, so both qualify for the FBT exemption on novated leases. For employees with salary packaging access, this can save thousands per year. PHEVs lost this exemption from April 2025, which makes both of these even more attractive for packaging.