EV driver reveals how BYD compares to Tesla on 1,800km road trip

The couple travelled in their new BYD Dolphin between South Australia and NSW, and have shared the difficulties of driving what many consider an "affordable" EV option.

Sophie Coghill
·News Reporter
Updated ·3-min read
The married couple in front of their BYD Dolphin car (left) and their route between South Australia and Grafton, NSW with charging stations labelled along the way (right).
The married couple travelled 1,800 kilometres in their BYD Dolphin. Source: Supplied

Despite there being a big uptick in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia, some drivers are still trying to figure out how best to adapt to the open, and often dusty roads driven on during interstate travel, and whether one type of EV is better than the other.

Tony Hill and his wife travelled 1,800 kilometres to visit family in their BYD Dolphin, driving from their "off-grid" home in Naracoorte, South Australia to Grafton in New South Wales, and detailed the trip with Yahoo News Australia.

While Teslas still dominate the Aussie EV market, many motorists including the Hills, are turning to the Chinese-manufactured EVs like BYD in a bid for more "affordable" options. But it appears cross-country travel in the BYD might not stack up against a Tesla with the married couple having encountered a list of problems during their lengthy trip.

The Hills used an app to locate charging stations along their route but found having a BYD posed more issues that may not have presented themselves if they had been travelling in a Tesla.

"Usually we had avoided Tesla chargers," Tony told Yahoo News. "Many of them have very short cables, designed only to reach the back of a Tesla... we had to park in some ingenious ways to make use of them."

Additionally, BYD cars face compatibility issues with some Tesla Superchargers for "vehicles sold after October 2023". Tesla driver Nathan Merritt previously told Yahoo that when it comes to long road trips, he feels "more confident relying on Teslas Network than any other provider in Australia."

The white BYD car parked on gravel with the couple inside.
The Hills learnt firsthand that Tesla superchargers have compatibility issues with non-Tesla cars. Source: Supplied

Other than being "glad that no one else was around at the time" to witness their difficulty while recharging, the BYD's "onboard navigation" also posed problems.

"Three of the first five chargers we were directed to in Adelaide had not been built yet," Tony told Yahoo, meaning at one point they were instructed to drive "two sides of a 13-kilometre triangle" rather than simply make a U-turn.

Alongside the constant consideration of where and how the EV would be charged, there were two features of the BYD that the Hills pointed out as less than ideal for interstate travel.

Firstly, the glass roof of the BYD allows for scenic views but does little to filter the "Aussie heat out", he explained. The couple had to buy a screen and fit it in their car in the hope of keeping cool during their travels.

What's more, the BYD's range is "considerably reduced" while travelling at high speed on the open road, meaning they stopped to recharge more than required to "avoid embarrassment".

"The Dolphin is more efficient around town where regenerative breaking is most effective, but at high speed on the open road the range is considerably reduced," he said.

Being forced to stop more frequently to recharge did however have a benefit. With fewer stops the couple believe they would have missed out on "exploring country towns" and chatting to locals — a highlight of the journey.

"We can recommend exploring country towns instead of zooming through them," Tony said. "Having time to chat to locals and other travellers was brilliant."

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