BYD Dolphin vs Kia EV4Which is cheaper to run?
Over 5 years the BYD Dolphin Essential works out about $19,657 cheaper to own than the Kia EV4 Air, counting price, charging, servicing and tyres. Charging mostly at home in NSW and driving 250 km a week costs about $14.91 a week for the BYD Dolphin Essential and $13.41 for the Kia EV4 Air. The Kia EV4 Air goes further on a charge: 456 km claimed versus 340 km.
Side by side
Comparing the BYD Dolphin Essential and Kia EV4 Air. Better figure in green. Charging assumes 250 km a week, 90% at home.
| BYD Dolphin Essential | Kia EV4 Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29,990+ on-roads | $49,990+ on-roads |
| Claimed range | 340 km | 456 km |
| Battery | 44.9 kWh | 55 kWh |
| Energy use | 15.9 kWh/100 km | 14.3 kWh/100 km |
| Length | 4.29 m | 4.73 m |
| Charging per week (NSW) | $14.91 | $13.41 |
| Servicing per year | $341 | $307 |
| Tyres per year | $390 | $433 |
| Home charger (one-off) | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Full charge at home | 6 hours | 8 hours |
| Max fast charge | 60 kW | 135 kW |
| Warranty | 6 yrs / 150,000 km | 7 yrs / unlimited km |
| 5-year cost to own | $43,522 | $63,178 |
Cost to own = price (plus about $4,000 on-road costs where the price is before on-roads) + a home wallbox for EVs (about $2,000, one-off) + charging or fuel + scheduled servicing + tyres. It leaves out insurance, registration and resale value, which vary too much by person and car to estimate fairly. Resale value is the biggest unknown, especially for newer brands.
Weekly charging cost by state
250 km a week, mostly charged at home, on each state's 2026–27 default electricity rate.
| State | BYD Dolphin | Kia EV4 |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | $14.91 | $13.41 |
| Victoria | $12.94 | $11.64 |
| Queensland | $12.80 | $11.51 |
| South Australia | $17.77 | $15.98 |
| WA | $14.70 | $13.22 |
| Tasmania | $11.65 | $10.48 |
| ACT | $16.02 | $14.41 |
| NT | $13.55 | $12.19 |
Common questions
Is the BYD Dolphin or Kia EV4 cheaper to own?
The BYD Dolphin Essential is about $19,657 cheaper to own over 5 years. This counts the price, charging mostly at home, scheduled servicing and tyres, driving 250 km a week in NSW.
Which is cheaper to charge, the BYD Dolphin or Kia EV4?
In NSW, charging mostly at home, the BYD Dolphin Essential costs about $14.91 a week and the Kia EV4 Air about $13.41 for 250 km of driving.
Which has more range, the BYD Dolphin or Kia EV4?
The Kia EV4 Air has a claimed range of 456 km, versus 340 km. Expect less at highway speeds.
Which is bigger, the BYD Dolphin or Kia EV4?
The BYD Dolphin is 4.29 m long and the Kia EV4 is 4.73 m long.
More comparisons
BYD Dolphin
How we work it out
Weekly cost is the car's claimed energy use (kWh per 100 km) × your distance × your electricity price. "Per week" figures on this site assume 250 km a week with 90% of charging at home. Petrol comparisons use the fuel use and price you choose. Prices are list prices at October 2026 and change often; check with the dealer.
- Electricity: 2026–27 default or regulated flat rates from the AER Default Market Offer (NSW, SE QLD, SA), Victorian Default Offer, Aurora Energy (TAS), Jacana Energy (NT), Synergy (WA) and ActewAGL (ACT).
- Public charging: Sydney survey of Chargefox, Evie, NRMA, Tesla and BP Pulse prices, July 2026.
- Car specs and prices: manufacturer figures as published by CarExpert, AEVA EV fact sheets, Drive and EV Central's car guide. Some prices are the publisher's estimates; check with a dealer.
- Servicing: published capped-price schedules (BYD Sealion 7, BYD Seal, Geely EX5, Jaecoo J5 EV, Kia EV5, Zeekr 7X). Tesla has no fixed service schedule and CarExpert's EV servicing comparison. Where a model's pricing isn't published yet we use the brand's nearest model and mark it as an estimate.
- Tyres: RACV puts EV tyre life at 20,000–40,000 km; replacement set prices from Gridly's 2026 EV tyre cost guide.
- Petrol: ACCC average retail unleaded prices in each capital city, week to 21 October 2026 (ACCC weekly fuel price monitoring).
- Plug-in hybrids: prices, battery sizes and claimed electric range from CarExpert, Cars24, Zecar and The Beep. Real-world electric range is taken as 80% of the claim; plug-ins charged at home each night are assumed to do up to 85% of driving on electricity. Petrol use with a flat battery is our estimate from reviews where makers don't publish one.
- Hybrids: claimed fuel use, prices and capped-price servicing as published by CarExpert and CarsGuide. Petrol and hybrid tyres usually last 40,000–60,000 km (RACV); we use 50,000 km.
- Home chargers: typically $1,000–$3,000 installed, about $2,000 typical (What's the Damage, October 2026).
- Novated lease rules: PwC summary of the May 2026 FBT changes.