BYD Dolphin Surf vs Peugeot e-208

The Peugeot e-208 costs £6,415 more than the BYD Dolphin Surf. For that premium it adds 89 miles more WLTP range, 35 kW faster peak rapid charging and 35 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Peugeot e-208 comes out ahead overall.

The BYD Dolphin Surf is £6,415 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £168 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the BYD Dolphin Surf comes out roughly £6,335 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 87 miles for the BYD Dolphin Surf and 155 miles for the Peugeot e-208 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Peugeot e-208 goes roughly 68 miles further between charging stops.

The BYD Dolphin Surf is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 45 mm narrower than the Peugeot e-208. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 680 mm of total clearance for the BYD Dolphin Surf and about 635 mm of total clearance for the Peugeot e-208.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the BYD Dolphin Surf and 84% for the Peugeot e-208. That gives the BYD Dolphin Surf a modest edge in retained real-world range. The BYD Dolphin Surf's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Peugeot e-208's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use.