BYD launches the Dolphin G plug-in hatch with 65 miles of EV range for $32,000

This one's outside the home energy space, but here's the gist: BYD has launched a new plug-in hybrid hatchback, the Dolphin G DM-i, in Europe and the UK, with US pricing not part of this launch. It's a small car that runs on electricity for daily driving but has a backup gas engine for longer trips. The higher-range version has an 18.3 kWh battery giving about 65 miles of electric-only range, plus a combined range of 646 miles once you count the gas engine. A base version with a smaller battery gets about 25 miles of electric range. Charging the bigger battery from 10% to 80% takes about 26 minutes on a fast charger, or a few hours on a home-style charger.

In Germany, pricing after government and manufacturer incentives starts around $21,900, rising to roughly $33,400 without those discounts. In the UK, prices start near $32,100 and climb to about $40,200 for the top trim. None of this applies directly to a US driveway right now, since the car isn't being sold in the US.

If you're weighing a plug-in hybrid for your own household, the practical takeaway is the range split: a car like this can run on battery power alone for a normal commute, then switch to gas for road trips, without needing a full public charging network. That's the same logic behind plug-in hybrids already sold in the US, even though this specific BYD model isn't one of them yet.