Best Dashcam for the BYD Dolphin

You have squeezed your BYD Dolphin into a tight city car park, come back to find a fresh scuff on the bumper, and gone looking for the footage. There is none. The Dolphin has no built-in camera saving proof, just an empty housing near the mirror. If you want the best BYD Dolphin dashcam, you are in the right place, and loads of Dolphin owners land here for the same reason.

The Dolphin is a clever little thing. It is one of the most affordable ways into an EV in Australia, it is nippy around town, and it is a favourite first electric car. That value is exactly why a camera makes sense, because protecting an affordable car from an expensive repair bill is smart money. Let me tell you, I've spent plenty of late nights in the paid AASRA service portal reading BYD's own wiring diagrams so you do not have to.

Does the BYD Dolphin have a dashcam or Sentry Mode?

No. The Australian Dolphin has no factory dashcam and no working Sentry Mode style guard that saves usable proof. Dolphins are famously the clever ones of the ocean, but this one keeps no memory of that car park scrape, because the camera-shaped housing near the mirror is empty. We cover the whole myth in our BYD Sentry Mode myth guide.

As a city car, the Dolphin lives in exactly the spots where paint gets hurt, tight shopping centre bays, kerbside parking and busy back streets. A dashcam is what turns a mystery dent into a readable number plate.

The 13.8Ah catch in your little Dolphin

Here is the part that catches nearly everyone. A dashcam needs power while the car is off to guard it in a car park. That power comes from the small 12V battery, not the big drive battery that moves the car. Think of the 12V as the phone in your pocket, small and quick to go flat.

In a normal petrol hatch, that 12V battery is a decent esky, often 40, 50 or even 60Ah (amp hours, a simple measure of stored charge). In every modern BYD, the Dolphin included, it is only 13.8Ah. That is a shot glass next to a bucket. BYD keeps it small to save weight, which helps the Dolphin's efficiency, but it means a parking camera has to be careful with every drop it draws.

A translucent white rectangular battery with yellow terminal caps sits next to a black electronic control module on a dark tabletop, with a blurred indoor background.

Left: Standard vehicle battery, Right: Physically, and significantly smaller BYD 13.8ah Battery

So two rules apply. First, a low-power dashcam is essential, because a thirsty camera can flatten that 13.8Ah battery overnight. Second, if you want motion detection or buffered impact recording, add a dedicated battery pack so the camera sips from its own power, not the car's.

Pro Tip: Motion detection means the camera wakes and records when something moves near the car. Buffered impact means it always holds the last few seconds in memory, so it catches the moment right before a bump, not just the aftermath. Both are great features, and both draw more power, which is why a battery pack pairs so well with them.

The best dashcam for the BYD Dolphin

Our top pick: VIOFO A329S

For most Dolphin owners, the VIOFO A329S is the one. It has a proper low-power parking mode we have tested ourselves, so set to impact-only it barely sips from your 12V battery. Impact-only means it sleeps while parked and only wakes to save a clip if the car gets knocked. It shoots sharp 4K, so number plates stay readable. The Dolphin is compact, but a neat front-and-rear setup still tucks in tidily and covers both ends.

Add a battery pack for the full suite

Want motion detection and buffered impact guarding your Dolphin? Add a VIOFO BP100 battery pack. It uses LiFePO4 chemistry, a safe, heat-tolerant battery type that copes with a baking Aussie car park, and it powers the camera on its own for days. Your 13.8Ah battery stays untouched, and you still get every feature.

Driving your Dolphin for rideshare? Look at Vantrue

If your Dolphin doubles as an Uber or DiDi, the Vantrue range is worth a look. It also has low-power modes, and its interior recording is a favourite with rideshare drivers who want proof of what happens inside the cabin. For everyone else, the VIOFO is the simpler, sharper choice.

Fitting it without a flat

The install is where that little battery catches people out. Wire a camera to constant power with no cut-off and you can flatten a Dolphin overnight. The fix is a proper hard-wire with a low-voltage cut-off, a setting that stops the camera drawing power before the battery gets too low to start the car. We set this conservatively on every BYD, and our EV dashcam battery guide spells out the exact voltage numbers we trust.

The quick version

Your Dolphin is smart, affordable and worth protecting, so give it some eyes. For most owners, a VIOFO A329S front and rear on low-power parking mode is the sweet spot. Add a BP100 battery pack if you want motion and buffered impact, or go Vantrue if you carry passengers for work. Keep it kind to that 13.8Ah battery, and you get real proof with no risk of a flat.

BYD Dolphin dashcam FAQs

Does the BYD Dolphin have a factory dashcam?

No. The Australian BYD Dolphin does not come with a built-in dashcam. That camera-shaped housing near the mirror is empty, so you need an aftermarket camera to capture usable proof on the road and while parked.

Does the BYD Dolphin have Sentry Mode?

No. Unlike some other brands, the Dolphin has no working Sentry Mode style guard that saves footage while you are away. A low-power dashcam with parking mode does the same job without flattening the small 12V battery. We explain it fully in our BYD Sentry Mode myth guide.

Will a dashcam drain the BYD Dolphin battery?

Not when it is set up properly. The Dolphin uses a small 13.8Ah 12V battery, so we fit a low-power camera with a low-voltage cut-off, and add a battery pack if you want motion or buffered impact recording. Our guide on whether a dashcam drains your EV or hybrid battery covers the exact settings we use.

What is the best dashcam for the BYD Dolphin?

For most owners it is the VIOFO A329S on low-power parking mode, plus a VIOFO BP100 battery pack if you want motion detection and buffered impact recording.

More BYD guides

Questions about your Dolphin, or keen to talk BYD electrics late into the night? So long, and thanks for reading. Reach out to Michael or Harrison any time and we will get you sorted.