Chinese EV manufacturer BYD has finally launched the Yangwang U9 electric supercar that boasts really impressive performance figures and some really unique features. The company has started accepting orders for the luxury electric supercar in China, with prices starting at 1.68 million yuan (about $234,000), making it the most expensive vehicle in the automaker’s product portfolio. The U9 will be sold under the EV maker’s Yangwang luxury sub-brand, which was launched at the beginning of 2023. Currently, the brand only has the U8 luxury electric SUV in its line-up, which went on sale several months ago. The U9 can be ordered by making a deposit of 300,000 yuan (around $42,000), BYD announced on Weibo. “Yangwang U9 will enable you to taste the excitement when you drive it on racing tracks or on city streets,” BYD said on the microblogging site. “It marks the beginning of a new era when fully electric supercars become a choice [for customers].”
BYD has been teasing the Yangwang U9 and its quirky features since the supercar debuted at the Auto Shanghai car show in April 2023. The electric supercar is equipped with four electric motors, one on each wheel, capable of producing a cumulative output of 1,287 horsepower. As a result, the U9 can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 2.36 seconds and hit a top speed of 309.19 kmh (~192mph). That makes it quicker than any gas-guzzling European production supercar and gives tough competition to the Tesla Model S Plaid. The supercar is powered by BYD’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a capacity of 80 kWh, which gives it a claimed range of 450 kilometers (about 280 miles).
BYD says the U9 features 800-volt architecture and offers up to 500 kW of DC rapid charging capacity, helping battery pack charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 10 minutes. Furthermore, the Yangwang U9 is the first-ever Chinese production road car with a carbon fiber monocoque. Last year, the EV maker showcased the supercar’s high-tech DiSus-X active body control suspension. The supercar can not only hop inches above the ground thanks to the innovative suspension technology, but it can also drive on only three wheels. Surely, no Lamborghini or Ferrari can do that! However, the U9 will be initially sold only in China.
