There’s no doubting the Yangwang U9 ’s performance bona fides now. BYD ’s electric supercar recently eclipsed 240 mph during testing earlier this month, according to CarScoops . That speed further solidifies the coupé’s position as the third fastest EV in the world.
Eyebrows were raised earlier this year when BYD announced that its luxury brand, Yangwang, was releasing its first supercar. Was there really room in a field dominated by the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren for something new? Conventional thinking would say no, but the performance the company promised was something that couldn’t be ignored. And it turns out they actually may have undersold the vehicle and its quad-motor powertrain’s capabilities.
When the 1,300-hp U9 was first announced, Yangwang said it would top out at 192 mph, a more-than impressive speed that immediately made it one of the fastest EVs in the world. By the summer, this number had been upped by 41 mph to 233 mph after another round of testing. Now, just three months later, that figure has been raised again after two-door reached 243.
54 mph during a test run on November 7. The August run made the U9 the third fastest EV in the world—behind only the Aspark Owl (which has a top speed of 273 mph) and the Rimac Nevera (258 mph), and comfortably ahead of the Pininfarina Battista (222 mph)—a position that has only been further strengthened. As impressive as the U9’s 244 mph top speed may be, there is still room for improv.
