BYD is one of the fastest-growing car companies in the world – and the biggest electric car maker – is to launch its first electric “super-car” under one of its Ā luxury brands, Yangwang.
The launch of the U9 has been set for February 25, and will be a two-door, quad motor vehicle. The news was first shared on X by automotive analyst Thinkercar.
#BYD 's Yangwang U9 is set to be officially launched on Feb 25th. pic.twitter.com/JebuVGRLfa
— ThinkerCar (@thinkercar) February 16, 2024
From images previously teased, this new supercar will be aimed at race-focused enthusiasts and track performance.Ā Yangwang has not officially announced the specifications of the vehicle yet but the U9 is expected to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in under 3 seconds.Ā
Powering this acceleration is a quad-motor setup that will produce 960 kW of power and 1280 Nm of peak torque. The top speed of the vehicle is expected to be 300 km/h.
Although not officially confirmed, rumours suggest that a 100 kWh blade battery will be used in the Yangwang U9 to power the four motors.Ā
As a comparison, the Tesla Model S Tri-motor Plaid variant, which is not sold in Australia but has been in production since June 2021, produces 760 kW of power. This family sedan has a 0-100 km/h time of around 2.1 seconds.
Styling-wise, the front of the U9 has a unique daytime running light pattern that moves in horizontal and vertical directions. It follows part of the design language from other models such as BYDās Seal electric sports sedan.
On the rear of the vehicle, there is a large wing as well as a rear diffuser which helps with airflow over the vehicle and applying sufficient downforce at high speeds. The rear also has tail lights that extend from one side to the other.
From the side, the Yangwang U9 has a very sharp aerodynamic stance making it look closer to McLaren supercars. The sides also reveal the gullwing-style doors which open upward.
Pricing hasnāt been confirmed but it is also expected to be priced like various other electric luxury supercars. The suggested price is around 1,000,000 RMB, or $A215,000.Ā
Previously, BYDās sportier models have included the Seal which is available in the local market, starting at a price of under $50,000. The top-spec performance model is priced just shy of $70,000 before on-roads.
The U9 was originally announced over a year ago and since then, the company has been working hard to bring the product to eagerly waiting customers.
RizĀ is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.