BYD Yangwang U9 is Now The World's Fastest EV

BYD’s ultra-luxury sub-brand Yangwang has pushed the boundaries of electric vehicle performance, setting a new world record for EV top speed.

The Yangwang U9 electric supercar engineering test vehicle achieved a remarkable 472.41 km/h at Germany’s ATP test track, demonstrating the brand’s cutting-edge technology and engineering capabilities.

Launched in China on February 25, 2024, the two-seat U9 starts at RMB 1.68 million ($234,630). The supercar is powered by a four-motor configuration, with each motor delivering a peak output of 240 kW, combining for a total peak power of 960 kW.

The track-focused edition builds on the same e4 Platform and DiSus-X architecture as the standard U9 but incorporates a 1200V ultra-high-voltage system and advanced thermal management to handle extreme performance demands. Its powertrain generates up to 1,288 hp and 1,680 Nm of torque, enabling a blistering 0–100 km/h acceleration in just 2.36 seconds.

The U9 has been progressively breaking speed benchmarks. In August 2024, the supercar reached 375.12 km/h during track testing, followed by 391.94 km/h in October. These milestones now surpass the 350 km/h speed of China’s high-speed rail, making the U9 faster than what ordinary people can experience outside of air travel.

The latest top speed achievement is attributed to upgraded motors. Yangwang recently filed for a new U9 variant with four motors, each producing 555 kW, more than double the output of the current production model.