The Yangwang U9 Track Edition is now the fastest electric vehicle (EV) in the world after posting a 472.41km/h top speed.
Yangwang is the subbrand of the Chinese manufacturer Build Your Dreams (BYD) and launched in 2023. The brand’s other notable product is the amphibious Yangwang U8 SUV.
The record-breaking run took place at the Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany, with German driver Marc Basseng behind the wheel. The Yangwang U9 Track Edition is underpinned on the same e4 Platform as the regular U9 coupe that is powered by a quad-motor system with peak outputs of 555kW per motor, with a combined system output of 2,200kW.
The e4 Platform features independent torque-vectoring that continuously monitors road feedback, adjusting each wheel’s torque at a frequency that exceeds 100 times per second, ensuring control over body posture and eliminating wheel slip or loss of traction.
The suspension uses a DiSus-X Intelligent body control system that adapts the Yangwang U9 to track conditions, introducing body posture control that performs rapid, independent vertical adjustments to the suspension at each corner of the vehicle during aggressive acceleration and cornering, or on uneven surfaces, suppressing pitch and roll and enhancing driver comfort. The system also optimises the contact patch between the tyres and the road for maximum grip.
The same system enables the aerodynamically sharp coupe to do its other trick: launching all four wheels off the ground and vertically hopping over obstacles such as potholes. The Track Edition is also equipped with an enhanced, optional carbon-fibre front splitter and bespoke semi-slick tyres with optimised compound materials and a bespoke tread design. It’s developed by the German outfit Giti Tire, and lessens slippage between the tyre and the rim during hard acceleration or braking.
BYD was founded in 1995 as a rechargeable battery maker. The business now boasts a portfolio, including rail transit, new energy vehicles and electronics. The company has been operating in SA for a number of years, supplying electric busses to local municipalities, but recently launched a range of electric passenger cars, including the Shark 6 double-cab, Dolphin, Atto 3, Seal, and Sealion 6 and 7.
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