BYD, the global leader in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, proudly unveiled its first purely electric supercar model, the U9, under its premium Yangwang brand. If for the moment there is little chance of seeing the car on our roads, it nevertheless shows that the very elite segment of European supercars has reason to question itself in the face of Chinese and electric competition.
Automaker BYD has unveiled its first electric supercar model, the U9, under its premium Yangwang brand. Initially
announced in January 2023 in the form of a sketch and without technical data, the manufacturer is now revealing its specificities since the first deliveries are announced for this summer 2024.
An electric supercar, which can make European manufacturers tremble?
Obviously, neither its price (216,000 euros) nor its availability on our soil makes the U9 a real competitor to European supercars. However, it is interesting to see that this super BYD presents some interesting technical specifications. So, if the maximum speed of 309 km/h and 0 to 100 km/h in 2.36 seconds are quite common in this kind of world, the most interesting thing in our opinion is that the U9 is equipped with a battery blade type which can be charged up to 500 kW of power. In addition, it accepts being recharged by two chargers at the same time and its charging time should only take ten minutes to go from 30 to 80% capacity.
Additionally, the U9’s battery is claimed to have a capacity of 80 kWh, which should be enough for a range of 450 kilometers in China’s CLTC cycle. Remember, however, that the requirements of this cycle are less strict than those of the WLTP standard, so the actual autonomy should be less.
One electric motor per wheel for a total of 1,300 hp
With four motors of 240 kW each, the U9 has the same propulsion configuration as the 5.27 meter long Yangwang U7 sedan, but a
completely different silhouette. Although the U9 is also 4.97 m long and 2.03 m wide, it is only 1.29 m high and has particularly complex aerodynamics.
Its Disus-X body height control system can actively control all four suspensions independently of each other – over a suspension travel of 75 millimeters. This also means that the U9 can theoretically also run on three wheels, but above all it can be optimized for each type of road or for each circuit bend. The manufacturer also boasts of announcing that on the Shanghai Formula 1 circuit, the U9 would have been several seconds faster than a BMW M5 or a Porsche Panamera Turbo… two cars which, in reality, are not its real competitors since sedans above all.
Finally, the manufacturer highlights the very structure of the car which is based on carbon fiber and provides unprecedented torsional rigidity ensuring increased safety for passengers, particularly in the event of a rollover with a roof that resists compression. of more than 11 tonnes.
The Yangwang U9 costs 1.68 million yuan (equivalent to approximately 216,000 euros) and must be delivered from summer 2024. Interested parties can register for a deposit of 300,000 yuan (approximately 38,460 euros). The U9 comes with a lifetime warranty on the battery, motor and electronics, while the warranty promise for the rest of the vehicle is six years or 150,000 kilometers.
Source : Businesswire
2