BYD's YangWang U9 dancing car to launch on Feb 25 with nearly 1,300 hp

BYD announced it would launch its YangWang U9 supercar on Feb 25. It can accelerate 0-100 km/h in under 2.0 seconds, jump, tank turn, or drive on three wheels thanks to its DiSus-X body control system.

YangWang is a luxury electric brand under BYD, launched in Jan last year. U9 is its second car, following the YangWang U8 hard-core SUV, which started deliveries in Dec 2023 for 1,089,000 RMB (150,000 USD). In Jan, U8 delivered about 1,600 units in China. BYD plans to take its most expensive car overseas, mostly likely under a different name.

YangWang U9 supersport has quad electric motors, each with 240 kW of power, resulting in a total output of 960 kW (1,287 hp). The top speed is capped at 300 km/h. If you expected such a car to be equipped with more expensive ternary (NMC) batteries, you would be wrong, as the homologation fillings revealed that the electricity is stored in BYD's Blade battery, which has LFP chemistry.

U9 is a two-door coupe that sits on the new e4 platform. Its dimensions are 4966/2029/1295 mm, and its wheelbase is 2900 mm. The length is in line with Audi A4 or BMW 5 Series. The EV comes with an optional carbon fiber rear spoiler. The car rides on 275/35 R21 (front) & 325/30 R21 (rear) wheels. The car has scissor doors and, based on pictures from the showroom, a pretty sizeable boot space.

The interior is typical BYD style, almost spartan, especially compared with a futuristic-looking exterior. The steering wheel has lots of physical buttons and two thick stalks. As other Chinese EV makers contest who will make more giant in-car screens or how many screens can be fitted into a car, YangWang doesn't participate. U9 comes with three modest screens: two small ones in front of the driver and passenger and one weirdly shaped in the centre console. Overall, the interior has a different vibe than most new local EVs; it is more like a 2010s legacy car, which is not necessarily bad.

BYD, which traditionally relies on the dealership model, took a different approach with its YangWang brand and built about 80 directly operated stores in China in 2023, with more to come this year. In Sep, CarNewsChina reported that the company is taking over stores and service centres of luxurious legacy brands such as BMW, Aston Martin, and Mercedes-Benz. In Nov, it opened the first batch of 22 stores in tier-one states such as Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Chengdu.

After surpassing Tesla to become the top-selling EV maker in Q4, BYD is aggressively expanding in 2024. Not only is it launching new luxury EVs, but it's also rolling out mid-size SUVs, like the Sea Lion 07 and Song L. Meanwhile, BYD is gaining market share overseas with its lower-cost Dolphin, Atto 3, and Seal electric models.