BYD claims its Yangwang U9’s 472.41 km/h top speed set a new global EV speed record, but it’s not true
BYD today announced its Yangwang U9 engineering test car reached a top speed of 472.41 km/h. This feat establishes a new global electric vehicle speed record.
The announcement marks a leap forward for the Yangwang U9, which had previously set a Chinese automotive speed record last November by achieving 391.94 km/h in a top-speed test. The latest performance represents a 20.53% increase in speed.
At 472.41 km/h, the Yangwang U9’s speed is the fastest in China and positions it among the elite hypercars globally. While traditional combustion-engine hypercars like the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut can reach up to 531 km/h, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ hits 490 km/h, and the SSC Tuatara holds a record of 474.8 km/h, the U9’s performance is incredibly close to these titans.
What makes this achievement even more compelling is the price disparity. The aforementioned top-tier hypercars typically command prices upwards of 10 million yuan (1.39 million USD), with some approaching 30 million yuan (4.17 million USD). The Yangwang U9, while a premium vehicle, is in a different league regarding its price point. It is priced at 1.68 million yuan (232,500 USD).
According to Chinese media Sanyan Tech, the first Yangwang U9 was delivered on August 21 last year. Over the past year, a total of 149 units have been delivered, making it the first Chinese supercar to achieve a hundred deliveries.
Editor’s comment
Undoubtedly, the Yangwang U9 is China’s fastest electric car (or, any car), but to claim it is the fastest in the world might not be entirely accurate. Currently, the world record for the fastest electric vehicle is held by the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3, built by students at Ohio State University. According to the university’s website:
“The Ohio State University’s Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 student team and driver Roger Schroer rallied to push their electric streamline vehicle to a world record two-way average top speed of 341.4 miles per hour (549.4 kilometres per hour) on Monday, Sept. 19, 2016.”
Perhaps the BYD team thought the Buckeye Bullet 3 hardly resembles a car.
