BYD’s Yangwang U9 Track Edition just shattered its own speed record. The electric supercar hit a blistering 472.41 kilometers per hour, setting a new benchmark for production electric vehicles in China. This isn’t just a small bump; it’s a big leap from its previous record of 391.94 kilometers per hour, which it set last November. That’s an impressive 20.53% increase in speed.
At this new speed, the Yangwang U9 now stands among the elite. It’s certainly the fastest EV globally (when only counting electric vehicles). It also approaches the speeds of top combustion engine hypercars. For instance, the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut reaches 531 km/h, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ hits 490 km/h, and the SSC Tuatara recorded 474.8 km/h. The Yangwang U9 Track Edition is clearly in the same league as these high-performance machines.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the price difference. Those top hypercars often cost more than 10 million yuan, with some reaching up to 30 million yuan. In contrast, the premium Yangwang U9 Track Edition costs just 1.68 million yuan. This makes its performance incredibly compelling for the money.
According to reports from Chinese media outlet Sanyan Tech, the first Yangwang U9 Track Edition was delivered on August 21 last year. Since then, 149 units have been delivered. This makes it the first Chinese supercar to see more than a hundred units sold.
It’s important to note that while the Yangwang U9 Track Edition is the fastest road-legal electric vehicle sold in China, and indeed one of the fastest globally, it isn’t the absolute fastest EV ever. That record belongs to the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3. This special vehicle was built by a team of students from Ohio State University. It’s a specialized EV made only for testing, not for sale to the public. The university’s website states that on Monday, September 19, 2016, the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 team, with driver Roger Schroer, pushed this electric car to an average two-way speed of 341.4 miles per hour (549.4 kilometers per hour).
The new record by the Yangwang U9 Track Edition shows more than just speed. It proves that China’s electric vehicle industry is making huge progress. It offers performance that rivals top global supercars, but with much better value. This development is certainly shaking up the international market and confirms that China is a key player ready to compete at the highest levels.
