BYD has opened China’s first all-terrain circuit dedicated to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, a multi-zone complex in Zhengzhou designed to demonstrate the capabilities of its new energy vehicles (NEVs).
The site includes eight zones: an indoor sand dune, a low-friction ring, a kick-plate circuit, a wading pool, a dynamic paddock, a race track, an off-road mountain park and a camping area. The automaker said it is “breaking the barriers of traditional racing tracks with subversive innovation.”
The complex features several record-setting facilities, including what Guinness World Records recognized as the world’s largest indoor sand dune for vehicle testing, with a 29.6-meter vertical drop and a 28-degree slope. The 70-meter wading pool was built specifically for the Yangwang U8, which is equipped with an emergency flotation feature enabling it to float for up to 30 minutes.
Other facilities include a 44-meter-diameter low-friction circle paved with 30,000 basalt bricks and covered by water to simulate icy conditions, where BYD is showcasing its DiSus Intelligent Body Control System.
A 1,758-meter race track with a 550-meter acceleration stretch and nine sharp corners, as well as 27 off-road scenarios of varying difficulty, are also part of the complex.
The 15,300-square-meter dynamic paddock includes 12 scenarios such as moose testing and automated parking to highlight the company’s smart technology. BYD said, “By making cutting-edge technologies, professional facilities, and extreme scenarios tangible and accessible, the circuits aim to break down barriers, serving both as a showcase for NEV innovations and a bridge to popularize NEV culture.”
The company plans to expand the initiative with new circuits in Hefei and Shaoxing. The Shaoxing facility will feature a 2,000-acre off-road zone with an altitude of 500 meters.