Yangwang, BYD’s (HKEX: 1211) ultra-premium brand, says its flagship electric supercar, the U9 Xtreme, has reached a top speed of 503.17 km/h (312.66 mph) during a high-speed challenge on public roads in Abu Dhabi.
Announced on Friday, the result exceeds the model’s previous certified top-speed benchmark of 496.22 km/h, recorded at Germany’s ATP proving ground. Yangwang is promoting the latest achievement as a new global speed record for production cars.
Previous Speed and Nürburgring Records
The latest run follows an earlier milestone in August 2025, when a Yangwang U9 engineering prototype reached 472.41 km/h at the ATP proving ground, setting an electric vehicle speed record at the time.
The U9 Xtreme made its global debut and opened for pre-orders on September 20, 2025. Production is limited to 30 units worldwide, with the model developed to pursue performance records in both straight-line speed and circuit driving.
In September 2025, the car completed a lap of Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife in 6 minutes 59.157 seconds. Yangwang said it became the first production electric car to complete the circuit in less than seven minutes.
The production model was officially presented at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. With a price exceeding 20 million yuan (approximately $2.98 million), it was the most expensive vehicle displayed at the event.
1,200-Volt Platform and Quad-Motor Powertrain
The U9 Xtreme uses a 1,200-volt high-voltage platform and a track-focused BYD Blade Battery designed to support 30C discharge rates. Its powertrain consists of four independent motors using BYD’s e4 system, each capable of reaching 30,000 revolutions per minute.
Each motor produces up to 555 kW (744 hp), giving the vehicle a combined peak output of 2,220 kW. Yangwang also cites a power-to-weight ratio of 1,217 metric horsepower per tonne.
Other performance equipment includes the DiSus-X active body control system, upgraded titanium-alloy carbon-ceramic brakes and semi-slick tyres developed for speeds exceeding 500 km/h.
The U9 Xtreme is a more powerful, limited-production version of the standard Yangwang U9, which entered the Chinese market in February 2024. The standard model uses four motors rated at up to 240 kW each and currently starts at 1.8 million yuan.
