BYD YangWang U9 Track Edition Charts New EV Top Speed Record

At 472.41 km/h, the BYD YangWang U9 Track Edition dethrones the Rimac Nevera R as the fastest EV in the world.

Remember the wild, 2,960 hp-rated BYD YangWang U9 Track Edition? Turns out that this manic hypercar is the new king of EVs, as it dethrones the Rimac Nevera R to become the fastest EV in the world.

Driven by German racer Marc Basseng, this record-breaking run took place back on Aug 8 at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany, where the U9 Track Edition recorded a top speed of 472.41 km/h. It is also important to note that the car was fitted with bespoke semi-slick tyres developed in collaboration with Giti tyres for this record run.

Not only did the Track Edition eclipse the Nevera R’s record of 431.45 km/h by quite a healthy margin, but it also proved to be much faster than the standard U9 that only reached 391.94 km/h during its record run last year—also driven by Basseng.

As detailed prior, the U9 Track Edition ups the ante from the already manic U9 by featuring four motors, each capable of delivering up to 744 hp (555 kW). Combined, BYD claims the Track Edition model boasts a total system output of over 2,960 hp (2,207 kW), possibly making it the most powerful EV in the world.

Besides massive power, the U9 Track Edition also features trick mechanical bits such as advanced torque vectoring control, as well as BYD’s proprietary DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System that makes automatic adjustments to the suspension for maximum grip.

While BYD has yet to share details on its battery setup, the Track Edition is said to use “the first mass-produced 1200V ultra-high-voltage vehicle platform, paired with a thermal-management system optimized for extreme conditions.”

BYD YangWang U9 Track Edition revealed in China's MIIT documents.

Yet to make its official launch, the YangWang U9 Track Edition initially surfaced on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), where the EV is said to boast up to 3,000 hp of total system output. The official documents also revealed that the Track Edition benefits from a plethora of lightweight carbon fibre parts, including a large GT-style rear wing.

Interestingly, the particular unit used on this record-breaking run does not come with said massive rear wing, although it does get the optional new carbon fibre splitter at the front. Keen eyes will also notice that some panel gaps of the car are being covered by duct tapes for this record run.

With the new BYD YangWang U9 Track Edition now crowned as the world’s fastest EV, perhaps the next bold step is to see this manic hypercar tearing rubbers at the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife. The track’s production EV lap time record is currently held by fellow compatriots Xiaomi with the performance-focused SU7 Ultra, which dethroned both the Rimac Nevera and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT for the coveted title.