After making a name for itself making bargain EVs for regular buyers across China, automotive upstart BYD has broken with tradition and unveiled its production-ready all-electric supercar that’s taking the fight straight to Tesla. The catchily named Yangwang U9 has one big advantage over the Tesla Roadster, however, as it might actually exist in the real world very soon.
Premiered earlier this week at a live streamed event in Shanghai, the Yangwang U9 will initially be offered exclusively in China. According to Automotive News, the new electric supercar will come with some eye-watering performance, as BYD is promising a zero to 62mph time of 2.36 seconds and a top speed of 192 mph.
That impressive performance will be possible thanks to the car’s electric underpinnings, which features four independent motors that kick out a combined 1,300 hp and a maximum torque of 1,680NM.
Alongside that supercar performance will be some suitably super stylings. Up front, the car’s angular front end is framed by impressive headlights, which look a bit like the pincers from an alien creature. Down the side of the car, the angles are softened and it’s all sleek curves and fast-looking facets. At the rear, there’s an enormous wing to aid downforce for the EV.
Truth be told, it looks pretty damn slick and like an awesome effort for BYD’s first supercar.
Obviously, looks like this and the performance BYD is promising won’t come cheap. As such, the Yangwang U9 will start at 1.68 million yuan when it goes on sale in China. Here in America, that’s roughly $233,000, or about the same as Tesla’s imaginary new Roadster.
Unlike the Roadster, however, we have a delivery date for the latest and greatest from BYD. According to a news release shared by BYD, deliveries of the Yangwang U9 will start later this year, with the first cars expected on customer driveways by summer.
What do you think to this new offering from a company that cut its teeth shifting affordable EVs? Does it finally make the prospect of driving a Chinese EV in the future exciting, or should they have stuck with what they know?