World’s fastest electric vehicle: BYD Yangwang U9 records 472.41 Kmph

The Track Edition of BYD’s Yangwang U9 has set a new world record as the fastest electric vehicle. The test car reached a top speed of 472.41 kmph, marking a 20 per cent increase from its previous record of 391.94 kmph, Gaddiwadi has reported. The latest speed achieved has placed the Yangwang U9 in the “hyper cars” category. 

As per the report, the U9 costs around 1.68 million yuan (Rs. 2.06 crore), which makes it stand out among its competitors. Despite its price, the car competes with well-named ICE players like Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which offers a speed of 490 km/h or the SSC Tuatara, which can run at a max speed of 474.8 kmph. 

BYD, which began deliveries of the U9 last August, has sold 149 units so far, claiming the title of first-ever Chinese supercar to cross this milestone. In its basic configuration, Yangwang's first all-electric supercar is propelled by four electric motors that generate a total output of little more than 1,300 PS and 1,680 Nm of torque. It just takes 2.36 seconds to go from 0 to 100 kmph. 

However, officially, its top speed is 309 kmph. The U9's 800V electrical architecture enables ultra-fast charging, allowing it to recharge the battery from 30% to 80% in just ten minutes. The vehicle has an advanced active suspension system, an 80 kWh battery pack, and BYD's exclusive "e4" individual wheel drive technology.

The car gets body control technology enabling ride height adjustment, and even a quick vertical jump. The interior of the U9 has several airbags, adaptive cruise control, automatic climate control, multifunction steering, and a contemporary entertainment system. The U9 Track Edition, the first mass-produced 1200V ultra-high voltage platform in the world, sets the standard higher.

It has the e4 Platform's quad motor system under the hood, which consists of high-performance motors with 30,000 rpm and a combined output of over 744 horsepower.  The supercar's power-to-weight ratio of 1,217 PS per tonne, which places it firmly among the most powerful production cars in the world, is astounding since it works together to push the combined output beyond 3,000 PS. 

The Track Edition of the U9 gets an innovative independent torque-vectoring system that continuously detects road input and quickly modifies torque at an ultra-high frequency of more than 100 times per second. By controlling body posture and preventing wheel slip, it is claimed to provide outstanding grip and stability even at high speeds.