BYD’s luxury brand Yangwang is preparing to unveil an extreme-performance version of its all-electric U9 supercar, with new regulatory filings in China showing a staggering 3,018 horsepower output — more than double the standard U9’s already formidable 1,305 hp.
The figure dwarfs some of the most powerful electric hypercars currently on the market, including the Rimac Nevera and Lotus Evija, each of which trails by roughly 1,000 hp. Once revealed, the new U9 variant is expected to become the most powerful road-legal production car in the world.
According to filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the new flagship model will feature a four-motor setup — one for each wheel — enabling permanent all-wheel drive and full torque vectoring both front-to-rear and side-to-side. While performance numbers have yet to be released, the 0–100 kph (62 mph) sprint is expected to take less than two seconds.
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The car will carry over BYD’s advanced DiSus-X suspension system from the regular U9, allowing independent control of each wheel’s movement along multiple axes, though with a revised calibration for the higher-performance model. Technical documentation also reveals massive 325/30 tires mounted on 20-inch wheels.
The launch underscores the dramatic transformation of China’s auto industry — from producing inexpensive knockoffs to challenging established global players in luxury, off-road and high-performance segments. BYD, now a global EV leader, has been developing advanced technologies rivaling, and in some cases exceeding, those of Western automakers.
With the upcoming U9 flagship, the company appears poised to set a new benchmark for road-going performance. The remaining question is how effectively it can put more than 3,000 hp to the pavement.