Global (Commonwealth) _ This past weekend, Chinese carmaker BYD presented a brand-new electric supercar that it claims can reach speeds on par with top-of-the-line vehicles made by major players in the market like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Tesla, Volvo and Mercedes Benz.
The U9 supercar will be offered by Yangwang, a luxury brand from BYD that was just created a year ago and has already produced two other automobiles. The U9’s maximum speed, according to BYD, is 309.19 kph, or 192.12 mph. It will also have a 2.36-second acceleration time to reach 100 kph.
This is similar to supercars made by venerable companies like Ferrari, whose hybrid SF90 Stradale model, according to the company’s website, can reach 100 kph in 2.5 seconds. According to a media report from BYD, the U9’s prices begin at 1.68 million yuan ($233,424), and deliveries are scheduled to start this summer.
According to the firm, the U9 will be powered by the DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System, created by BYD, and the so-called e4 Platform. The U9, like other BYD vehicles, will use a lithium iron phosphate battery, or LFP. These power units are becoming more and more common among electric vehicle manufacturers since they don’t require pricey metals like cobalt, which lowers their cost. One important market for LFP manufacture is China.
BYD stated earlier this year that it will create slightly more than 3 million new-energy vehicles in 2023. 1.6 million of them, or slightly more than half, were battery-only passenger cars, while 1.4 million were hybrids. A significant amount of BYD’s vehicle lineup was priced cheaper; some of the brand’s best-selling models had beginning prices as low as 73,800 yuan.
Although BYD primarily concentrates on production and sales in China, the corporation has its sights set on expanding globally. It said last year that it will establish its first factory in Europe. On Monday, the Hungarian government verified that Prime Minister Viktor Orban had discussed plans for a production site with BYD executives over the weekend.
The extent of international expansion is still up for debate, as both the US and EU governments want to strengthen domestic electrical car markets. In the meanwhile, Beijing has pushed Chinese manufacturers of electrical vehicles to expand internationally in its most recent push for the sector, which has received significant government assistance in the form of subsidies.
A major competitor of Tesla has unveiled a brand-new, all-electric supercar that comes with an outrageous price tag. BYD, the largest electric car manufacturer in the world by sales, debuted the U-9 model.
According to the manufacturer, the vehicle can travel up to 192 mph at its highest point and can reach 60 mph in 2.36 seconds. Ferrari’s S-F-90 Stradale, in contrast, takes 2.5 seconds to achieve the same speed. And the U-9 will cost a lot, much like its supercar equivalent. Starting prices come in at 1.68 million Chinese Yuan, or slightly higher than $233,000.
BYD is making this shift in an effort to increase its share of the luxury market. The brand is renowned for producing more reasonably priced automobiles; some models start at around $10,000.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, BYD surpassed Tesla to become the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles with sales of over 340,000 units. The firm said last year that it intends to establish its first facility in Europe, even if the majority of its sales and production are still done in China.
The Yangwang U9, an all-electric supercar priced at 1.68 million yuan (US$233,400), is now accepting orders from BYD, the largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer in the world. BYD is attempting to entice wealthy Chinese buyers away from high-end European automakers like Ferrari and Lamborghini.
With a peak speed of 309 km/h, the U9 is anticipated to be delivered to customers in the middle of 2024, giving the Shenzhen-based company—better known for producing mass-model EVs—an opportunity to highlight its production prowess and design.
A 300,000 yuan deposit is needed to reserve a U9, BYD stated on Weibo on Sunday night. At a few of its showrooms located in 36 locations throughout the Chinese mainland, BYD showcases its most costly model.
You may experience the thrill of driving the Yangwang U9 on city streets or racetracks, according to BYD’s statement on the microblogging platform. “When fully electric supercars becomes a choice [for customers], it signals the start of a new era.” The automaker delivered 1,593 U8 units to customers in December and 1,652 units the following month, as per information gathered by the news website CnEVPost on electric cars.
