Chinese language automotive producer BYD has constructed the quickest manufacturing automotive on the planet after its Yangwang U9 Xtreme hypercar hit a prime velocity of 496.22km/h.
The document, on the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg take a look at monitor in Germany on September 14, beats the 490.484km/h prime velocity for a petrol-powered automotive – the Bugatti Chiron Tremendous Sport 300+ – the one different automotive on this planet to prime 300mph.
Whereas the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut has a theoretical prime velocity of 499km/h, the automotive nonetheless hasn’t acquired the best tyres to attempt to hit that velocity.
It additionally beats the 472.41 km/h EV document set final month on the similar monitor by Yangwang, BYD’s high-end sub-brand, with an earlier model of its U9 Monitor Version supercar.
The Yangwang U9X
The souped-up new model, the U9X, takes the present technical structure of the U9 at present on sale in China at a price of round A$230,000 – there’s discuss of it presumably making its technique to Australia at some point.
The U9X has an upgraded powertrain with 1200V ultra-high-voltage electrics (in contrast with 800V for the present U9, already double a typical EV), and a lithium iron phosphate battery with a discharge fee of 30C (a typical battery discharges at between 0.5C and 1C, with intermittent bursts of 2C to 10C). The battery discharge energy is the key sauce for velocity.
Then add 4 ultra-high-speed motors working at as much as 30,000rpm, producing a mixed 3000PS (2929 horsepower), semi-slick tyres, and revised suspension for circuit driving. The automotive additionally delivered a uncommon sub-7-minute lap time on the 12.3km circuit.
Yangwang plans to construct as much as 30 U9 Xtremes for client sale, predicted to price round A$410,000 – lower than a tenth of the worth of the record-breaking Bugatti Chiron in 2022, which had a A$6 million+ price ticket. (Additionally they constructed 30.)
The U9X driver was Marc Basseng, a German monitor specialist with a protracted historical past in sports-car racing and endurance motorsport. He set final month’s 472km/h document and was additionally behind the wheel for the earlier 2024 world EV velocity document of 412km/h in a Rimac Nevera.
“This document was solely attainable as a result of the U9 Xtreme merely has unbelievable efficiency,” he mentioned.
“Technically, one thing like this isn’t attainable with a combustion engine. Due to the electrical motor, the automotive is quiet, there are not any load adjustments, and that permits me to focus much more on the monitor.”
