BYD’s luxury sub-brand Yangwang has established a new global EV speed record of 472.41 km/h using its U9 Track Edition supercar at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg facility in Germany on 8 August 2025.
The record-setting vehicle is based on the same e4 Platform and DiSus-X architecture as the production Yangwang U9 currently sold in China, but incorporates what the company claims is the world’s first mass-produced 1200V ultra-high-voltage platform alongside an enhanced thermal management system designed for extreme conditions.
German professional driver Marc Basseng, who previously held the EV speed record in 2024, piloted the U9 Track Edition during the attempt. “Last year, I thought I’d peaked,” Basseng said following the run. “I never expected to break my own record so soon – but here we are, at the same track, with new technologies that have made it possible.”
The U9 Track Edition employs a quad-motor system featuring 30,000rpm motors that deliver 555kW per motor, producing a combined system output exceeding 3,000 horsepower. This configuration provides a power-to-weight ratio of 1,217 horsepower per tonne. The e4 Platform’s torque-vectoring system monitors road conditions and adjusts individual wheel torque more than 100 times per second to maintain traction and stability.
The vehicle’s DiSus-X suspension system performs independent vertical adjustments at each corner during acceleration, cornering, and over uneven surfaces. This system works to suppress pitch and roll movements while optimizing tire contact with the road surface for maximum grip.
Aerodynamically, the Track Edition maintains the design of the standard U9 while adding an optional carbon-fiber front splitter that is already in mass production. The company developed specialized semi-slick tires in collaboration with Giti Tire specifically for track conditions. These feature optimized compound materials and a custom tread pattern, along with an innovative knurling treatment at the wheel-rim interface to reduce slippage during acceleration and braking.
The speed record demonstrates the technical capabilities of BYD’s premium EV technology, with the U9 Track Edition serving as a performance showcase for the brand’s quad-motor platform and active suspension systems. The production Yangwang U9 remains available in the Chinese market, though international availability has not been announced.
