The Yangwang U9 Track Edition has claimed the title as the world’s fastest electric car, reaching 293.5mph at Germany’s Papenburg test track earlier this month.
The hypercar shattered the previous record held by the Aspark Owl SP600, which had reached 272.6mph at the same facility last year when it took the crown from the Rimac Nevera.
Marc Basseng, the German driver who set both records, piloted the U9 to its achievement.
“Last year, I thought I’d peaked,” Basseng said. “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 speed doesn’t just make the U9 the fastest EV on earth – it puts the car among the quickest road-legal vehicles of any powertrain type.
Power and Performance
BYD’s performance sub-brand Yangwang built the U9 on their 1,200V e4 platform. The Track Edition uses a quad-motor setup that delivers 744bhp per motor.
That translates to more than 2,959bhp in combined output, according to Yangwang. The standard U9 produces 1,288bhp by comparison.
The company hasn’t released 0-62mph acceleration figures for the Track Edition. Based on similar hypercars like the Aspark and Rimac, the U9 likely reaches 62mph in under two seconds.
Track-Focused Engineering
The Track Edition builds on the U9 that’s already on sale in China. Beyond the motor upgrades, engineers added a carbon fiber front splitter to improve aerodynamics.
The car uses electronically controlled adaptive suspension designed for optimal track performance. Yangwang has previously demonstrated the U9’s ability to perform a “bunny hop” using this suspension technology – lifting all four wheels off the ground simultaneously.
The record adds to a recent surge in EV performance achievements. Mercedes-AMG claimed 25 world records for electric vehicle endurance with its GT XX concept, including the longest distance traveled by an EV in 24 hours and completing the equivalent of Earth’s circumference in just over seven days.
The U9’s achievement marks a significant milestone for Chinese automotive engineering, with BYD’s luxury division now holding the ultimate EV speed record.
