Luxury EV marque YANGWANG is the high-performance sub-brand of Chinese new-energy giant BYD. On 14 September 2025, its flagship U9 Xtreme shattered the global top-speed record for production cars. The all-electric hypercar hit 496.22 km/h (308.4 mph) at the ATP Papenburg testing facility in Germany. The run officially surpassed the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ record set in 2019.
The U9 Xtreme, or U9X, now holds the title of fastest production car in the world — and, notably, it’s fully electric. This landmark moment not only eclipses its own EV benchmark but also marks the first time an electric vehicle has outpaced its combustion-engine counterparts at this level.
Sprinting Ahead
At its core, the U9X retains the road-going underpinnings of the standard U9, which is already on sale in China. However, the Xtreme version undergoes a suite of radical upgrades: a 1200V ultra-high-voltage architecture, a high-discharge-rate Blade Battery, and four electric motors capable of spinning up to 30,000rpm, generating over 3,000PS. Supporting its power are semi-slick tyres and track-focused DiSus-X suspension, tuned to handle the extreme forces encountered at maximum velocity.
“This is an incredibly proud moment for everyone in our R&D division. YANGWANG is a brand that does not recognise the impossible,” commented Stella Li, Executive Vice President at BYD. “Thanks to this mindset — and the brilliance of our driver, Marc Basseng — we’ve delivered the fastest production car in the world, and it’s electric.”
Basseng, a veteran of endurance racing, praised the U9X’s precision and stability. “Technically, something like this is not possible with a combustion engine. The electric drivetrain allows for quiet, seamless power delivery, which lets me focus entirely on the track.”
Production of the U9 Xtreme will be strictly limited to 30 units, cementing its status as a future collector’s item. The name draws from the word ‘Extreme’, paired with the letter ‘X’. It signals the unknown and evokes a spirit of discovery. This pursuit of exploration lies at the heart of YANGWANG’s design philosophy.
By combining extreme performance with sustainability, YANGWANG is signalling a new era for hypercars. One where zero emissions doesn’t mean zero excitement.
