Yangwang U9 Xtreme: 496 km/h
About this video
496 kilometers per hour. According to the maker, that is the speed the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, an electric car from BYD's luxury brand, reached on a test track in Germany. The previous best belonged to Bugatti: 490 and a half. Both cars were built in series of 30. To be fair: this was a one-way run. And the maker does not say who measured the speed. In Beijing, in April 2026, one car sold for over 20 million yuan. Why does BYD need a car like this? The entire Yangwang brand sells about 440 cars a month. It is a showcase. BYD's core business in China is weakening, and only its pricier brands are growing. A speed record is the cheapest way to get the world to hear about them.
