But wait there’s more!
At the end of BYD’s event yesterday, where the Chinese brand launched its new premium electric sub-brand Yangwang and the rugged U8, it also revealed a sleek-looking supercar.
The Yangwang U9 is not just a concept but actually a production vehicle, according to reports from the launch in China, and will rival the likes of the Aion Hyper SSR and the Lotus Evija.
Image credit: Autohome
The U9 is claimed to be equipped with the company’s so-called “Yisifang” quad electric motor setup which will be shared with all Yangwang models, including the U8 SUV. It’s unclear if or when this will roll out to other BYD vehicles.
Yangwang didn’t detail the supercar’s power and torque figures but noted it can do the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 2.0 seconds. This is 0.1 seconds slower than the Aion Hyper SSR.
For context, the quad-motor Yangwang U8 produces a total system output of around 820kW of power and has torque-vectoring functions including crab walk and tank turn.
The Yangwang U9 is styled with the brand’s “gate of time and space” design language. It’s a low-slung two-door sports car with a number of aerodynamic elements.
At the front there are large C-shaped LED headlights, a splitter, and vents on the bonnet.
Around the side there are rounded wheel arches, large scissor-opening doors with cut outs on them, as well as air inlets for the electric motors.
At the back there’s a full-width LED light bar and an extravagant rear diffuser. There’s also a louvered rear window with a transparent fin that’s reminiscent of the Mercedes-AMG One.
According to overseas reports, when the Yangwang launches in China it will be priced around ¥1 million (~$A215,000). This undercuts the entry-level Aion Hyper SSR by around ¥200,000 (~$A43,000).
In terms of local launch prospects, local BYD distributor EVDirect Luke Todd said in December last year there are no plans to bring the Yangwang brand to Australia in the immediate future.
‘New energy vehicle’ brand BYD is currently expanding at a rapid pace, rolling out EVs in Europe, Japan and Australia – where its Atto 3 small SUV is selling in strong numbers after a few launch speed bumps.
In fact, the Warren Buffet-back EV and battery supplier eclipses three million EV and PHEV sales globally in November last year.
In addition to Yangwang and premium spinoff Denza, BYD plans to launch “another new brand” which will specialise in “professional and personalised identities, covering family cars and luxury cars”.
“The brand will harness the co-creation with users and warmly welcome all the franchised dealerships to join BYD for its promotion,” it added, suggesting the cars with higher degrees of personalisation.
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