BYD Unveils Yangwang U9 02: The World’s Most Powerful Electric Vehicle with 2,978 HP

BYD, China’s electric vehicle manufacturer, has officially released a teaser video of its all-new Yangwang U9 02 test vehicle. According to the official release, the test car is equipped with power at 2,220 kW (about 2978 hp), which is considered the world’s most powerful horsepower in the test vehicle.

In a short preview, the Yangwang U9 02 can be seen driving out of a garage. However, the details about the 02 prototype’s design and specification haven’t been revealed by the company. While the model is still in the testing phase, the announcement follows a series of high-profile achievements by Yangwang’s 01 test car, the U9.

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In August, the test car broke the electric vehicle speed record by achieving 472.41 km/h of top speed during a track run. With this impressive performance record, it became the fastest production-intent electric vehicle on record. BYD gave the credit for this achievement to its five core technologies developed for the vehicle.

The first was the debut of the mass-produced 1200V ultra-high voltage platform, which ensures electric motors can draw more power efficiently and ensure stable as well as high-output performance at extreme speeds. It also leveraged BYD’s e4 (Yi Sifang) platform that comprises four 30,000 RPM motors, each producing 555 kW to achieve 2,220 kW (2978 hp) of overall power delivery.

The configuration gives the U9 test car an exceptional power-to-weight ratio of 1,200hp per ton, outranking the benchmarks set by hypercars like Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, which has a power-to-weight ratio of about 986 hp per ton. For the stability part, the automaker used the DiSus-X intelligent active body control system (Yun Nian-X). This technology has been designed to automatically adjust the car’s posture in real time, improving grip and overall handling. To support the consistent performance on the drive, it uses locally developed high-performance tyres that are specifically designed for speeds of up to 500 km/h. The system also features semi-slick construction and wide tread, allowing tyres to expand the contact area with the road for essential traction.

The BYD Yangwang U9 01 previously set notable benchmarks like a 391.94 km/h run in October 2024, making it the fastest car in China. It also achieved a Nurburgring lap of 7 minutes 17 seconds in November 2024.