Chinese Car Brand Breaks 500 km/h on a Public Road: YANGWANG U9 Xtreme Hits 503.17 km/h in Abu Dhabi
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A Chinese electric hypercar has broken the 500 km/h barrier on a public road. The YANGWANG U9 Xtreme, from BYD’s luxury brand, reached 503.17 km/h (312.65 mph) in Abu Dhabi on 1 November 2026, securing two Guinness World Records in a single run.
YANGWANG U9 Xtreme Reaches 503.17 km/h on Abu Dhabi’s E11 Public Road
The record run took place on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11) in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region, UAE. Driver Marc Basseng, who also drove the car to its previous record at ATP Papenburg, Germany, in September 2025, was behind the wheel again. The new figure beats the earlier benchmark of 496.22 km/h.
Two Guinness World Records and FIA Recognition for the 3019PS Hypercar
The run earned two Guinness World Records for the 3019PS car: Highest Speed achieved by a Production Car in a single-direction run, and Highest Speed achieved by an Electric Production Car in a single-direction run. The FIA, the governing body of world motorsport, has also recognised the speed.
Marc Basseng and BYD’s Stella Li on Breaking the 500 km/h Barrier
Basseng said a public road poses different challenges from a dedicated test track, making precision, stability and confidence in the vehicle more important than ever. BYD Executive Vice-president Stella Li said the result moves the benchmark for pure electric power even further ahead of where others might dream.
YANGWANG U9 Speed Record Timeline: From 309 km/h to 503.17 km/h
| Date | Milestone |
| January 2024 | U9 reaches 309 km/h at Wuhan Hannan Airport, China |
| October 2024 | U9 reaches 391.94 km/h at ATP Papenburg, Germany |
| August 2025 | U9 Xtreme reaches 472.41 km/h at ATP Papenburg |
| September 2025 | U9 Xtreme sets 496.22 km/h production-car record |
| 1 November 2026 | U9 Xtreme reaches 503.17 km/h in Abu Dhabi |
The U9 Xtreme also holds the production electric vehicle lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife (6m 59.157s), set with the same specification of car that took the top-speed record.
How the Abu Dhabi Record Run Was Prepared and Executed
Authorities made 10 km of road available for closure, with a longest straight of seven kilometres for top-speed runs. Because the road sits near the desert and carries everyday traffic, it was swept beforehand, and every metre was checked for stray wire particles from cleaning brushes that could harm the car or its Giti tyres.
Two runs on 31 October peaked at 490 km/h. Engineers then worked overnight to optimise battery and motor temperatures at the start of each run, adjusted the rear-wing angle for more rear-axle downforce, reprofiled the suspension software for more rebound damping, and fine-tuned tyre pressures. Two more runs followed on 1 November, and the second produced 503.17 km/h.
U9 Xtreme Powertrain: Four 555kW Motors, Over 3000PS
The standard YANGWANG U9 makes 1287PS. For the Xtreme, engineers enhanced the motor at each corner of the car to spin up to 30,000rpm, one of its world firsts, and raised output to 755PS (555kW) per motor. Combined output is over 3000PS, more than double the existing U9, for a power-to-weight ratio of 1217PS per tonne.
The electric drive unit uses 0.1mm super-silicon steel on the stator, the thinnest in mass production, 970MPa ultra-high-strength silicon steel in the rotor, and aerospace-grade aluminium in the motor housing. A high-flow oil pump and a three-dimensional motor cooling solution raise the drive system‘s thermal-exchange efficiency by 40%.
The e4 Platform drives each wheel independently. Its torque-vectoring system adjusts each wheel’s torque more than 100 times per second to keep body posture under control and avoid wheel slip at speed.
1200V Architecture and Blade Battery: The Technology Behind 500 km/h
The U9 Xtreme is the first production model with a 1200V ultra-high-speed platform, up from 800V on the existing U9, supporting up to 1000A of current. It retains BYD’s Blade Battery with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry.
With 1200V, single-cell power density rises 170% over an 800V system, allowing 30C discharge, up to 10 times a conventional EV battery and twice other electric supercars. At 20% state of charge the battery still supports 1800kW, peak energy recuperation exceeds 700kW, and heat generation falls by up to 67% at matching power.
DiSus-X Suspension, Carbon Monocoque and Giti Tyres Built for 500 km/h
The DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System uses dual-valve electronic dampers delivering up to 50kN of active force within 120 milliseconds. It suppresses pitch and dive and allows zero or negative roll, leaning into corners by up to 2.43° at 0.3g.
The car uses the world’s largest carbon-fibre monocoque, with over 110kg of aerospace-grade T700/12K carbon fibre. Braking relies on carbon-ceramic discs and titanium calipers, helped by regenerative recovery. The Giti semi-slick tyre uses aramid fibre to restrain centrifugal expansion, and a knurled rim interface with high-viscosity lubricant limits slippage.
YANGWANG U9 Xtreme Full Specifications Table
| Category | Specification |
| Top speed (record) | 503.17 km/h (312.65 mph), Abu Dhabi, 1 November 2026 |
| Previous record | 496.22 km/h, ATP Papenburg, Germany |
| Nürburgring Nordschleife | 6m 59.157s (production EV lap record) |
| Total power | 3019PS (over 3000PS) |
| Motors | 4, one per wheel (quad-motor independent drive) |
| Power per motor | 755PS (555kW) |
| Maximum motor speed | 30,000rpm |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 1217PS per tonne |
| Power vs standard U9 | More than double (U9: 1287PS) |
| Electric drive unit | 0.1mm super-silicon steel stator; 970MPa silicon steel rotor; aerospace-grade aluminium housing |
| Drive cooling | High-flow oil pump and 3D motor cooling; thermal-exchange efficiency up 40% |
| Powertrain platform | e4 Platform; torque vectoring above 100 times per second |
| Vehicle architecture | 1200V (existing U9: 800V); up to 1000A |
| Battery | Blade Battery, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) |
| Discharge rate | 30C; single-cell power density up 170% vs 800V |
| Power at 20% SOC | 1800kW |
| Peak energy recuperation | Over 700kW |
| Heat generation | Up to 67% lower than 800V at matching power |
| Suspension | DiSus-X; 50kN active force in 120ms; roll of -2.43° at 0.3g |
| Body structure | Carbon-fibre monocoque, over 110kg of T700/12K carbon fibre |
| Brakes | Carbon-ceramic discs, titanium calipers, regenerative recovery |
| Tyres | Giti Tire semi-slick; aramid fibre construction |
| Production | Limited to 30 units worldwide |
Only 30 Units Worldwide: The ‘Dawn Moment’ YANGWANG U9 Xtreme
The first production-standard U9 Xtreme, named ‘Dawn Moment’, was unveiled at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, finished with micron-scale gold powder under multiple clear coats. Production is limited to 30 units worldwide, and some customers have approved bespoke specifications and are moving into contract signing and production scheduling.
More Details about YANGWANG? The Luxury Brand and Its Parent Company BYD
YANGWANG launched in November 2022 as BYD’s flagship luxury new-energy vehicle (NEV) brand. BYD, founded in 1994 as a rechargeable battery maker, now spans automobiles, rail transit, new energy and electronics, with over 30 industrial parks across China, the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Hungary and India. Listed in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, it is a Fortune Global 500 enterprise. Its automotive arm, BYD Auto (founded 2003), has led China’s new energy passenger vehicle sales for 12 years in a row.
Frequently Asked Questions About the YANGWANG U9 Xtreme
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