Yangwang: Hypercar and luxury SUV for 137,500 euros?

A platform with four electric motors, one price, but two fundamentally different cars: U8 and U9 are set to be available for one million Renminbi (Yuan) each. At the current exchange rate, that's approximately 137,500 euros. A small amount of money for a platform dubbed "e4" because of the four(!) electric motors. They are meant to outperform traditional combustion engine concepts, as the electrical systems can react more precisely and quickly. The four motors can reach up to 20,500 revolutions per minute and together generate a power output of around 810 kW (1100 hp).

In the S9 supercar, this should enable acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in two seconds. As for braking performance, BYD remains more reserved: U8 and U9 are supposed to come to a stop from 100 km/h within 40 meters, which are rather weak values, especially for the S9 supercar.

In the U8, however, they go for the full-fat version, meaning: five meters in length and two meters in width – well-protected for off-road missions and sealed against water intrusion – Land Rover also boasts a wading depth... what the U8 has over the Defender and similar models: thanks to the four motors, it can turn on the spot and drive in a crab-like manner. Visually, it makes no secret of its inspiration.

BYD-President Wang Chuanfu, who presented his new top models in Shenzhen, China, has big ambitions and is accordingly targeting European premium brands.

A dedicated sales network is also to be established for Yangwang, as the brand aims to differentiate itself from others and respond more quickly to market demands through an organization independent of BYD.

What does that mean?

BYD also wants to know and is launching an attack in the luxury class against European premium and luxury brands. It will be interesting to see if it succeeds worldwide. The price-performance ratio for the offered products would be strong. However, the image and dealer network need to be built up first.