Overview
- During a recent closed‑circuit high‑speed test in China the Yangwang U9 Xtreme lost control, hit track barriers and suffered severe structural damage including the rear axle detaching while the driver walked away without serious injury and the battery did not catch fire.
- Circulating footage and reports say the car was running at reported speeds above 400 km/h during the run but BYD has not released a formal technical report and specialists are now examining the cause of the loss of control.
- BYD executives including vice‑president Stella Li and Yangwang sales chief Hu Xiaoqing have affirmed the programme will continue and that the team still aims to attempt a run exceeding 500 km/h in the United Arab Emirates.
- The U9 Xtreme is an extreme engineering project built to very high speed specs — four wheel‑mounted motors totaling about 3,000 hp, a 1,200‑volt electrical platform, a carbon‑fiber safety cell, titanium‑alloy brake parts and bespoke Giti high‑speed tires — and it previously recorded 496.22 km/h at ATP Papenburg.
- Next steps to watch are BYD’s technical findings, any changes to testing or tire and suspension setups, and whether the company proceeds with the planned UAE record attempt given the safety questions raised by the crash.