China’s BYD electric hypercar sets world record as fastest EV

The record was set at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg facility on Aug. 8., with German racer Marc Basseng, a former endurance and touring car competitor, behind the wheel, Car and Driver reported.

This speed surpasses other leading EVs, including Croatia’s Rimac Nevera R, which hit 268 mph in July, and Japan’s Aspark Owl, which reached 272 mph in November 2024.

These remain just behind the fastest gasoline-powered cars, such as the Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+, which achieved 304.77 mph in 2019, according to InsideEVs.

The BYD Yangwang U9 Track Edition. Photo courtesy of BYD

Yangwang, a luxury performance sub-brand of BYD, launched the U9 hypercar in 2024. The Track Edition shares the same platform as the standard U9 already sold in China but features a quad-motor system generating more than 2,959 horsepower.

Each motor produces 744 horsepower, far exceeding the standard U9’s dual-motor setup with 1,287 horsepower, which enables acceleration from 0–62 mph in 2.36 seconds.

According to BBC Top Gear, the Track Edition is the first car to adopt a mass-produced 1,200V ultra-high voltage platform and is equipped with BYD’s DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System, which allows the car to perform stunts such as leaping off the ground.

BYD has not announced pricing for the Track Edition, but the standard U9 costs about $230,000, placing it among China’s most expensive vehicles, InsideEVs reported.

It is expected to remain far less costly than the Rimac Nevera R, priced around $2.5 million with only 40 units produced.