BYD’s Yangwang U9 Xtreme was involved in a high-speed crash during testing on a closed circuit in China. Images released by CarNewsChina show the electric hypercar leaving its trajectory, striking the safety barriers and spinning several times while shedding bodywork fragments.
The vehicle was later shown being lifted by a crane, with its front end heavily damaged and its rear axle torn away. BYD confirmed the authenticity of the footage to Le Figaro, saying it was included in a documentary produced by the automaker to showcase the capabilities and safety of its models. Despite the severity of the damage, the driver escaped unharmed, while the battery did not catch fire.
The incident comes as BYD prepares new challenges for the U9 Xtreme in Abu Dhabi, where heat and sand will add further demands to the car’s testing program. The company has previously said it wants to exceed 500 km/h, after the model reached a certified top speed of 496.22 km/h.
In September 2025, the U9 Xtreme set a production-car speed record on a test track in Germany with driver Marc Basseng. It surpassed the 490 km/h mark recorded in 2019 by the combustion-powered Bugatti Chiron.
Limited to 30 units and priced at around $3 million, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme is presented as a technology showcase for BYD. It combines a carbon-fiber structure, competition tires, carbon-ceramic brakes, a 1,200-volt electrical architecture, an LFP battery and four motors producing more than 3,000 horsepower. Its DiSus-X intelligent control system works with all-wheel drive to stabilize the car with millisecond precision.
BYD’s pursuit of higher speeds also places it in an increasingly competitive field alongside Tesla. When presenting the Roadster, Elon Musk urged his teams to target approximately 612 km/h, half the speed of sound according to the source.
Sources: Le Figaro.