Yangwang U9 Track Edition becomes fastest EV on the planet

Yangwang, the high-end sub brand of China’s BYD, achieved a speed of 472.41 km/h at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany.

Yangwang U9 Track Edition at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg — *The Yangwang U9 Track Edition hit a speed of 472.41 km/h at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg in August 2025. – BYD photo*

A Chinese electric supercar has become the fastest EV in the world.

The Yangwang U9 Track Edition was taken around the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg test track in Germany, where it achieved a top speed of 472.41 km/h (293.54 mph).

The record was achieved on Aug. 8, which BYD announced on Aug. 26. Yangwang is the high-end sub brand of China’s BYD, which is the highest-selling EV brand in the world.

German professional driver Marc Basseng was behind the wheel of the car to set the top-speed record. He had also set the previous EV speed record in 2024.

The previous EV with the highest top speed recorded was the Aspark Owl SP600, which hit a speed of 438.7 km/h (273 mph) in 2024.

“Last year, I thought I’d peaked. I never expected to break my own record so soon – but here we are, at the same track, with new technologies that have made it possible,” he said in a BYD news release.

Marc Basseng inside Yangwang U9 Track Edition — *Marc Basseng piloted the Yangwang U9 Track Edition to its record top speed. – BYD photo*

About Yangwang U9 Track Edition

The Yangwang U9 Track Edition is a high-performance version of an already high-performance U9 car from Yangwang.

The Track Edition car gets a quad-motor propulsion system that exceeds 2,959 hp, BYD said.

It is also underpinned by the world’s first mass-produced 1,200V ultra-high-voltage vehicle platform. EVs available in Canada typically run on 400V or 800V platforms. The car also has a thermal management system designed for extreme conditions.

The automaker said the car’s intelligent body control system performs rapid, independent vertical adjustments to the suspension at each corner of the vehicle during aggressive acceleration and cornering, and on uneven surfaces. This system suppresses pitch and roll and actively optimizes the contact patch between the tires and the road to maximize grip.

The automaker said this improves vehicle stability and also driving safety.

The car also has numerous other innovations, including something called body posture control, a quad-motor independent torque-vectoring system that continuously monitors road feedback and can make adjustments more than 100 times per second, and much more.

“By setting a new global EV speed record, Yangwang redefines the sustainable supercar. Backed by BYD’s innovation and sustainability commitments, Yangwang employs cutting-edge tech to deliver unmatched performance, safety, and driving experience,” the automaker said in the release.

Of course, the car is not available in Canada.