Drivers looking for unique, innovative vehicles need look no further than Yangwang, a fresh new Chinese luxury electric car brand that’s making waves in the automotive sphere. The current range features 3 luxury vehicles with further models on the way, each car offering its own never-seen-before benefits such as vehicle flotation and three-wheel driving options. Because of these features, Yangwang is currently attracting a lot of attention worldwide, despite limited availability on global markets as it stands. In this article, we’ll deep-dive into the features and capabilities of the iconic Yangwang U7, U8, and U9.
Who is Yangwang?
Founded only last year, Yangwang is a Chinese luxury electric car manufacturer owned by BYD Auto (short for Build-Your-Dreams), who also own sub-brands including Denza and Fangchengbao and famously surpassed Tesla as the world’s largest EV seller last year.
Yangwang made its big debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in January 2023, where it unveiled both its U8 and U9 models to wide acclaim. In September of last year, Yangwang Auto also teased a brand-new model, which was later named the U7.
After its release, the U8 quickly became the fastest RMB 1 million class SUV to sell 5,000 units in China, taking Chinese markets by storm. Yangwang opened its first showroom in Shanghai in September of last year and is currently building a further 60 showrooms across China. All three Yangwang models use BYD’s unique e4 four-motor power platform.
Are Yangwang Cars Available in the UK?
The question on everyone’s lips right now is, are Yangwang vehicles available in the UK? Unfortunately, the answer right now is a rather disappointing ‘no’. In fact, Yangwang vehicles aren’t yet confirmed for sale in any territories outside of China.
Luckily, however, widespread interest means this doesn’t look set to be the case for long, with Yangwang vehicles already set to hit Australian markets by the end of 2025. While there are no official plans to breach European markets just yet, there are strong hints that Yangwang execs are planning this move, albeit under a potentially different name, especially considering they’re unveiling the U8 to reams of UK journalists.
But why aren’t Yangwang vehicles already in UK markets? The main issue is the sheer weight of the 3.6-tonne U8, which would require a special licence from anyone who passed their test after 1997. But as interest hots up, it seems it’s only a matter of time until we welcome Yangwang vehicles to our shores.
Meet The Yangwang Trio
Yangwang has already released the U8 and U9 to major acclaim, and they hinted at a summer 2024 release for the U7 during its debut at the 2024 Beijing show. We might not be able to get our hands on these models in the UK yet, but with UK journalists enjoying plenty of first-look Yangwang experiences, it’s easy to see precisely why Yangwang has made such a market splash.
Here’s what we know about the Yangwang trio so far –
Yangwang U8
Pricing: 1,098,000 CNY (around £120,000)
Yangwang’s U8 is a full-size luxury SUV that became the manufacturer’s first launch early last year, with sales in Chinese showrooms beginning in early April 2023. As well as breaking Chinese sales records in the first 132 days after its release, the U8 looks like the most likely offering for European markets.
Yangwang U8 Specs
The U8 comes with an impressive range of specs, including a 295bhp electric motor behind every wheel thanks to its use of BYD’s e4 platform (that’s 1,180bhp total in total!). According to Yangwang, the U8 also has a range of 620 miles, though just 112 of those are powered by pure electrics, making 80% top-ups possible in just half an hour.
The U8 also offers a lot more than the capabilities you can expect from a typical electric SUV. For one thing, the three space-age fittings on top of U8 windscreens provide benefits including windscreen spotlights, night vision, and a Lidar scanner for adaptive damping. The U8 is also equipped with a DiSus-P hydraulic body control system that makes it possible to raise and lower the car up to 150mm.
But even those benefits aren’t what most people want to know about the U8. Rather, this Yangwang flagship has become known for two unique features, which are –
- Vehicle origin turns: The U8 can complete a ‘vehicle origin turn’ or ‘tank turn’, in which it turns 360° on the spot when the motors on one side turn slowly in the opposite direction to the others.
- 30-minute flotation: The U8 is P68 level waterproof, meaning that this 3.6-tonne vehicle can defy the laws of common physics by floating on water for up to 30 minutes and can even sail at an average of 3 km/hIf. BYD do, however, stress that this feature is for use in flash floods and emergencies only, and the U8 will require inspection at a service centre after floating. In other words, don’t try to turn your vehicle into a part-time sailing boat.
Yangwang U9
Price: 1.68 million yuan (around £184,000)
Yangwang debuted its U9 all-electric supercar alongside the U8 last January and introduced it to showrooms early last April, with deliveries set to start in summer 2024. Although not the cheapest, the U9 still only costs a third of what you’d pay for a Ferrari with seemingly similar specs.
Is the U9 actually a bargain? Let’s look at what it can do –
Yangwang U9 Specs
With the sleek shape of a coupe and an impressively aerodynamic finish, the U9 is a vehicle that’s built to look fast, and the specs largely back this up. Also using BYD’s e4 platform, the U9 has four electric motors that produce 960kW with a range of 450km. It can also reach 100mph in a mere 2.26 seconds, with 1,300 horsepower and a maximum torque of 1680N·m.
As well as the e4 platform, the U9 utilises the DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System, which allows 75 mm of maximum travel and lifts each axle by 500 mm/s with a force of more than a tonne (more on that later!). The all-electric U9 has an 80 kWh Blade Battery, complete with discharging and cooling functions as well as ultra-fast charging and can cover 289 miles. In the most recent tests, the U9 has reached top speeds of 309.19 km/h. 12 Active and passive aerodynamics also work to reduce drag and enhance heat dissipation.
As with the U8, the U9 also has an impressive trick up its sleeve – the ability to ‘dance’ to music. Thanks to the axle lifts possible with the DiSus-X Intelligent Body Control System, the U9 can tilt or dance, and even ‘jump’ while stationary. The EV can also drive on three wheels for the same reason.
Yangwang U7
Price: Expected to be 1,000,000 RMB (around £140,000)
Yangwang debuted its U7 high-end Sedan at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2024, with a launch expected for later this year. U7 models are currently arriving in showrooms ahead of launch, and the U7 has already been positioned as a ‘million-yuan new energy flagship sedan’. According to experts, the U7’s advanced technology and powerful performance make it a standout new Sedan in Chinese markets, which is also reported for potential release in Europe.
U7 Specs
Like the U8 and U9, the U7 has some impressive specs that we’ve already come to know from Yangwang vehicles, including –
- Four electric motors with the e4 platform, each with a peak power of 240 kW and a combined power output of 960 kW (1,287 hp).
- Lidar roofline unit
- 135.5kW lithium-iron-phosphate battery with a range of 799km
- An estimated 497-mile range according to the China Light Duty Vehicle Test Cycle
- DiSus suspension system DiSus-Z
- C-shaped headlights similar to the U9
- Top speeds of 167 miles per hour
Admittedly, the U7 doesn’t bring an crazy new trick to the market like the floating and dancing of the U8 and U9, but it does boast its own impressive features. Most notably, BYD claims the U7 will have the lowest drag coefficient among globally mass-produced cars with a figure of Cd 0.195 across two CLTC 720km or 800km range options. The U7 also offers additional options including side-view cameras, aerodynamic wheel covers, and optional bumpers to enhance drag coefficient.
The Yangwang U7 benefits from the TianShen intelligent driving solution, which incorporates three Lidar units, 5-millimetre wavelength radars and 13 cameras providing inputs and a computing system with over 508 TOPS power. The system also supports urban/highway NOA (navigation on autopilot), and automatic parking.
When it enters the Chinese market, the U7 will compete with vehicles like the Mercedes-EQS and the BMW i7, with experts predicting it’ll have more power than two BMW M5s combined.
