The Yangwang U9 Xtreme reached a speed of 503.17 km/h, setting two Guinness World Records and surpassing its own previous result. The speed was achieved on 1 November on the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi.
The records relate to the fastest car in a one-way run regardless of drivetrain type, and the fastest electric car in a one-way run. The achieved speed was verified by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Behind the wheel of the 3,019 hp vehicle was German race driver Marc Basseng, who also drove the same model when breaking the previous record at the ATP Papenburg test track in Germany in September 2025.
Local authorities closed a 10-kilometre section of the road, with the longest straight measuring 7 kilometres. The thoroughfare was thoroughly cleaned and inspected to remove stray wires from cleaning brushes. During the first two attempts on 31 October, a speed of 490 km/h was recorded, after which the engineering team adjusted the rear spoiler angle overnight for greater downforce, recalibrated the suspension to mitigate bouncing on uneven surfaces, and adjusted tyre pressures and operating temperatures of the battery and motors.
The new speed record followed a three-year development cycle. The production U9 model recorded its first record in January 2024, reaching 309 km/h at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in China, and in October of that year reached 391.94 km/h at the ATP Papenburg track. The U9X variant debuted on the German ATP Papenburg track in August 2025 with a speed of 472.41 km/h, while in September 2025 it set the then world record of 496.22 km/h. The same model also holds the lap record for electric vehicles on Germany's Nordschleife circuit with a time of 6:59.157 minutes.
The U9 Xtreme's powertrain develops a total power of over 3,000 hp, with a power-to-weight ratio of 1,217 hp per tonne. Each of the four installed electric motors provides 755 hp (555 kW) at a rotation speed of up to 30,000 rpm. Supersilicon steel with a thickness of 0.1 mm was used in the stator manufacturing, the rotor is made of silicon steel with a strength of 970 MPa, and the motor housing is made of aerospace-grade aluminium.
The e4 system independently manages torque and adjusts power delivery to the wheels more than 100 times per second to prevent wheel spin. The vehicle uses a new 1,200-volt electric platform that supports a current strength of 1,000 A and reduces heat generation by 67 per cent compared to an 800-volt system. The integrated Blade battery with LFP cells offers 170 per cent higher energy density per cell and enables a discharge rate of 30 C, delivering 1,800 kW of power even at a 20 per cent state of charge. Charging power exceeds 700 kW.
Stability in cornering is ensured by the DiSus-X intelligent chassis system with electronic dampers, while special semi-slick tyres were developed in cooperation with Giti Tire to prevent tyre delamination from the rim during hard acceleration. Yangwang is the luxury brand of Chinese manufacturer BYD, and one example of the U9 Xtreme model was completely destroyed during maximum speed testing on a closed circuit in China in preparation for these speed trials.
