While engineers at Ferrari (RACE) and Lamborghini are busy working on their own high performance battery-electric EVs, key Tesla (TSLA) rival BYD (BYDDY) has already beat them to the starting line.
During a recent live-streamed event, the Chinese automaker revealed the Yangwang U9, the brand's fastest and most expensive model to date.
Though BYD is known for pumping out mass-market EVs that eat away at Tesla's market share, the U9 is aimed at customers looking for high-octane fun.
According to BYD, the U9's four electric motors make a total of 1,287 horsepower and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. Connected to its all-wheel-drive system, the U9 can go from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (0-62 mph) in just 2.36 seconds, and is good for a top speed of 192 miles per hour and a quarter mile time of 9.78 seconds.
Such performance capabilities make the U9 competitive on paper against astronomically more expensive contemporary supercars. Though the U9 is not exactly a bargain at the equivalent of $233,400, the cut-price electric wonder's numbers would make mince meat out of more expensive rivals like the $310,500 McLaren 720S and the $348,773 Lamborghini Huracan STO.
The BYD Yangwang U9
BYD
According to data from Car and Driver, the Lamborghini's big V10 gas engine would fail against the electric BYD in a hypothetical head-to-head drag race, as the Huracan STO would cross the quarter-mile behind the BYD in 10.5 seconds, while the McLaren's 710 horsepower twin-turbo gas engine wouldn't fare much better with a time of 10.3 seconds.
Performance aside, the BYD's party trick is its sleek looks, which seem to have a touch of inspiration from contemporary European performance rivals like the McLaren Artura and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Its sleek design features a swath of unique touches, such as extensive LED lighting, Lamborghini-style vertical doors and a massive "swan neck" rear wing.
Additionally, the BYD one-ups rival Tesla when it comes to actual party tricks. Elon may have Disco and Celebration modes on his EVs, but the U9's Disus X full active body control system enables the car to jump, shake, and dance in the same manner as hydraulics on custom lowriders. According to BYD, the car comes equipped with four "dance mode songs" programmed for the car to dance along to.
BYD says that the U9 has a range of around 465 kilometers, or 288.93 miles and supports 500Kw charging, allowing its 80kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack to charge from 30% to 80% in 10 minutes.
The U9 will be a China-only product, but the car is a representation of the kind of capabilities large Chinese automakers like BYD are capable of: besting not only EV contemporaries like Tesla, but also knocking on the doors of high-end sports car brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren.
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The reveal of BYD's supercar comes at the heels of BYD's expansion plans, which includes a factory in Mexico. The automaker's Mexican operations manager Zhou Zou told the Japanese newspaper Nikkei that it seeks to use it's North American factory as an export hub to the United States.
Rivals in the American auto industry, including Elon Musk, warn of the potential consequences companies like BYD bring if they are left unchecked.
"I think they will have significant success outside of China depending on what kind of tariffs or trade barriers are established," Musk said during Tesla's Q4 earnings call on Jan. 24. "Frankly, I think if there are not trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other companies in the world."
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