The U9 was developed by German car designer Wolfgang Egger, who previously served as a head designer for Alfa Romeo, Audi and Lamborghini and began working for BYD in 2017.[2]
The U9 was first introduced on 6 April 2023, and went on sale in February 2024.[1] Mass production officially started on 16 August 2024.[3]
The U9 achieved an uncertified Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of 7 minutes and 17.9 seconds in November 2024. It also achieved a straight-line top speed of 391.94 km/h (243.54 mph), making it the fastest Chinese car in serial production.[4]
Side view
Rear view
Specifications
The U9 is equipped with four electric motors providing a total power output of 960 kW (1,290 hp) and a maximum range of 450 km (280 mi) on the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC). BYD reported a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time of 2.36 seconds, and a 1⁄4 mi (402 m) drag race time of 9.78 seconds.
The U9 is built with an 800V electrical architecture, with a maximum DC charging power of 500 kW. The charging duration between 30% and 80% is 10 minutes. The U9 also supports dual charging, or plugging in two chargers simultaneously to increase charging speed.
Like the U8, the U9 features BYD's proprietary "e4" (易四方) individual wheel drive system, which enables the vehicle to redistribute torque among the four wheels in case of traction loss or a tyre puncture at speed; and the "DiSus" (云辇) active suspension system, which allows the wheels' ground clearance to be readjusted individually and even to perform a brief vertical jump.[5] The active suspension consists of three different systems; DiSus-C controls variable damping, DiSus-A controls the air suspension, and DiSus-P controls the hydraulic system.[6] Regarding the vertical jump, the U9 will shrink first, then bounce up, launching all four wheels off the ground at the same time.[5] BYD has not announced the specific reason for the jump function on the U9, but the function demonstrates the "DiSus-X" body control system.
^"仰望U9首台车下线 将陆续开启交付" [The first Yangwang U9 car rolled off the assembly line and will be delivered in succession]. www.autohome.com.cn. 2024-08-17. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
