YANGWANG U9 Xtreme EV Surpasses 500 km/h With World’s First Record Recognized by FIA

The all-electric YANGWANG U9 Xtreme achieved a top speed of 503.17 km/h (312.65 mph) during a high-speed run in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The achievement, recorded on November 1, 2026, has been officially recognized by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), making the U9 Xtreme the first production car to exceed the 500 km/h threshold.

The latest performance surpasses the previous benchmark of 496.22 km/h, achieved by the same vehicle in Germany in September 2025. The Abu Dhabi run also secured two Guinness World Records for the highest speed achieved by a production car and an electric production car in a single-direction run.

German racing driver Marc Basseng piloted the U9 Xtreme on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road (E11), in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region. Basseng also drove the vehicle during its previous high-speed record attempt at the ATP Papenburg proving ground in Germany.

The latest milestone follows continued development of the U9 hypercar by YANGWANG, the luxury electric vehicle brand of Chinese automotive manufacturer BYD. Since the project was introduced in 2024, the company has progressively increased the vehicle’s performance. The original U9 reached 309 km/h during testing in China in January 2024, followed by 391.94 km/h at ATP Papenburg in October 2024. The U9 Xtreme subsequently achieved 472.41 km/h in August 2025 and 496.22 km/h the following month. The latest run adds another 6.95 km/h to its previous record.

The Abu Dhabi speed attempt took place over two days, with local authorities cooperating in the closure of a 10-kilometer section of road, including a seven-kilometer straight used for the high-speed runs. Following two initial runs on October 31, which reached a maximum speed of 490 km/h, engineers made additional adjustments to the vehicle’s aerodynamics, suspension settings, and tire pressures to improve stability and performance. Two further runs were completed on November 1, with the second producing the record-setting 503.17 km/h.

The U9 Xtreme is powered by four independent electric motors producing a combined output of more than 3,000 PS. Its technical specifications include a 1,200-volt electrical architecture, an advanced torque-vectoring system, and specialized high-performance tires developed in collaboration with Giti Tire.

The vehicle also incorporates an active suspension system designed to optimize stability and control at extreme speeds, alongside advanced battery and thermal-management technology developed to support the demands of high-performance electric driving.

The latest achievement adds to the U9 Xtreme’s performance at Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife, where it recorded a lap time of 6 minutes, 59.157 seconds, establishing a production electric vehicle lap record.

With its 503.17 km/h performance officially recognized by the FIA, the YANGWANG U9 Xtreme establishes a new milestone for production electric vehicles and demonstrates the continuing development of electric motors, battery systems, thermal management, aerodynamics, and vehicle-control technology.

EVinfo.net’s Take: Another Example of EV Performance Superiority

This is another demonstration of the extraordinary performance capabilities of electric vehicles. EVs are no longer simply an alternative to gasoline-powered cars. They are pushing the boundaries of acceleration, power, and top speed, challenging conventional assumptions about what production automobiles can achieve.

While gasoline-powered supercars have dominated the high-performance market for decades, electric powertrains are demonstrating that the future of automotive performance is increasingly electric.