BYD Sends Yangwang Hyper-BEV to Goodwood

BYD’s premium luxury brand Yangwang is shipping two of its flagship models to compete at the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K. this summer.

Two Tangwang U9 models have been loaded on ships to continue the automaker’s parent brand’s charm offensive on European markets both for premium and budget-priced models, CnEVPost reports. Some industry figures in Europe complain these invaders are “dumping” over-produced vehicles on battery-electric vehicle-friendly markets while sales slump amid a price war in China.

However, the Tangwang U9 is far from being budget, expecting to retail from a starting price of RMB 1.68 million ($232,500). It is probable that this superfast BEV will take on the challenging hill-climb race at the Goodwood estate in a bid to enhance its performance credentials against products from traditional European automakers.

The 2-seater sports model boasts hypercar performance claiming up to 1,288 hp and 1,239 lb.-ft. (1,680 Nm) of torque enabling a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint time of 2.36 seconds. To achieve this it employs four electric motors providing all-wheel drive.

Hu Xiaoqing, general manager of Yangwang sales division, says on the social media platform Weibo, “We are very much looking forward to meeting supercar enthusiasts around the world at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.”