it can float, have a flat tire and roll with a crab
BYD, which ranks second in the world in electric cars, has introduced its new SUV Yangwang U8. It targets a very luxurious public, lovers of beautiful, high-performance and adventurous cars. The vehicle is almost unsinkable: it floats on water. But that’s not all, its technical report is impressive.
If you diligently follow the car section Frandroid, you should know the car manufacturer BYD, which is also a leader in battery production. If not, don’t panic, but be warned: you’ll be hearing a lot about it in the coming months and years.
BYD is the world’s number two electric car, behind Tesla. This Chinese giant recently arrived in Europe, especially in France, with three electric cars: Atto 3, Han and Tang, sold between 43,000 and 72,000 euros.
A very luxurious new range
In order to fill the market, BYD wants to go further and wants to now it overshadows the prestige builders. For this, BYD has just announced the creation of a special brand (as seen in the live stream Motor home), called YangWang, consists of two 100% electric models: an SUV, the Yangwang U8, and a hypercar, the YangWang U9, which we detailed in another news. Let’s take a closer look at the first, the most civilized, so to speak.
With the YangWang U8, BYD wants to directly compete with Land Rover with its upcoming electric Defender and Mercedes with its upcoming EQG. We are firmly in the top class 4×4 presence amazing performance and very good passability.
4 electric motors and phenomenal power
It is equipped with four motors, one for each wheel possibility of self-ignition with crab mode, as we see in the Mercedes EQG. But above all, thanks to its technology, it provides a rock-solid road stop torque vectorallowing the speed of each wheel to be adjusted up or down as needed.
The car is based on an all-new platform called the e4, which refers to the four engines. Each of the engines can deliver power from 220 to 240 kW (300 to 325 hp) with a torque of 320 to 420 Nm. maximum power 1100 hp and truck torque of more than 1000 Nm was announced by BYD 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3 seconds for an electric SUV.
Each motor can crank out up to 20,500 rpm, and BYD claims an energy efficiency of 97.7%. Efficiency approaches 98%, higher than the revolutionary engine found in the Lightyear 0 solar car and potentially in the upcoming Lightyear 2.
For comparison, the Tesla Model S Plaid claims 1,020 horsepower and 1,450 Nm of torque, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.1 seconds. Its engine is capable of rotating up to 23,000 revolutions per minute.
Off-road vehicle
YangWang is a beautiful baby length 5.3 meters and 2 meters wide, with a wheelbase of 3.05 meters, which should offer very good interior space. The door handles can be retracted to improve aerodynamics. The 20-inch wheels are flanked by extra-wide wheels with a width of 275 mm.
The car is designed for adventurers: it can driving at 120 km/h with a flat tire ! This is made possible by four motors that can continuously adjust the torque to maintain the vehicle’s direction. Even more impressive, the car can decelerate from 100 to 0 km/h in just 40 meters (deceleration more than 1) g), without mechanical braking, using regenerative braking of engines only. For comparison, a car normally brakes in about 36 meters using mechanical brakes.
The YangWang U8 can also turn 12 meters in diameter without touching the steering wheel, thanks to four motors that allow it to move simultaneously rotate 360° on itself on some covers.
Boat or car?
To borrow Elon Musk’s idea with his Cybertruck, BYD’s SUV is waterproof (IP68 certified), allowing it to float on water. Four independent motors will be able to help propel the vehicle through the water, provided you have calm, flat water.
The rest of the specification sheet has not been released by BYD. But at the top of the windshield there are three sensors that look like LiDARs for autonomous driving.
Price and Availability: Hurts
As for the price, BYD’s new brand YangWang wants to sell cars between 800-1.5 million yuan, 110-210 thousand euros at the current exchange rate.
The YangWang U8 should be sold in China for about one million yuan, or about 140,000 euros. It is likely that this new brand will arrive in Europe in the coming months or years. However, the tariffs are likely to be very high, especially because of the higher import process.
The Chinese giant BYD, the world number 2 in electric cars, is coming to Europe, especially France, with three models. Atto 3, Han and Tang. We were able to ride…
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