Bugatti has lost its title: BYD’s 2,220 kW fully electric hypercar Yangwang U9 Xtreme set a new world record in Papenburg with a speed of 496.22 kph. Driven by racing driver Marc Basseng, the U9X not only surpassed the previous record, but also the best speed of 472.41 kph for electric cars, which it had set itself just a few weeks earlier.
For five years, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ held the title of the world’s fastest production car – until the German-French hypercar was dethroned by a Chinese electric car on 14 September 2025. More specifically, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, the 2,220 kW top version of BYD’s hypercar.
The two-metre-wide and 4.97-metre-long speedster from Shenzhen was driven by German racing driver Marc Basseng and reached an impressive 308.4 miles, equivalent to 496.22 kph, at the ATP test site in Papenburg, Germany. This means that the four-engine hypercar surpasses the top speed of the previous record holder by almost 6 kph.
At the same time, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme also surpassed the best time set by the pre-production version, known as the ‘Track Edition’, a few weeks earlier. On 8 August, the vehicle reached a top speed of 472.41 kph on the same track, making history as the fastest electric car in the world. The fact that the subsidiary brand of China’s largest car manufacturer was able to add more than 20 kph to this speed shortly afterwards underlines the technological ambition of the up-and-coming manufacturer.
“Yangwang is a brand that knows no impossibilities, and it is only through this commitment to future developments that a vehicle like the U9X can be created. I would like to thank the entire team and driver Marc Basseng for his skill and technical contribution. It’s great that the world’s fastest production car is now electric,” said Stella Li, BYD’s vice president, who also heads the manufacturer’s European business.
According to Marc Basseng, the electric drive opens up completely new possibilities in terms of performance: “This record was only possible because the U9 Xtreme simply has incredible performance,” he explained. “Technically speaking, something like this is not possible with a combustion engine. Thanks to the electric motor, the car is quiet and there are no load changes. This allows me to concentrate even more on the track,” said the racing driver.
Considering the technology, the U9 is a bargain
The key specifications of the U9 Xtreme are truly impressive: while 800 volts is currently the highest standard in Europe, the two-seater from China has a 1,200-volt architecture. The brand’s signature blade battery with LFP cells has a discharge rate of 30 C, which is about ten times higher than most common electric cars for everyday use.
Another technical highlight is the electric motors, which reach speeds of up to 30,000 revolutions per minute. For the record-breaking drive, the adaptive ‘DiSus-X’ suspension was specially tuned, and the nearly 2.5-tonne coupé was equipped with semi-slick tyres.
The Yangwang U9 Xtreme is now available in China. Although that may be a slight exaggeration; only 30 units are to be produced in total, each costing 1.68 million yuan. This equates to around 200,000 euros. Compared to hypercars with combustion engines, which cost millions, it is a real bargain despite the low production numbers.
