BYD’s hardcore off-roader Yangwang U8 debuted at Shanghai Auto Show three months after its January conference debut. It is an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) with a 49.05 kWh battery that can travel 180 km CLTC.
The range extender is a 2.0-liter petrol engine that has a 75-liter fuel tank to power the battery. The said tank, along with a full battery, can provide a driving range of up to 1,000 kilometers.
The company claims that its battery can be charged from 30% to 80% in 5 minutes. The SUV has a total of 38 sensors — 3 lidars, 5 MW radars, 14 ultrasonic radars, and 16 cameras — for autonomous driving.
Satellite communication lets the driver stay in touch even in the desert or mountains without a phone signal. Drone docking is an optional extra on the U8.
The “Premium Edition” and “Off-road Master Edition” U8 went on presale on April 18. Offroad models have large roof boxes and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) snorkels. Its size is almost the same as Land Rover Defender while its curb weight is almost 3.5 tons.
Despite the earth-shattering weight, however, the U8 is incredibly quick. The powertrain is 4WD, and each wheel is driven by a 220 kW electric motor, resulting in 1,180 horsepower and 1,280 Nm of torque. The company claims that its 0 to 100 km/h time is just 3.6 seconds.
Along with being blistering fast, U8 can go off-road, wade through water, and perform complex maneuvers in a tight situation by itself.
The Yangwang U8 has a luxurious leather interior. It has three center console screens and a 70″ augmented reality-based heads up display.
Driver and front passenger instrument panels are 23.6 inches. Yangwang U8’s backseat passengers have two more 12.8-inch screens. The U8 has five and seven-seat options.
BYD Yangwang U8 is also China’s most expensive mass-produced vehicle of all time, with a starting price of $159,000, which is the equivalent of Rs. 44 million in Pakistani money. The company will start delivering its luxury off-roader in Q3, 2023.
