BYD’s YANGWANG U9 Xtreme electric hypercar reached 503.17 km/h on a closed stretch of Abu Dhabi’s E11 highway on 1 November. According to BYD’s newsroom, the run earned two Guinness World Records: the highest speed by a production car, and by an electric production car, in a single-direction run.
The run also moved the record from a test track to a public road. The car’s previous best came at a German proving ground. This time Abu Dhabi closed 10 km of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Road in the Al Dhafra Region, with a 7 km straight as the longest section. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), the emirate’s investment agency, says it worked on the run with the Department of Culture and Tourism and Abu Dhabi Mobility.
It took two days. On 31 October, the car made two runs and topped out at 490 km/h. Overnight, BYD’s engineers changed the rear-wing angle, the suspension’s rebound damping software, and the tyre pressures. On 1 November, the second of two more runs hit 503.17 km/h, with racing driver Marc Basseng at the wheel. He says a public road demands more precision, stability, and confidence than a dedicated test track.
The FIA, motorsport’s governing body, recognised the speed and calls the U9 Xtreme the first production car to pass 500 km/h. It uses four independent electric motors with more than 3,000 PS combined, a 1,200-volt architecture, and tyres developed with Giti Tire. YANGWANG, BYD’s luxury brand, has pushed the U9’s top speed up steadily since early 2024:
| Date | Car | Location | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2024 | U9 | Wuhan Hannan Airport, China | 309 km/h |
| October 2024 | U9 | ATP Papenburg, Germany | 391.94 km/h |
| August 2025 | U9 Xtreme | ATP Papenburg, Germany | 472.41 km/h |
| September 2025 | U9 Xtreme | ATP Papenburg, Germany | 496.22 km/h |
| 1 November 2026 | U9 Xtreme | E11, Abu Dhabi | 503.17 km/h |
The figure comes with a caveat. As Motor1 points out, 503.17 km/h is a one-way run, not the average of runs in both directions. Bugatti’s Chiron Super Sport 300+ managed 490.48 km/h one way in 2019, while the SSC Tuatara’s 455.3 km/h two-way average counts as a separate benchmark.
For ADIO, the run adds to its engagement with Chinese carmakers. Mohamed Ali Al Kamali, its Chief of Trade and Industry, points to ROX Motor and Freelander developments as earlier steps, though the release doesn’t explain either.
From ROX Motor and Freelander to BYD, we are seeing a new chapter in Abu Dhabi’s engagement with leading Chinese automotive companies.
Mohamed Ali Al Kamali, Chief of Trade and Industry, ADIO
Few people will ever drive one: BYD will build only 30 U9 Xtreme cars worldwide.
