Yangwang U9 Xtreme Crashes During High-Speed Test in China

A Yangwang U9 Xtreme, the electric hypercar with the highest top speed yet recorded by a production car, has crashed during a high-speed test on a closed track in China. Footage released on November 2 shows the car losing control and hitting a barrier. The test driver reportedly walked away without serious injury.

The run was part of a domestic baseline test ahead of BYD's next top speed attempt. One Chinese report says the test was planned for speeds between 425 and 450 km/h, and several say the crash happened above 400 km/h. BYD has not said how fast the car was travelling at impact, what caused the loss of control, or exactly when the crash took place.

The video shows the car leaving its line at high speed and striking a barrier. The front and rear bodywork were badly damaged, and reports say the rear axle assembly was torn away from the body. Chinese reports say the carbon fibre passenger cell stayed intact and the battery did not catch fire.

Reports say test driver Jiang Wen got out of the car on his own, and a hospital check found no serious injury. The team then reviewed the crash, made adjustments, and continued testing, reaching 457.89 km/h, which Chinese reports describe as a new top speed record in China.

The U9 Xtreme is the track-focused version of Yangwang's U9 supercar. It uses four electric motors of 555 kW each, giving a combined 2,220 kW (about 2,977 hp), on a 1,200 V electrical platform with an 80 kWh LFP Blade Battery. Production is limited to 30 units, and BYD says each is priced at more than 20 million yuan.

In September 2025, the car reached 496.22 km/h at the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany, with racing driver Marc Basseng at the wheel. That beat the 490.48 km/h set by the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ in 2019. Both figures are single-direction runs.

BYD now aims to pass 500 km/h on an open road in the United Arab Emirates. BYD executive vice president Stella Li said in July that the team was looking for a road in Dubai for an attempt in November. Yangwang executive Hu Xiaoqing has since named Abu Dhabi as the venue, according to Chinese reports of a social media post. No date has been announced, and BYD has not said whether the crash will change its plans.