- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr Ar He
Yangwang. The envy of all
It is no longer surprising that new automobile brands appear in China almost every day. And each of them tries to stand out in their own way. Yangwang, a new Chinese luxury electric vehicle brand created by the automotive giant BYD, stands out not only for its original name: the Chinese word ‘Yangwang’ literally means ‘looking up’ or ‘envy’. The brand’s cars are based on BYD’s proprietary individual wheel drive (IWD) technology platform called ‘e 4’, which is ‘the envy of all’. This means that each wheel is driven by a separate electric motor. But this is not all.
Mission ‘Envy’
The new brand aims at making everyone jealous. Because the Yangwang brand plans to produce really expensive and technically sophisticated cars. So, the price will be approximately one million yuan, that is, about 145 thousand dollars. As for technology, the powertrain includes four independent motors mounted on each wheel, which, in particular, will allow the car to turn 360 degrees. This will allow you to maintain control over the car even if one wheel is damaged. The developers are proud of their new all-wheel drive system, claiming that it reacts 100 times faster than a traditional all-wheel drive system thanks to electronic control.
So far, little is known about the future models of the Yangwang brand, since BYD did not disclose all the information during the presentation on January 5, 2023. The exterior of the two models, the Yangwang U8 SUV and the Yangwang U9 hypercar, was developed by German designer Wolfgang Egger, known for his collaboration with Audi. The expert has been working for BYD since 2016, and the brand’s current style was developed by him. BYD will create a separate dealer network throughout the country for its darling offspring. The U8 SUVs are expected to be on sale by the summer, but it is still unknown when the U9 hypercar hits the market.
Yangwang U8
The brand’s first model is an all-electric full-size SUV. The new U8 was officially unveiled on January 5, 2023. Sales are expected to begin in the Chinese market in the second quarter of 2023. The vehicle features a body-on-frame structure. The vehicle is richly equipped in compliance with its price level. The SUV will receive a large central touch screen and a virtual dashboard, as well as a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel.
The Yangwang U8 boasts an IP68-rated waterproof body and engine, allowing the SUV to cross water bodies
The e4 powertrain includes 4 motors mounted separately from the wheels, connected to them through gearboxes and drive shafts. The vehicle will be equipped with electric motors with a peak power of 300-330 hp and a torque of 320-420 each, while a total power of 1,100 hp is promised. The huge SUV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4 seconds. Recuperation and traction control make it possible not to use conventional brakes: at a speed of 100 km/h, the braking distance is only 40 meters. The SUV comes with an independent pneumatic suspension and 275/60 R20 tires. The manufacturer also intends to release a sequential hybrid that uses an engine to recharge the battery.
Yangwang U9
It is known that the U9 electric hypercar accelerates to 100 km/h in just 2 seconds! The car has its unique design. It features matrix front and rear optics. More details will be known in the future…
