BYD Unveils Its Tesla Model S Plaid Killer

After developing its European network and launching a range that is both highly capable and appealing, BYD is aiming for the top.

The BYD YangWang U7 still feels a bit caught between two worlds. Is it truly a BYD and thus able to proudly claim its place in the lineup of the world’s leading manufacturer of electrified cars? Or is it a YangWang and a sign of this brand’s development as BYD’s premium marque, similar to Lexus for Toyota, Infiniti for Nissan, Acura for Honda, or at a smaller scale CUPRA for Seat?

Ultimately, its name or pedigree doesn’t matter much, because what is most astonishing about this car is its technical specification. Let’s start with the simplest figure to grasp: 1,287 horsepower! That’s the insane power of this flagship. It actually uses the same quad-motor setup as the U9 Hypercar, but in an elegant coupe-bodied sedan.

This road missile is equipped with a lithium iron phosphate 135.5 kWh battery made by BYD. According to information gathered by CarNewsChina from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, its range is said to be 800 km. We know that the CLTC figures are always quite optimistic compared to the European WLTP. Still, a more realistic range of 600 km would already be impressive.

Such a range is of course achieved thanks to the battery, which makes up 33% of the car’s total weight. This weight exceeds 3 tons, which is completely mind-boggling and raises concerns about the durability of the tires chosen for this beast. More generally, a bit more prudence would be wise—reducing the battery weight by sacrificing some range. Today, recharging is quick enough that 400 km of range is sufficient more than 95% of the time. Furthermore, and correctly so, it’s not an SUV, but if it arrives in France, beware of parking tariffs in Paris! It’s also important to improve aerodynamics, and BYD seems to have achieved a feat with a drag coefficient of only 0.195, lower than benchmarks like the Lucid Air (0.197), Mercedes EQS (0.20), Nio ET7 (0.208 Cd), Tesla Model S Plaid (0.208 Cd), and even Porsche Taycan (0.22 Cd).

BYD has always asserted its intention to launch the YangWang models in Europe but has not yet decided under what name. The launch of the U7 on the Chinese market this year to compete with the Tesla Model S Plaid will be decisive for its future outside the borders of the Middle Kingdom.