Car lovers thought the speed crown would stay in the hands of combustion engines forever, but the Yangwang U9 Xtreme just flipped the script in spectacular fashion. In a record run at Germany’s ATP test track, the all-electric beast reached a blistering 308.4 mph, making it the fastest production car on the planet. According to Electrek, the U9 Xtreme didn’t just nudge past the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, which managed 304.8 mph back in 2019, it destroyed it.
The driver behind this historic run was German GT veteran Marc Basseng, who noted how different the car feels compared to a conventional hypercar. With no gears to fumble through or torque drop-offs, the Yangwang’s smooth electric delivery allowed him to focus completely on control while watching the speed climb higher than anyone thought possible for a production vehicle. And yes, it was all done in near silence, the whoosh of air replacing the roar of a combustion monster.
Part of the secret lies in BYD’s engineering. The U9 Xtreme runs on a 1,200-volt architecture powered by the company’s blade-style lithium iron phosphate batteries. That setup not only pumps insane amounts of power to the four motors but also keeps things stable enough to manage grip at speeds where lift-off becomes a real danger. Engineers tweaked the wheels, tires, and suspension geometry specifically for this attempt, with smaller front wheels, wider rears, and a low-slung stance designed to cut through the air like a bullet.
Bugatti’s Chiron Super Sport 300+ was the gold standard for nearly half a decade, but it relied on a quad-turbocharged W16 engine guzzling fuel at a terrifying rate. The U9 Xtreme’s achievement signals something bigger than just bragging rights. It proves electric vehicles are no longer confined to being efficient commuters or quirky eco machines. They are now the undisputed kings of speed.
Of course, owning one will be nearly impossible for most people. Yangwang reportedly plans to produce only about 30 of these hypercars, ensuring that exclusivity remains part of the package. For those lucky enough to snag one, the price tag will likely rival or exceed that of Bugatti’s halo cars. But the bigger story isn’t about who can afford it – it’s about the fact that the world’s fastest car is now electric, and that changes everything.
Would you trade the roar of a W16 for the eerie silence of 300 mph electric acceleration? After this run, the answer might already be clear.