BYD unveiled hard-hitting sports car AND an affordable hatchback in the same week
- BYD recently overtook Tesla in global sales of electric vehicle
- This past week, the Chinese automaker unveiled two new models
- The new models include a $230,000 sports car to rival Ferrari and Lamborghini, and a $14,000 hatchback
Published on Feb 26, 2024 at 3:32 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Feb 29, 2024 at 3:31 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
It’s safe to say BYD is giving Tesla a run for its money.
Not only has the Chinese automaker overtaken Tesla in global sales of EVs, its low production costs and inexpensive vehicles have legacy automakers scrambling to become more competitive on price.
But its not just ultra-affordable vehicles the automaker produces – it makes models along the price spectrum, too.
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Over the weekend, BYD officially launched the Yangwang U9 – a high-end EV sports car designed to rival the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Priced at $233,450, the U9 can reach 100 km/h (62mph) in just 2.36 seconds and go on to a top speed of 309 km/h (192 mph).
Technically speaking it’s not an ‘official’ supercar rival, as to be a supercar it’d need to break the 322 km/h (200 mph) barrier – but it’s not far off.
Whilst it’s just shy of the mark, the Yangwang U9 has a few tricks up its sleeve that the Italian supercar manufacturers don’t.
Namely the ability to spin in place and enter dance mode, as videos posted on social media showed.
We’ve seen similar tricks before with the Yangwang U8 – a floating off-roader that does tank turns.
The down side is, though, the U9’s only available in China for the time being.
At the other end of the spectrum, BYD also unveiled a lower-priced version of its popular Dolphin hatchback this week.
In 2023, BYD sold 367,419 Dolphin models, up 79 percent from the previous year.
Get this – the new version’s start price is just $13,865.
It goes without saying BYD needs to do more than produce a wide range of vehicle types to survive.
The Chinese automaker faces price wars, a saturated market, and slowed EV growth within China.
Not only that, but as it expands globally, there’s a host of challenges including trade barriers, regulatory hurdles, and customers’ loyalty to legacy automakers.
But there’s no denying its cars are highly competitive – Musk even said so himself last year, despite laughing at them in 2011.
Adam Gray
Adam Gray is an experienced motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for supercarblondie.com. Before joining the Supercar Blondie team, Adam was Motoring Editor for Portfolio North magazine, North East Motoring Editor at Reach plc, and provided motoring content on a freelance basis to several lifestyle and business publications in the North of England. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
