BYD’s premium performance division, Yangwang, has made global automotive history with its U9 Xtreme electric supercar officially recognised on the Nürburgring Nordschleife production car leaderboard. The record-breaking lap time of 6 minutes and 59.157 seconds establishes it as the fastest production electric vehicle ever to conquer the world’s most demanding racetrack — and the first EV to complete the circuit in under seven minutes.

In addition to its Nürburgring success, Yangwang confirmed that the U9 Xtreme recently achieved a top speed of 496.22 km/h, a feat that backs its claim as the world’s fastest production electric car but also rivals the outright speed benchmarks of traditional internal-combustion supercars.

The U9’s “dual first” distinction — for both speed and lap record — signals the continuing rise of China’s electric performance engineering on the global stage.

Yangwang executive Hu Xiaoqing said the official certification followed a private session at the German circuit on October 10, 2025, where conditions were far from ideal. Despite light rain and restricted track time, the team managed a final flying lap that clinched the record. Hu added that the drivers had not tested the U9 Xtreme for more than three weeks prior to the attempt, suggesting that with additional sessions, the car might have gone even faster.

The U9 Xtreme’s performance was validated by TÜV Rheinland in cooperation with Nürburgring officials, confirming the car’s compliance with production standards. Yangwang emphasised that the U9’s technology diverges significantly from conventional supercars, using an advanced quad-motor system, a lightweight aerodynamic body, and software-tuned torque vectoring designed to optimise stability and precision at high speed.

German professional racer Moritz Kranz, who has logged nearly 10,000 Nürburgring laps in his GT career, piloted the record-setting run. His experience proved critical in managing the immense acceleration and cornering forces generated by the 1000kW-plus EV.

Yangwang says the U9 Xtreme’s development and testing program will continue, with further refinement expected as part of its mission to redefine high-performance electric mobility. The achievement not only marks a milestone for BYD’s engineering prowess but also establishes China’s first production supercar to be officially listed among the Nürburgring’s elite performers.