Watch the U8 being tested sailing through the watch in boat mode. Be warned, it can only do this for 30 minutes.
Boat mode is intended only for use in emergencies, such as flash floods, and BYD says the U8 is designed to do this in just 30 minutes. It's unclear what happens during extended trips.
Drivers/captains are also encouraged to take their U8 to the workshop for inspection after accidentally (or possibly intentionally) taking their vehicle. luxurious electrification of a car/yacht weighing 3,460 kg into the water. This may make the U8's ability to swim sound like an unnecessary feature, but in countries where heavy rainfall and flooded roads are common, building a car that can float again makes sense. A safe place is not as strange as one might think.
…and on the Mountain
Returning to dry land, the U8 promises to be a terrain vehicle with extremely good off-road capabilities. Smart driving modes send power and torque to any corner needed, and because there's an electric motor for each wheel, the U8 can perform tank turns, turning in place by turning the left and right sides are in opposite directions. On asphalt, it'll create enough friction to buy the Michelin Man a new vacation home, but it's a smart way to get around tight spots off-road.
We mentioned earlier that this is a hybrid but its powertrain isn't functional in the conventional sense. Although there is a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, it is not connected to the wheels. Instead, it acts as a range-extending generator and transfers power to the U8's modest 49 kWh battery pack.
BYD says the U8 will run 112 miles on electric power alone or 620 miles with the engine. Four electric motors combine to produce an absurd 1,200 horsepower, making the U8 the most powerful SUV in the world. And BYD says this nearly 4-ton vehicle accelerates to 0-100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds.
Specified technology
Flagship U8 Premium Edition supports DC fast charging up to 110 kW. Now, that doesn't sound like much in a 320 kW world Porsche, but the Yangwang's relatively small battery means charging from 30 to 80 percent takes 18 minutes. The engine can be used as a vehicle-to-load (VTL) generator, providing up to 6 kW of power for charging electrical devices and powering.
As you would expect in 2024, the U8 is also equipped with driver assistance technology. The three taxi-like protrusions on the roof are lidar units that create real-time 3D scans of the road ahead. There is also a 5mm wave radar, 14 ultrasonic sensors and 16 cameras. BYD said semi-automatic driving Highway and City Autopilot will arrive via over-the-air updates in the future.
The U8 costs the equivalent of £120,000 (about $149,000) in China, where it is available now. Sadly, BYD has not yet committed to selling the car in Europe and the UK, or even bringing its premium Yangwang brand here. But when you consider European drivers' willingness to experiment with new car brands, combined with what the luxury SUV market has to offer BMW iXMercedes G-Class, and Range RoverThe thought of U8s turning heads on narrow city streets or confidently wading through flooded rivers on either side of the Atlantic doesn't seem far from reality.
