BYD's push for a 500 km/h production car has had a high-speed setback.
The crash
CarNewsChina reports that photos and video of the crash were released in China on Nov. 2. The car left its line at high speed on a closed track, hit a barrier and lost its entire rear axle. The driver got out by himself.
Wangtongshe, carried by iFeng Auto, says the impact happened at more than 400 km/h during top-speed testing. The battery did not catch fire, the passenger cell stayed intact and the driver was found unhurt after a full check-up. The car uses a carbon-fibre monocoque.
After the crash
According to Wangtongshe, the development team reviewed the incident, retuned the car and kept testing. It eventually reached 457.89 km/h, which the outlet calls a domestic top-speed record.
The 500 km/h target
CarNewsChina says BYD vice president Stella Li first disclosed plans for a 500 km/h attempt in the UAE in November, and that Yangwang sales chief Hu Xiaoqing later confirmed it. The U9 Xtreme previously reached 496.22 km/h at ATP Papenburg in Germany. It uses a 1,200-volt platform, four motors producing 2,220 kW combined and an 80 kWh battery with 30C discharge (CarNewsChina).