Watch the U8 being tested sailing through the watch in boat mode. Be warned, it can only do this for 30 minutes.
BYD says the bot mode is only meant to be used in an emergency such as a flash flood, and the U8 is designed to do this for just 30 minutes. It is not clear what will happen on the extended journey.
Drivers/skippers are forced to take the U8 to a workshop for inspection after they intentionally (or perhaps unintentionally) take their luxury electrified 3,460-kilogram car/vessel into the water. It might make the U8’s bathing capabilities sound like an unnecessary feature, but in countries prone to heavy rains and flooded roads, building a car capable of safely floating isn’t as strange as it sounds.
And on the mountains
Back on dry land, the U8 promises to be a seriously capable off-roader. Intelligent drive modes send power and torque to the corner where it’s needed, and with an electric motor for each wheel, the U8 performs a tank-turn, turning on the spot by turning its left and right sides in opposite directions. On asphalt it creates enough friction to make the Michelin Man buy a new holiday home, but off-roading it’s a great way to negotiate tight spots.
We mentioned earlier how it’s a hybrid, but its drivetrain doesn’t work in the traditional sense. Although there is a turbocharged, 2-litre petrol engine, it is not connected to the wheels. Instead it acts as a range-extending generator and sends its power to the U8’s modest 49-kWh battery pack.
BYD says the U8 can manage 112 miles on electricity alone or 620 miles with the engine engaged. Four electric motors combine to produce an absurd 1,200 horsepower, making the U8 the most powerful SUV in the world. And BYD says the 4-ton car accelerates from 0-62 mph in just 3.6 seconds.
Tech Specs
The flagship U8 Premium version supports fast DC charging up to 110 kW. Now, that doesn’t sound like much in the world of 320-kW Porsches, but the Yangwang’s relatively small battery means it takes 18 minutes to charge from 30 to 80 percent. The engine can be used as a vehicle-to-load (VTL) generator, delivering up to 6 kW for charging electricals and power tools.
As you’d expect in 2024, the U8 is packed with driver assistant tech. Three taxicab-like bumps on the roof are lidar units to create real-time 3D scans of the road ahead. There are also 5-millimeter wave radars, 14 ultrasonic sensors and 16 cameras. BYD says semi-autonomous driving on highways and city navigation Autopilot will arrive via future broadcast updates.
The U8 is priced at the equivalent of £120,000 (about $149,000) in China, where it is currently available. Sadly, BYD has yet to commit to selling the car in Europe and the UK or bringing its premium Yangwang brand over here. But when you consider the new willingness of European drivers to try new car brands paired with the luxury SUV market already offering the BMW iX, Mercedes G-Class, and Range Rover, the thought of turning U8s tanks on tight city streets or wading through Fords flooding both sides of the Atlantic with confidence isn’t far from reality.