BYD showed how the Yangwang U9 supercar jumps over pits and spikes at high speed without a driver

BYD has published a video in which it demonstrated how the Yangwang U9 electric supercar in unmanned mode overcomes various obstacles, such as a water-filled pit and road spikes, simply by jumping over them.

Image source: BYD

Yangwang is BYD’s premium electric vehicle brand, and the U9 is the second vehicle after the U8 SUV. The latter became famous for its ability to move on water, and the U9 supercar turned heads in September thanks to its Disus X suspension and hydraulic system that allows the car to bounce or dance. Now BYD marketers have taken the feature demonstration to the next level by publishing a video of the driverless Yangwang U9 driving down the road at 120 km/h and overcoming obstacles.

The first test is a large hole 2.5 meters wide filled with water. When approaching an obstacle, the suspension is activated and the car bounces over the pothole. According to BYD, the jump length is more than 6 meters. The next obstacle is a scattering of road spikes about 3.5 cm high. As in the first case, the Disus X suspension system forces the U9 to jump over the obstacle. At the end of the video, the electric car also jumps over strips of dry paint, raising a bright cloud behind it.

BYD did not provide details about the tests, such as which autopilot system was used. The company previously announced cooperation in the field of driver assistance systems with DJI and Horizon Robotics.

Yangwang U9 was introduced in February 2024 at a price of 1.68 million yuan ($230,000) in China. Serial production and deliveries began six months later, in August. The U9 is an all-electric supercar built on the BYD e4 platform and equipped with the Disus X suspension system. This system allows the car to move on three wheels, dance or jump, as shown in the video. The car is driven by four electric motors with a total power of 960 kW (1287 hp) and a peak torque of 1680 Nm. The U9 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.36 seconds and covers 400 meters in 9.78 seconds. In November 2024, the Yangwang U9 completed a lap of the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 17.9 seconds.

The vehicle is equipped with an LFP battery with a capacity of 80 kWh, providing a range of 465 km on the CLTC cycle. The electric car is built on an 800-volt architecture and can be charged from 30 to 80% in 10 minutes. In addition, the supercar supports dual charging function, which allows you to connect two chargers at the same time.