Watch the U8 being examined crusing by means of watch in boat mode. Be warned, it may well solely do that for 30 minutes.
Boat mode is barely meant to be used in an emergency, like flash flooding, and BYD says the U8 is designed to do that for simply half-hour. It isn’t clear what occurs on prolonged voyages.
Drivers/skippers are additionally urged to take the U8 to a workshop for an inspection after unintentionally (or maybe deliberately) taking their luxury electrified 3,460-kilogram automotive/yacht into the water. This would possibly make the U8’s bathing talents sound like an pointless function, however in international locations liable to excessive rainfall and flooded roads, constructing a automotive able to floating again to security isn’t as unusual because it sounds.
… and on Mountains
Again on dry land, the U8 guarantees to be a severely succesful off-roader. Clever drive modes ship energy and torque to whichever nook wants it, and since there’s an electrical motor for every wheel, the U8 can carry out a tank-turn, spinning on the spot by turning its left and proper sides in opposing instructions. On asphalt it’ll create sufficient friction to purchase the Michelin Man a brand new vacation residence, but it surely’s a sensible means of negotiating tight spots whereas off-roading.
We talked about earlier how this can be a hybrid, however its drivetrain doesn’t work within the standard sense. Whereas there is a turbocharged, 2-liter petrol engine, it isn’t linked to the wheels. As a substitute it acts as a range-extending generator and sends its energy to the U8’s modest 49-kWh battery pack.
BYD says the U8 will handle 112 miles on electrical energy alone or 620 miles when the engine will get concerned. The 4 electrical motors mix to supply a frankly absurd 1,200 horsepower, making the U8 the world’s strongest SUV. And BYD says the close to 4-ton automotive accelerates to 0-62 mph in simply 3.6 seconds.
Tech Specced
The flagship U8 Premium Version helps quick DC charging as much as 110 kW. Now, that doesn’t sound like a lot in a world of 320-kW Porsches, however the Yangwang’s comparatively small battery means charging from 30 to 80 p.c takes a claimed 18 minutes. The engine can be utilized as a vehicle-to-load (VTL) generator, delivering as much as 6 kW for charging electricals and powering home equipment.
As you’d count on in 2024, the U8 is full of driver help tech, too. These three taxicab-like bumps on the roof are lidar models for creating real-time 3D scans of the street forward. There’s additionally 5-millimeter wave radars, 14 ultrasonic sensors, and 16 cameras. BYD says semiautonomous driving on highways and Metropolis Navigation Autopilot will arrive by way of future over-the-air updates.
The U8 is priced from the equal of £120,000 (round $149,000) in China, the place it’s obtainable proper now. Sadly, BYD has not but dedicated to promoting the automotive in Europe and the UK, and even to bringing its premium Yangwang model right here. However when you think about European drivers’ newfound willingness to attempt novel automotive manufacturers, paired with a luxurious SUV market already providing the BMW iX, Mercedes G-Class, and Range Rover, the considered U8s tank-turning in tight metropolis streets or wading with confidence by means of flooded fords both aspect of the Atlantic doesn’t really feel removed from actuality.
