While the Hyundai Kona, Volvo XC40 Recharge, Kia EV6 (one pedal) and the MG ZS EV have varying levels between them, all four have much stronger regen than this electric vehicle.

BHPian Hume recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

BYD Seal RWD - Test Drive Impressions

Firstly, in general, I agree with most reviews on the web. So for everyone's sake, I didn't want to repeat what has already been said often. A quick summary instead of the items that I agree with first:

• Great design - looks just as good in person
• Solid build - no sounds or creaks and everything seems to be put together well
• Comfortable seating
• Good power on sports mode and OK on normal
• Screen is nice and big to use with wireless Android auto working just fine albeit not being the slickest

Points that I felt needed to be said a bit more on:

1. GC was not an issue surprisingly. Went over a number of decent-sized speed breakers with four onboard and no problems. I remember that I wasn't able to take the 340i in the same stretch with 2 onboard without scraping. Mind you, we are after all talking about a sedan - comparison with that of a crossover or an SUV won't make sense, horses for courses and all.
2. Mild regen - Forget the one-pedal drive which on its own is a miss, but the regen in itself is terrible. Has only two regen settings (and that too on screen - no paddle shifters) and one is mild and the other is milder! While the Kona, XC40, EV6 (one pedal) and ZS have varying levels between them, all four have much stronger regen than the Seal. I find that a strong regen makes it easier to manoeuvre in traffic and less tiring to drive, especially in the city. Very strange to see this not being incorporated as well.
3. Sunshade can be covered only manually with a curtain of sorts - not very convenient. If left uncovered, our Indian summers and even just the sunlight can be a bit disconcerting.
4. Nimble - the sedan form factor, along with low CG helps make it a decent handler. Fortunately, the steering feedback and control also is adequate making it fun to drive.
5. Suspension setup is surprisingly good on the despite being stiff. Especially on speed breakers, the thud is softer compared to other stiff suspension vehicles. All-in-all, this makes the ride comfortable whilst keeping the drive fun.
6. Controls being on screen can get annoying quickly especially with HVAC, Seat Ventilation, regen and the likes all in menus or submenus on a screen.

Also IMO, BYD has missed a trick by not offering the AWD for test drives in most places right off the bat. Could've really cashed in on the positive marketing - a democratization of performance and whatnot.

No vehicle is perfect and this has its share of shortcomings. Not having a strong regen is the biggest miss for me. But I think it is still a very good product for its price for many who might not be as particular about some of its quirks. Keep them coming BYD.

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Got a picture to share? I believe the sunshade is a dealer fitment, not standard?

• I don't think they have spare AWD cars. Very badly planned launch. Media drives still haven't taken place. In the automotive marketing world, one must strike the iron when it's hot and if they held media drives at the time of the launch buzz (due to the killer pricing), it would have given them eyeballs equivalent to 100 crore rupees of advertising (websites, YouTube, TV channels, newspapers, magazines etc. all bragging about this super sedan).
• Again, BYD has goofed up this launch by not getting media drive publicity from 100 journalists. Many people have stopped talking about the Seal. This thread too is showing signs of slowdown.
• Another reason for not offering AWD test drives = too fast. Customers test-driving cars around the world (and especially in India) drive the TD cars like maniacs. For some reason, people think test-driving a car means flooring the pedal 100% of the time. You would see a lot of damaged AWD Seals. This is also why, if you want to TD a performance car from a German car showroom, they will put you through some kind of formal / informal screening.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say about the matter:

It is with good sense that BYD is not offering the full-power AWD variant for test drives. There is no mass-market car that has even half the power or performance of the Seal AWD. It would have only meant that every “enthusiast” with a driving license be queuing to get a test drive to experience 500bhp and 0-100 in 3.xx seconds. Ergo, crashes. It is one thing to own such a machine after purchasing it. Entirely different to take it for a joyride for free.

Here's what BHPian gnome had to say about the matter:

Yes, the sunshade is a dealer fitment. Dealer near me in B'lore told me they are yet to get it from the company. Car definitely does not have any arrangement to fit it nicely.

Here's what BHPian Sachin26 had to say about the matter:

BYD Landmark Noida has an AWD model for the test ride. The model was not registered till last week so they were providing the test ride very near to the showroom. More importantly, the road near the showroom is so narrow, in fact all around the area that you cannot test ride to enjoy and experience the full potential of the car.

Had a quick test ride for half a km and the showroom guy wanted me to floor the car in a 100-meter stretch to see the potential.

Have asked for a proper test ride when the vehicle is registered and can be taken out on a proper road.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My BYD Seal test drive experience: Acceleration, ride & handling, range

BHPian autohead115 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I test-drove the premium model and had the performance booked a week prior, I have experienced the pull to be absolutely amazing and really near perfect for our conditions, it gives you half a second to prepare yourself and behaves like a fast ICE car, the pull was somewhat similar to the c300d I drove recently and the braking was sharp, I used the brake pedal slightly harder than required and it took me a second attempt to correct the pedal pressure.

I am very relieved to hear the performance variant also builds up progressively as I have been confused about my decision to switch to premium or not as that would push my booking number back but have been constantly worried if id get in trouble with instant acceleration. So Performance variant it is - in all black!

A special note to the suspension, what an amazing and muted experience, small road undulations felt non-existent, and the car felt muted and silent throughout, it was a few notches above the A6 that I felt was nice and soft suspension. I also test-drove the Ioniq 5 right after and felt a lot more lateral movement on the regular tarmac while the speed breakers seemed more absorptant and easy to go on in the Ioniq 5.

Overall what a fantastic car, i went in with zero expectations and have been blown away, the Ioniq 5 was great but lacks the overall X factor of the Byd inside out.

I am very excited and eagerly waiting for the delivery.

One more point I noticed. The Byd had 49% of battery left and the distance to empty was 315kms. The Ioniq 5 had 65% battery left and the DTE was at 270 kms. So the extra 10kw battery pack results in very usable real-world milage.

I found this drag race video where you can see the lack of instant launch (choice by design I guess) at play

Video

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Tesla Model 3 is the only competition to this Chinese EV as other electric vehicles like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Volkswagen ID.7 are much more expensive.

BHPian StarrySky recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I test-drove the BYD Seal in Finland.

BYD has taken aim at the Tesla Model 3 with the Seal, and it shows in its looks, interior, features, specs and price. If Tesla had given the Seal's looks to the updated Model 3, it wouldn't have looked out of place. The 3.8S badging, however, looks cheesy. But way better than having Build Your Dreams plastered across the rear.

Coming from a crossover, my biggest complaint was ingress/egress. The interior is not as minimalist as the Tesla (thankfully). The seats are comfortable, but I thought maybe they were a bit too soft. The front seats provide good support. The steering wheel is chunky and nice to hold. There are some real buttons there as well. One ergonomic issue is that the edge of the main infotainment screen is blocked by the steering and the driver's hands when in motion. We can put the screen in portrait mode, but I heard that Android Auto and Apple Carplay don't work in portrait mode. The infotainment screen and software are quite responsive, much better than my VW ID.4.

I drove mainly on a busy highway, so I wasn't able to go beyond 80km/h or test any high-speed dynamics. The ride didn't feel plush, but I wouldn't call it stiff either. In this area, my VW ID.4 has the edge.

I didn't test the economy, but the car was showing a range of 462km at 95% at around 2-3C temperature. I am not sure if it is calculated based on the recent consumption or a value based on the WLTP range.

The regen didn't feel too strong, but the brakes felt very sharp. Perhaps, it is only a matter of getting used to the car.

The HUD was bright and legible, but navigation prompts did not show up on the HUD.

The rear seats also felt comfortable, and the under-thigh support felt good for a person of average Indian height. Taller passengers will also not complain about knee room. But under-thigh support could be lacking, as it is not possible to slide the feet under the front seats. No idea how the ride is at the back, as I was always the one driving. Headroom is also good in front and rear.

The storage space is good in the front and the central storage is deep. The cabin quality felt good upfront.

The Seal is feature-packed and there is almost nothing that is missing. The Seal is priced at €47990 for the RWD version and €50990 for the AWD version here. Tesla Model 3 is the only competition, as the Ioniq 6 and ID.7 are much more expensive, to the tune of nearly €12000. I wouldn't be surprised if this car starts selling in large numbers.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

After achieving tremendous success in their home market, BYD is on a global expansion spree and has experienced success to various degrees.

BHPian Kevinrevvz recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction:

BYD is one of the most mysterious brands to enter India in recent times where their legacy and background is unknown to most. In fact, BYD themselves don’t have a website displaying their global portfolio in a single space. However, they have been making serious headwinds in their global expansion and are rapidly breaking down apprehensions about buying Chinese Products. Let’s take a deep dive into BYD’s legacy and their current global lineup.

Who is BYD?

BYD is one of the more recent companies in the grand scheme of things. Its founder, Wang Chuanfu noticed an impending rise in demand for batteries around the world and wanted to steal the thunder from the Japanese as electronic giants. Soon enough, he established the company in Shenzhen in 1995 and went to become one of the world’s largest battery makers in just around half a decade by ingenious utilisation of China’s cheap labour costs and manufacturing prowess. Till date more than half of the consumer electronics we use are powered by BYD batteries.

While BYD experienced success in several fields of electronics they entered into, in 2003 they acquired Qinchuan Auto and began their foray into the automobile industry. They introduced their first car, the F3 in 2005 followed by the first PHEV, F3 DM in 2008 and the first BEV in 2009, the E6. Although their initial offerings were average at best with heavily Toyota inspired designs, they soon began to use their experience in electronics to develop really advanced new energy vehicles and began transitioning into original designs. Today, they stand as the world’s number one new energy vehicle manufacturer and number two electric vehicle manufacturer.

The amusing history behind the name:

While most of us know BYD as “Build Your Dreams”, that’s far from the name they started with. The company was initially called “Yadi Electronics” based on the street the company was based on. This left them at a disadvantage as they appeared towards the end on trade shows arranged in alphabetic order. Thus they added a prefix “B” to be called “Biyadi” or “BYD” when simplified into English. They later back-formed the expansion “Build Your Dreams” as they grew and gained more international clients.

Today’s Lineup:

Today, BYD has a massive portfolio of vehicles in their home market from $10,000 to $230,000 while a few of them are sold globally. While all of BYD’s vehicles features class leading powertrains at their respective price points, the luxury quotient and material quality drastically varies across their lineup from Average i.e. E6 to German luxury car level i.e. SEAL to Ultra luxury segment level i.e. YangWang.

While BYD position themselves as a pure BEV marque abroad, they sell an equal amount of PHEVs in their home market. Their BEVs are offered with several competent battery and motor combos at very value for money price points leading them to gain significant traction in all markets.

Their PHEVs called “DM-i” or “DM-p” are very different to global PHEVs wherein they’re EV first and offer a very large battery pack from around 15-49kWh usually paired to a 1.5L Turbo Petrol Engine mostly used as a range extender, combined to produce upto 1200hp (yes you read that right).

BYD comprises of 4 sub-brands namely, BYD (core), Denza (luxury), YangWang (ultra luxury) and FangChengBao (adventure).

Blade Battery:

The LFP Blade Battery is the single defining factor of all BYD vehicles. While other OEMs opt for NMC chemistry for better power density, BYD sticks to LFP even for their largest batteries. LFPs tend to perform better in warmer climates like ours and have a far longer shelf life with less degradation. They can also be charged to 100% regularly which is detrimental to traditional NMC batteries. BYD’s LFP cells are arranged in thin strips called blades. This setup leads to much better thermal efficiency and safety and even pass the famed nail penetration test. These factors combine to ensure that BYD Blade Batteries are some of the most efficient, safe, usable and longest lasting batteries in the world. Multiple OEMs around the globe buy BYD batteries for their cars.

BYD:

Under the BYD brand there are 3 series of cars such as the E Series (commercial), Dynasty Series (core) and Ocean Series (modern/global). Different models slot in at different levels of premium-ness ranging from “commercial”, “mainstream”, “premium” and “luxury”.

E Series:

These are pure electric, back to basics products meant for commercial use and are well known for their reliability and longevity. They often offer a warranty unheard of in the industry to the tone of 500,000Km.

E2 (BEV), From $12,000

Compact Commercial Hatchback

E3 (BEV), From $12,000

Compact Commercial Sedan, based on the E2

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E6 (BEV), From $18,000

Mid Size Commercial MPV, watered down version of the BYD Song Max

E9 (BEV), From $28,000

Executive Commercial Sedan, watered down version of the BYD Han

Dynasty Series:

These comprise of the core model lineup of BYD and are the best selling models. They are named after several dynasties from China’s vast and rich history. These range from basic mainstream cars such as Qin to truly luxurious, high quality products such as the Han and Tang.

Qin (BEV), From $12,000

Mainstream Compact Sedan, one of China’s best selling vehicles

Qin Plus (BEV/PHEV), From $15,000

Premium Compact Sedan

Tang (BEV/PHEV), From $35,000

Luxury Large SUV, sold in Europe as well.

Song Pro (BEV/PHEV), From $15,000

Mainstream Compact SUV

Song Plus or Seal U (BEV-E Platform 3.0), From $23,000

Premium Compact SUV

Sold as the Seal-U abroad but not to be confused with the Seal Sedan which is a completely different, significantly more upmarket product.

Song L (BEV-E Platform 3.0), From $27,000

Luxury Coupe SUV

Song Max (BEV/PHEV), From $20,000

Premium MPV, more upmarket version of the BYD E6.

Han (BEV/PHEV), From $30,000

Luxury Large Executive Sedan, sold in Europe as well.

Yuan Pro (BEV), From $13,000

Mainstream Subcompact SUV

Yuan Up (BEV), From $16,000

Premium Subcompact SUV

Yuan Plus or Atto 3 (BEV-E Platform 3.0), From $17,000

Premium Compact SUV, sold as the Atto 3 abroad with considerable success.

Ocean Series:

These comprise of BYD’s modern take on cars with upmarket Ocean inspired designs. Most of these are aimed at the global market and have experienced success in South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand as well as UK and Europe.

Seagull or Dolphin Mini (BEV-E Platform 3.0), From $10,000

Mainstream Subcompact Hatchback

One of the entry level models of BYD that provides significant value for money and is slated to be the world’s first car featuring a Sodium-ion battery pack. Sold as the Dolphin Mini abroad.

Dolphin (BEV-E Platform 3.0), From $14,000

Premium Compact Hatchback

One of the most popular models which is a more compact version of the Atto 3 featuring the same battery and motor options.

Seal (BEV-E Platform 3.0-Cell to Body), From $26,000

Luxury Mid Size Sports Sedan

BYD is betting large on this car for their global success. This car was solely designed to beat the Tesla Model 3 at their own game with a much more upmarket build and material quality, high performance as well as very potent chassis dynamics (a trait not common in other BYDs or Chinese chars).

Sea Lion 07 (BEV-E Platform 3.0-Cell to Body), From $28,000

Luxury Mid Size Sports SUV

The SUV version of the BYD Seal featuring the same platform and powertrain options.

Destroyer 05 or Chazor or King (PHEV), From $17,000

Premium Compact Sedan, sold as the Chazor or King abroad.

Seal DM-i originally Destroyer 07 (PHEV), From $22,000

Luxury Mid Size Sedan

Not to be confused with the Seal BEV as they are completely unrelated. The Destroyer 07 was renamed to the Seal DM-i at the last minute owing to the success of the Seal BEV nameplate.

Frigate 07 (PHEV), From $29,000

Luxury Mid Size SUV

Denza:

Denza was a 50-50 venture between BYD and Mercedes Benz in an attempt to establish a new luxury brand. Daimler AG lowered their stake to provide BYD the reigns since 2021.

N7 (BEV-E Platform 3.0), From $42,000

Luxury Mid Size SUV

N8 (PHEV), From $45,000

Luxury Mid Size SUV

D9 (BEV/PHEV), From $47,000

Luxury Large MPV

YangWang:

YangWang was recently established as a technology showcase for BYD and to compete with ultra high end brands such as Lamborghini and Bentley. They all feature the E4 platform with 4 electric motors producing around 1200hp and feature the BYD DiSus series of advanced suspension that is capable of making the car jump from a standstill, extending ground clearance to a very high degree for off roading or provide a magic carpet ride with active road monitoring.

U7 (BEV-E4), From $140,000

Ultra Luxury Full Size Sedan

This is built to compete with the likes of Maybach S Class, EQS, Lucid Air and Model S. Highlights are the 135kWh LFP Blade battery, 1300hp Quad Motor Setup and a very low drag coefficient of 0.195 facilitating a claimed range of 800Km.

U8 (PHEV-E4), From $153,000

Ultra Luxury Full Size SUV

This is built to be the ultimate off-roader to compete with the likes of the Defender and G Wagon. Highlights are the 49kWh battery paired to a 1.5T range extender that combine to produce 1200hp and a claimed range of 1000Km.

It features industry first capabilities such as water sailing (not to be confused with water wading), where it can literally transform into a boat, float by vacuum sealing the chassis and sail across a water body. It can also rotate from a standstill, making a tank turn by rotating the wheels on either side on opposite directions. It can also be optioned with a DJI drone that is stored in the roof and can follow you along an off road trail transmitting the live feed to the infotainment system. The drone enclosure can also automatically swap batteries.

This car is truly out of a sci-fi movie!

U9 (BEV-E4), From $233,000

Ultra Luxury Supercar

This is supposed to compete with the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari and McLaren. It features a quad motor powertrain producing 1300hp paired to a 80kWh LFP Blade battery facilitating a claimed range of 450km.

FangChengBao:

FangChengBao is an adventure or lifestyle oriented sub-brand.

Bao 5 (PHEV), From $37,000

Luxury Off Road Body On Frame SUV

This is built for hardcore off-roading evident by its body on frame construction. It features a 32kWh battery and a 1.5T ICE combined to produce 700hp and a range of 1200Km. It features various off-road oriented tech and tricks.

Future:

After achieving tremendous success in their home market, BYD is on a global expansion spree and has experienced success to various degrees. BYD is starting to break down global stereotypes about Chinese cars by offering various high quality products at very appealing price points.

BYD entered India for making electronics and commercial vehicles in 2007 and has finally entered the consumer automobile market in recent years. Despite resistance from the government for allowing Chinese investment, they have been able to offer a fairly competent lineup in our market and are committed to offer several more vehicles in the near future. Hope they find a way to localise more products, ultimately benefiting us consumers and inculcating more competition.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Yangwang U9 will take on rivals from Ferrari & Lamborghini.

BYD, the world's leading EV maker, has announced the launch of its new electric supercar, the Yangwang U9. The new electric supercar is priced at 1,680,000 yuan (US$ 233,400) and aims to rival manufacturers like Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Yangwang is BYD's new sub-brand, which launched last year. Alongside the brand launch, the company also showcased its first two models in the form of the U9 supercar and U8 off-road SUV. The U8 electric off-road SUV has already gone on sale in the Chinese market, retailing for around $140,000 and rivalling the likes of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class & Land Rover Defender.

Coming back to the Yangwang U9, the electric supercar measures 4,966 mm in length, 2,029 mm in width and 1,295 mm in height - similar to the dimensions of the Lamborghini Aventador. The Yangwang U9 is powered by four electric motors, producing a total power output of 1,287 BHP and 1,680 Nm. The electric powertrain allows the U9 to catapult from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 2.36 seconds. BYD states that the U9 is "the most powerful supercar in the pure electric era, surpassing the power performance of the V12 engine."

BYD is yet to announce the exact range figures of the U9 supercar. However, the company claims it can fast charge from 30% - 80% in just 10 minutes, thanks to its 800V architecture.

In terms of features and driver-assist tech, the Yangwang U9 comes with 12 sets of multifunctional aerodynamic kits, an active diffuser, a 4-step adjustable rear wing, an industry-first "self-developed racing assistant" covering 30 tracks across China and three screens in the cabin - a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 12.3-inch central infotainment unit and a 10.25-inch passenger screen.

Source: Electrek

Tesla did manage to deliver more BEVs over the full 2023 calendar year

According to reports, Chinese carmaker BYD has beaten Tesla to take over the title as the world's largest electric vehicle automaker by volume. In Q4 2023, the Chinese carmaker registered 5,26,400 units of all-electric vehicle deliveries compared to Tesla's 4,84,500 units.

Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, had laughed off BYD as competition - has gradually grown to become one of the biggest players in the global electric vehicle segment.

The Chinese carmaker's takeover was inevitable, considering its home market has 1 billion more people than Tesla's home market. Also, BYD offers a much wider range of models at different price points, with most of the popular offerings being at the lower end of the cost range.

Having said that, Tesla did manage to deliver more BEVs over the full 2023 calendar year - 1.8 million units, in comparison to BYD's 1.6 million units. However, looking at the current trend, this could change in 2024.

Source: Electrek

Audi presented "House of Progress" which brought sustainability, design, digitalization and performance into focus with human-centricity at its core.

BHPian Shamegz recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

IAA MOBILITY 2023 took place in Munich, Germany on September 05 to 10, 2023.

Few highlights of the IAA MOBILITY 2021

• Link for Team-BHP post of IAA MOBILITY 2021
• This year too IAA MOBILITY takes place at two locations in Munich: In downtown Munich and at the exhibition center.
• The IAA Summit (B2B) is the most important industry meeting for visionaries, stakeholders and decision-makers in mobility from September 05 - 08, 2023, accompanied by more than 500 speakers at the IAA Conference.
• The IAA Summit (B2C) the so-called "Open Space" exhibition space in downtown Munich is completely free of charge for visitors from Tuesday to Sunday (September 05 to 10, 2023). The IAA Open Space turns forward-looking mobility solutions into an experience for everyone: Munich residents as well as international visitors, car and bike enthusiasts, families and everyone who is simply curious about modern mobility.
• For more Pictures of the event by official press release, please visit here.

Participants

• AUDI AG
• BMW Group
• BYD EUROPE
• CUPRA
• Ford Motor Company
• Mercedes-Benz AG
• Porsche AG
• smart Europe GmbH
• Tesla
• Volkswagen Group
• XPENG
• Avatar
• Rimac Automobili
• Others

Audi AG at IAA 2023

Audi presented "House of Progress" which brought sustainability, design, digitalization and performance into focus with human-centricity at its core.

Official preview of Audi AG pavilion

Audi AG showcased below e-tron models in the expo

Audi Q8 e-tron

Audi Q4 50 e-tron quattro

Audi RS e-tron GT

Audi activesphere concept

Audi e-tron Motor

BMW Group at IAA 2023

BMW Group presented an electric lineup of both BMW and Mini

Preview of BMW Group pavilion

BMW models in the expo

• THEVisionNeueKlasse Official Preview
• Electric BMW 3 Series
• BMW Vision Neue Klasse

Mini at IAA 2023

• New MINI family
• All-new Mini Cooper
• All-new MINI Countryman
• MINI Interaction Unit

BYD Europe at IAA 2023

BYD Official Press Conference

BYD Europe showcased the below models

BYD Seal and BYD seal U

BYD Denza

Continue reading about Shamegz's experience at the 2023 International Motor Show for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

The YangWang U8 comes with four electric motors, one on each wheel, which combined put out 1,184 BHP.

BYD's recently launched high-end sub-brand, YangWang, unveiled two models last year, including its flagship SUV, the U8. The YangWang U8 is a range-extended electric SUV wanting to take on the likes of the Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

The U8 SUV comes with a host of cool features, which help it stand out from its competition. However, the most unique feature of the U8 is its ability to handle deep water wading. The standard electric SUV can wade up to a depth of 1 metre, while the 'Off-Road Master Edition' has a wading depth of 1.4 metres. The SUV also gets a special 'Yachting' mode wherein the SUV can remain afloat for 30 minutes and sail at 3 km/h by simply spinning its wheels.

The YangWang U8 comes with four electric motors, one on each wheel, which combined put out 1,184 BHP. The SUV also comes with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, which serves as a range-extender. The engine produces electricity to recharge the SUV's 49.05 kWh battery pack. With a full tank of fuel and a fully charged battery, the U8 claims a maximum range of 1000 km.

When the yachting mode is activated, the onboard sensors automatically elevate the suspension, deactivate the engine, switch the HVAC system to re-circulation mode and close the windows. It does, however, open the sunroof as an emergency exit for occupants.

Deliveries of the YangWang U8 are set to begin in October this year, with the SUV priced at around $149,000. Prices for the Off-Road Master Edition are scheduled to be announced at a later stage.

Source: CarScoops

The fully electric version of the YangWang U6 will feature a quad-motor setup with 1,100 BHP.

BYD launched 'YangWang' - its new premium sub-brand, earlier this year. The new BYD-owned carmaker unveiled two products, the U8 electric SUV and U9 electric supercar.

According to the latest media reports, YangWang is building a new sports car, the U6. It is said to become the world's most aerodynamic production car with a drag coefficient of 0.195 Cd.

BYD announced the U6 model at the Academic Annual Conference of the Automotive Aerodynamic Committee in China recently. At the conference, BYD showcased the profile shot of the car, along with its impressive Cd figure.

Currently, the Mercedes-Benz EQS occupies the top spot in the list of the world's most aerodynamic production cars with a 0.20 Cd. The Tesla Models S and the Nio ET7 are second with 0.208 Cd, while the Porsche Taycan, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 5 Series have a drag coefficient of 0.22 Cd.

YangWang is yet to unveil the official photos of the U6, although patent images of the car's exteriors have been revealed. The YangWang U6 is said to feature large headlamps, flared fenders, narrow spoke wheels and an active rear spoiler. The U6 will also come with a LiDAR sensor on its roof, translating to advanced autonomous driving capabilities.

The Chinese carmaker is expected to offer the U6 with both fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains. There could also be an extended-range electric vehicle with a gas tank. The fully electric version of the YangWang U6 will feature a quad-motor setup with 1,100 BHP and could be priced around the $110,000 range.

Source: AutoEvolution

BYD could supply 60 kWh and 80 kWh batteries, while electric motors could be sourced from Valeo.

Last year, Mahindra announced its partnership with Volkswagen to source electric motors and batteries for its 'Born Electric' range of EVs. However, reports suggest that critical parts from VW's MEB architecture may not get delivered before 2026-27.

To ensure a smooth supply of EV components, Mahindra is said to have explored other options as well. In fact, as per the latest reports, the carmaker could switch to BYD batteries for its upcoming 'Born Electric' models. It is said that the Chinese company could supply 60 kWh and 80 kWh batteries, while electric motors could be sourced from Valeo.

That being said, this is likely to be a temporary provision until VW's next-generation 'unified' cell technology with LFP chemistry is ready. These batteries are said to feature larger cells with a higher energy density and improved thermal management, which translates to longer range and faster charging times. Another advantage of the unified cell design is that it is scalable.

Mahindra has also had trouble securing LG Chem batteries for the XUV400. The Korean battery supplier had discontinued the Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) 532 chemistry, and Mahindra had to source them from Chinese battery maker Farasis instead.

Source: Autocar India