Tesla rival launches electric supercar that can reach 60 mph in less than three seconds

The Yangwang U9 costs around £185,000 and has a top speed of 192mph. Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

BYD has launched an all-electric supercar that can accelerate to 60 mph in less than three seconds. The Chinese startup aims to challenge luxury brands such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Tesla rival's Yangwang U9, which will initially go on sale in China with a price tag of 1.68 million yuan (£184,000), reported top speed is 192 mph.

BYD said the car can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph). ) in just 2.36 seconds and has a range of 479 miles.

This marks BYD's latest attempt to undercut Western automakers after the company recently overtook Tesla as the world's top-selling electric vehicle (EV) maker. .

In the last three months of 2023, BYD sold a total of 526,000 electric vehicles, surpassing Tesla's 484,000.

Overall, the company reported three million sales of battery and hybrid vehicles for the year, including the company's discounted electric vehicles now sold in Europe, such as the BYD Dolphin.

In addition to Tesla, the Shenzhen-based company wants to challenge brands such as Ferrari, which will introduce its first all-electric model in 2025.

Lamborghini's first all-electric supercar isn't expected until 2028.

In addition to the clean energy supercar, BYD's newly launched Yangwang lineup will include other premium EV models such as a luxury SUV.

BYD is competing with European and American rivals with budget electric vehicles, fueling an aggressive price war between manufacturers.

Its latest supercar is significantly cheaper than Western peers such as the hybrid Ferrari 296 GTB, which costs £241,000, and the Lucid Air Sapphire, which costs £197,115.

BYD has not been immune to investor concerns, however. on declining demand for electric vehicles as the company's shares are down 12% this year.

BYD' The Ferrari supercar is significantly cheaper than the hybrid Ferrari 296 GTB, which costs £241,000. Photo: Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph

The U9 unveiling comes as Tesla continues to tease an updated version of its Roadster sports car, originally released in 2008 but last sold in 2012.

Founder Elon Musk has stated that the new Roadster EV will be able to accelerate to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 250 mph.

However, production of the new Roadster has been repeatedly delayed and is now not expected until late 2024 .

The price of the car is expected to exceed £157,000.