BYD’s Yangwang U8 will go on sale this August

BYD’s premium electric vehicle brand Yangwang is preparing to launch its first model in the Chinese market. The company is readying its first 16 stores across the country for the debut of the U8, a luxury off-roader. Although Yangwang belongs to BYD, the brand will have its own network of showrooms.

The presales of the Yangwang U8 began during the Shanghai Auto Show in April, at the time the company confirmed the U8 would be available in two trims - Premium Edition focused on luxury, and Master Edition targeted at off-road enthusiasts. It is the Premium Edition that will be first available despite both models being priced identically at RMB 1,098,00 ($153,000).

About that price - Yangwang, just like its parent company BYD, uses lower pre-sale prices to entice first customers. That means the final price of the U8 can be significantly higher, the company only stated the price will be revealed as soon as the vehicle goes on sale. Yangwang doesn’t have much more room left for the price to go up, any vehicle in China priced above RMB 1.3 million ($181,600) attracts an additional 10% tax.

Yangwang U8 comes with a comprehensive level of equipment as standard, but its optional extras list is very long. Especially the owners of Master Edition will have to pay attention not to trigger the tax threshold, although if someone is prepared to pay this kind of money for a vehicle, an extra 10% most likely isn’t an issue.

The U8 is an EREV, it is powered by 4 electric motors with a total output of 1,100 hp, and despite its tank-like appearance, it can storm from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds. The battery-only range is quoted as 112 miles (CLTC), and a gasoline-powered generator ensures the 49 kWh battery pack stays topped up. According to the company, once the battery drops to 30% SoC, it only takes 5 minutes to charge it up to 80%. The battery, combined with the range extender, offers the U8 a rather substantial range of 620 miles.

Via