Tesla’s Model S Plaid and the Lucid Air are gaining a new rival. China’s EV leader, BYD, recently unveiled the name of its latest electric model under the YangWang brand. The new electric sedan is set to have the lowest drag coefficient among all production cars.
BYD launched YangWang (“look up” in English), its luxury sub-brand, in January. The premium brand unveiled two new energy vehicles (NEVs), the U8 SUV and the all-electric U9 supercar.
Both models are priced at around 1 million RMB (roughly $140,000) and ride on BYD’s new e4 platform.
The new platform is powered by four electric motors delivering over 1,100 hp output with superior safety features. For example, the technology can adjust the vehicle’s other wheels if a tire blows out through real-time wheel torque regulation, allowing it to stop stably.
The luxury brand is set to launch its third model, the U6. YangWang’s U6 was revealed earlier a few weeks ago through images released by the EU patent office.
BYD has yet to debut the new model, but the automaker revealed its name, a preview, and a few key features at the Academic Annual Conference of Automotive Aerodynamics Committee of China.
BYD’s new EV the most aerodynamic production car?
You can see the U6’s design profile from a slide shown during the conference (via Car News China).
From what’s shown, the U6 features a sleek, low profile appearance, retractable door handles, and cameras replacing the side mirrors. It also shows an active rear spoiler and wheel covers to enhance aerodynamics.
The cameras may be optional, as the EU patent images showed the U6 with traditional side mirrors.
More importantly, the slide highlighted the U6’s extremely low drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.195. The lower the number, the less resistance the vehicle experiences as it moves, which enables quicker acceleration and longer range.
If the YangWang U6 goes into production with a 0.195 Cd, it would be among the lowest of any production EV, even beating out the Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air.
| Aerodynamic electric cars | Drag Coefficient (Cd) |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS | 0.20 |
| Nio ET7 | 0.208 |
| Tesla Model S Plaid | 0.208 |
| Lucid Air | 0.21 |
| IM L7 | 0.21 |
| Aion S Plus | 0.211 |
| Porsche Taycan | 0.22 |
In comparison, the Tesla Model S Plaid has a 0.208 Cd, while the Lucid Air features a 0.21 Cd. Other aerodynamic leaders include Lucid Air Pure and Air Touring (0.197 Cd), Mercedes-Benz EQS (0.20 Cd), NIO ET7 (0.208 Cd), and the Porsche Taycan (0.22 Cd).
According to local reports, the U6 will adopt the e4 platform with a total output of over 1,180 hp. The starting price will be around 800,000 yuan ($110,000), undercutting the Tesla Model S Plaid, which starts at 828,900 yuan ($114,000) in China.
Source: Car News China, Weibo
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