China’s electric car market is growing at an unprecedented rate and of all the new Chinese electrified vehicles launched this year, BYD’s YangWang U8 is one of the most over-the-top. The massive Land Rover Defender-esque off-roader has over 1,100 hp and recently received the tick of approval from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Newsom is currently enjoying a weeklong visit to China to focus on ways to minimize climate change and to sign agreements with various Chinese province leaders on important climate goals. During his visit, he visited a depot run by the Shenzhen Bus Group and while there, had the opportunity to check out the YangWang U8, not long after deliveries of the dramatic EV started in China.
“This is another leap in technology, the next-level leap and I did not expect and I appreciate this technology,” he told reporters while behind the wheel of the U8. “Incredible, absolutely, and a beautiful car. The design, functionality, weight, and weight distribution.” Asked if he wanted to take the SUV back to Sacramento with him, he said, “I want two of them.”
Read: BYD’s New YangWang U8 Is A Defender-Style Electric Off-Roader With Over 1,100 HP
As a means of showing Newsom what EVs are capable of, BYD couldn’t have chosen a better model than the YangWang U8. Not only would it look right at home cruising along some of California’s wealthiest streets but it also has the credentials to conquer some of the state’s most remote wilderness areas. Unfortunately, there are not yet any plans to sell the U8 in the U.S.
The impressive U8 is 5,300 mm (208.7 inches) long, has a 3,050 mm (120.1-inch) wheelbase and makes use of a 49.05 kWh battery pack. While that may seem small, the U8 has a compact 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine acting as a generator and supplementing the battery pack. Drive comes courtesy of four electric motors that combine to produce 1,197 hp (880 kW), allowing the massive SUV to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.6 seconds. The U8 even has a tank turn mode that Newsom was able to test out.
