Could Yangwang Auto come to New Zealand?

Who are Yangwang Auto?

Yangwang Auto is a Chinese luxury electric car brand founded in 2023 and is owned by BYD Auto with three current offerings costing over $200,000 NZD. Carsguide.com.au confirmed through local representative Luke Todd that the U8 is bound for Australia, with a right-hand drive model in development and a launch expected by the end of 2025.

The Lineup

Yangwang U7
A luxury sedan, the U7 has a 135.5kW lithium-iron-phosphate battery giving it a range of 799km. Four electric motors produce a total output of 960kW with a top speed of 268km/h. Kerb weight is a massive 3,094kg, but efficiency is buoyed by a 0.195 drag coefficient. Currently, the U7 is only sold in China, but BYD is reportedly considering selling the U7 in Europe.

Yangwang U8
The most likely of the three to come to our shores is the U8, a full-sized luxury SUV. It uses BYD’s e4 individual wheel drive system. Powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo that works as a range extender to its four electric motors, the total output is a massive 880kW. Range is quoted at 1,000km and 0-100km/h time is achieved in 3.6 sec. The U8 has a party trick where it can float in water allowing you to navigate deep rivers or flash floods using the wheels to propel the U8 at 3km/h. If the U8 does come to New Zealand it is expected to sell upwards of $254,000 NZD.

Yangwang U9
The electric sports car has four electric motors producing a total of 960kW and a range of 450km. 0-100km/h is achieved in 2.26 seconds. It also uses BYD’s e4 individual wheel drive system and active suspension. The U9 kerb weight is 2,475kg.

And another BYD brand, Fangchenbao

Fangchengbao is another brand under the BYD umbrella. Translated to mean ‘formula leopard’ the brand currently has two models, the Bao 5 and Bao 8. The former is a mid-sized luxury SUV with rugged Defender-esque styling. It uses the DMO Super Hybrid platform shared with the BYD shark ute. The Bao 5 is powered by a 1.5L 145kW four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with two electric motors for a combined power output of 505kW and 760Nm. It gets a combined range of 1,200km with a kerb weight of 2,890kg. 0-100km is done in 4.8 seconds. The Bao 8 is a full-sized SUV that isn’t on sale yet.