If you’re sick of carefully driving over Britain’s pothole-filled roads, there’s good news – as a futuristic car could make navigating these divets much easier.
An impressive promo clip from BYD shows its Yangwang U9 sports supercar jumping over obstacles, including a 20ft pothole.
The autonomous vehicle speeds along at nearly 75mph as it performs little bunny hops into the air, without anyone in the driver’s seat.
Like an agile land mammal, the U9 shrinks down first, then bounces up, briefly launching all four wheels off the ground at the same time.
The vehicle boasts some impressive specs as it is able to go from 0-62mph in just 2.36 seconds, with a straight-line top speed of 243.54 mph (391.94 km/h).
However, the Yangwang U9 doesn’t come cheap – prices start at an eye-watering 1.68 million yuan ($230,000/£186,000).
BYD – which stands for Build Your Dreams – sells cars equipped with all the latest high-tech features such as 360-degree cameras, sensors, radar and internet connectivity.
Some experts fear they could be used for remote surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government, although BYD denies this.
As it approaches the water-filled pothole – measuring 20ft (six metres) long, the U9 recognizes the hazard and performs a little bunny hop
A BYD Yangwang U9 electric vehicle (EV) by Chinese car manufacturer BYD is on display at Singapore Motorshow in Singapore on January 9, 2025
If you’re sick of carefully driving over Britain’s pothole-filled roads , there’s good news – as a futuristic car could make navigating these divets much easier
The 100-second clip, posted on BYD’s Weibo account, shows the Yangwang U9 racing along an obstacle course at 74.5mph (120 km/h).
As it approaches the water-filled pothole, it recognizes the hazard and performs the little bunny hop.
Next up, it clears a series of one-inch road spikes – the sharp little devices used to stop or slow down vehicles by puncturing their tires.
Finally, it leaps over coloured chalk stripes on the ground, although its back wheels touch the chalk, sending a cloud flying in its wake.
BYD has not announced the reason for the jump function, but the nifty trick is due to the firm’s ‘DiSus’ intelligent suspension system.
The system can quickly raise and lower the car, making it jump and down whether in motion or stationary, described as a ‘dance’.
‘The BYD DiSus System will further secure the globally pioneering stance for BYD in the industry’, said Wang Chuanfu, BYD chairman and president.
‘It is the first self-developed intelligent body control system launched by a Chinese automobile company, marking the breakthrough from zero to one.’
The vehicle boasts some impressive specs as it is able to go from 0-62mph in just 2.36 seconds, with a straight-line top speed of 243.54 mph (391.94 km/h)
Mass production of the U9 began in August last year, although BYD’s luxury Yangwang brand is currently only available in China
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Photos from the recent Brussels Motor Show also reveal the Yangwang U9 has a set of ‘butterfly’ doors, which move upward rather than outward to open.
Yangwang U9 – which can drive 280 miles on a single charge and have two chargers plugged in simultaneously – was unveiled last year.
It follows the U8, a monster of an off-road SUV that was launched September 2023 and is designed for survival in rugged conditions.
The $150,000 U8 comes with a satellite phone in case a driver gets stuck beyond cell phone range and is built on a platform that enables it to turn on the spot, like a tank.
Mass production of the U9 began in August last year, although BYD’s luxury Yangwang brand is currently only available in China.
Yangwang’s European launch date is slated ‘by 2026’, Car Dealer reports, but some BYD vehicles are now available in the UK.
Currently, the vast majority of BYD’s passenger cars are sold in China, although it is pushing rapid expansion over Europe.
BYD is one of the top electric bus manufacturers in North America but it is not planning to sell electric passenger cars stateside.
BYD is reportedly planning to bring its luxury Yangwang brand to Europe. Pictured, the U9 during 101st Brussels Motor Show at Brussels Expo in Brussels, Belgium on January 10, 2025
BYD’s first electric car to enter the UK market – the £36,000 Atto 3 – was released to the UK in spring 2023, followed by the Dolphin and Seal.
The Seal, which ranges from £45,695 to £48,695, counts Manchester City footballer Kyle Walker as one of its owners, who picked it up at LSH Auto in Stockport last year.
BYD sold 3.01 million vehicles in 2023 and overtook Elon Musk’s Tesla as world’s most popular electric vehicle maker in the last quarter of 2023.
Teslas start from around £50,000 and push well past £100,000 – generally more expensive than BYD’s offerings.
The news comes shortly after climate organisation Round our Way revealed that 952,064 potholes were reported in Britain between January and November last year, marking a five-year high.
Edinburgh was the local authority with the most for the year (32 potholes per mile), followed by Kirklees in Yorkshire (26.1) and Newcastle upon Tyne (26).
Also in the top 10 is Hillingdon in London (24), Cheshire East (19.8), Darlington (16.9), Bolton (16) and South Gloucestershire (16).
