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The 2977bhp Yangwang U9 has hit almost 300mph, smashing the top speed record for an electric car.

The official speed of 293.54mph was achieved at the ATP test track in Germany. It surpasses the 272.61mph set by the Aspark Owl.

The feat was completed by the hardcore Track Edition variant of the Chinese supercar. Each of its four motors puts out 744bhp, meaning power is boosted by 1689bhp over the standard car. This top-rung U9 can hit 62mph from rest in 2.36sec.

Key to the record was the car’s independent torque-vectoring system, said Yangwang. Controlled by road-monitoring sensors, each motor is adjusted up to 100 times per second to maximise grip and performance. 

The record achieving U9 also wore special semi-slick tyres developed by Giti Tire, which were optimised to reduce torque loss and wear.

The record was set by German professional driver Marc Basseng, who was behind the wheel for the previous attempt in 2024, achieving a speed of 243mph.

This placed the U9 behind the Owl and the Rimac Nevera R (268.2mph) but was enough for it to become the fastest non-airborne Chinese vehicle ever – surpassing even the 220mph speed of China's high-speed trains.

Basseng said: “Last year, I thought I'd peaked. I never expected to break my own record so soon – but here we are, at the same track, with new technologies that have made it possible.”

Yangwang is owned by behemoth BYD and pitched as a maker of tech-heavy, high-performance models. It currently offers the U9 and the chunky U8 SUV in China, priced from the equivalent of around £120,000 and £200,000.

Plans are being tabled to bring the brand to Europe, BYD vice-president Stella Li told Autocar in July. She said its arrival will follow the launch of the Audi-rivalling Denza brand early next year.

Hyundai will reveal a concept at next month's Munich motor show that is set to preview an electric alternative to the Bayon.

It has been described as a “forward-thinking vision” of the future of the brand, said Hyundai, and will likely showcase the next stage of the brand’s ‘Art of Steel’ design language as seen on the Santa Fe and the hydrogen-powered Nexo.

The production version of the show car is understood by Autocar to be twinned with sibling brand Kia’s incoming EV2 and will plug the gap between the Inster and Kona Electric. 

Ahead of its unveiling, Hyundai has released teaser images that showcase some of the concept’s design. They reveal a looks that appears similar to the recently released Ioniq 6: a lipped spoiler at the rear and a thin LED bar at the front.

The new images come just a few weeks after pictures were taken of heavily camouflaged prototypes of the production car.

They revealed that the model will be close in size to the combustion-powered Bayon, positioning it as a rival to the likes of the Renault 4 and Volvo EX30.

Hyundai confirmed the car will go on sale in the third quarter of 2026, so deliveries could begin as soon as next July. It is understood that Kia’s EV2, previewed by the EV2 concept, will arrive a few months before it.

“We are very much involved with the electrification of our line-up and to increase our electrified mix in the coming years,” said new Europe CEO Xavier Martinet.

Like the EV2, the car will be based on the same scalable E-GMP platform that is used by nearly all EVs in the Hyundai Motor Group, which comprises Hyundai, Kia and Genesis.

It's therefore likely to get a similar set-up to the slightly larger Kia EV3, which is offered with either a 58.3kWh or an 81.4kWh battery pack for ranges of 267 and 372 miles respectively. All versions of the EV3 are powered by a single electric motor that sends 201bhp and 209lb ft to the front wheels.

Inside, the new electric car will bring a “step change” in usability for Hyundai. This includes a new infotainment system that, Autocar has been told, will enable elements such as ambient lighting and noise to alter according to driving modes or chosen style. Like the incoming EV2, the new Hyundai is also expected to get a combined instrument and infotainment display set-up that spans roughly half the width of the dashboard.

Pricing for the new crossover is likely to be close to that of the EV2, at around £25,000.

When it arrives next year, it will be the sixth electric car in Hyundai’s growing EV line-up, following the Ioniq 9 flagship that is due to hit UK roads in the coming months.