China's booming EV industry flexed its muscles once again by breaking the record for the world's fastest car

"A Chinese EV has smashed the record for the world's fastest production car. BYD's Yangwang U9 "Xtreme" supercar recorded a blistering top speed of 496.22km/h (308 miles per hour) at a test track in Germany earlier this month, the Chinese EV maker said on Monday. That's a record for a production car, handily beating the 490.5 km/h (304.7 mph) set by Bugatti's Chiron Super Sport in 2019 and marking the first time the title of world's fastest car has been held by an EV."

"Electric vehicle adoption in the Asian superpower has far outpaced the rest of the world, with EVs making up close to 50% of new car sales last year. Growing acceptance of EVs and a fiercely competitive car market - with more than 100 brands battling for customers - has sparked an explosion of innovation. Many Chinese automakers now offer autonomous driving and AI features as standard, and futuristic tech such as battery swapping is becoming a common sight on Chinese roads."

BYD's Yangwang U9 Xtreme recorded a 496.22 km/h (308 mph) top speed at a German test track earlier this month. That speed beats the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport's 490.5 km/h (304.7 mph) from 2019 and marks the first time the world's fastest production car title has been held by an EV. The Xtreme is a high-performance version of the Yangwang U9, priced around $233,000 in China, with just 30 units planned and an upgraded powertrain and battery system. Electric vehicle adoption in China reached close to 50% of new car sales last year, fueling intense competition, widespread autonomous and AI features, and innovations like battery swapping and ultra-fast charging.

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