Gimmick or life saver? Judge for yourself! According to its makers (who now also build the fastest car in the world), however, the floating function of the Yangwang U8 does have a practical use.
Yangwang U8 is a huge SUV that can float
China, the country where this plug-in hybrid SUV comes from, is already regularly hit by severe weather. Hurricanes on the coast and the heaviest rain shower ever measured in the city where parent brand BYD recently built the largest car factory in the world.
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According to BYD, the risk of flash floods and flooded tunnels is real enough to equip the U8 with a special floating function, allowing this SUV to function as a rescue boat for up to half an hour. That’s what it’s like amphibious vehicle.
How do you drive this car?
As soon as the command to activate driving mode is given via the central screen, the windows close to make the car completely waterproof, but the skylight opens so that it can serve as an escape hatch. You then no longer only use the steering wheel to change the direction of the front wheels, but also to influence the rotation of the four wheels. Each wheel is driven by its own electric motor.
The wheels on the outside continue to rotate forward, while the wheels on the inside rotate backwards, allowing the car to move through the water like a classic paddle boat. Although at a walking pace, that is still enough to turn the car around and steer it towards the mainland.
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In the video see how we get a demonstration of the most insane driving mode in the car industry. In fact, in a pond that was created especially for this demonstration, right next to the aforementioned gigantic car factory.
Heavyweight
Nothing says ‘we have too much money, time and resources’ like a floating SUV in a glass-walled demonstration pond, right? Interested in such a U8 after seeing the video? Then start by getting your truck driver’s license, since the Yangwang, despite being able to float, weighs well over 3.5 tons. If you like a Chinese luxury SUV, but the driving function can be stolen from you, then you might be interested in this Rolls-Royce Cullinan clone from Zeekr interested.