BYD's luxury Yangwang U8L just survived an eye-popping stunt that would wreck most vehicles. Engineers hoisted a 43-foot (13-meter) palm tree above the SUV, then released it three times from increasing heights to ramp up the impact. The final blow packed 50.4 kJ of energy equivalent to an air conditioner plummeting from a 40-story building.
The roof took a beating. Dents formed on the cant rail above the driver's door, and minor trim popped loose. Yet the frame held firm. No cabin intrusion. Glass intact. Crucially, the door opened smoothly afterward, letting an engineer step out unscathed. The U8L fired up and drove away like nothing happened.
This viral test was designed to demonstrate the U8's rugged credentials. The $150,000 hybrid off-roader boasts quad electric motors plus a petrol engine for 1,184 hp. It spins in place, floats across water, and crab-walks with ease. BYD markets it as typhoon-proof for real-world chaos like falling branches in storms.
BYD knows stunts grab eyes. From tank turns to tree drops, the U8 proves Chinese engineering is evolving. If it shrugs off massive trees, what can't it handle?
