BYD's Flagship Yangwang Sedan Spotted Testing Ahead of Debut, Coach Doors and Solid-State Hopes in Tow

BYD’s most ambitious electric sedan yet has been caught on camera in China, giving enthusiasts their clearest look to date at what the company’s ultra-luxury Yangwang division is preparing. The disguised prototype, circulating in spy imagery from Chinese outlets, reveals a long-wheelbase executive four-door that cuts a distinctly imposing figure on the road.

The numbers behind the machine are as striking as its silhouette. At roughly 5.5 meters from nose to tail, the sedan lines up squarely against long-wheelbase flagships like the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and the Rolls-Royce Phantom — a segment where established European names have long held court. Among the prototype’s most notable details are rear-hinged coach doors, a configuration BYD has never before fitted to a production vehicle. The test car was also photographed at one of BYD’s Flash Charging sites, hinting that megawatt-class fast charging will be part of the package.

Yangwang exists precisely for moments like this. Positioned above Denza at the very top of BYD’s portfolio, the sub-brand has served as the launchpad for the automaker’s headline technologies: the quad-motor e4 platform, the second-generation Blade Battery, and the company’s five-minute Flash Charging system. General manager Hu Xiaoqing has described the upcoming sedan as the fruit of three years of careful development, shaped by the brand’s own design language. Executive general manager Zheng Yu has teased “unprecedented disruptive technology” without elaborating, while local reports speculate that this model could be BYD’s first to adopt solid-state batteries — a claim the company has not confirmed. If it proves accurate, expect the technology to appear on premium trims first, with standard versions likely relying on the latest Blade LFP packs. A quad-motor e4 setup would also put output comfortably beyond 1,000 horsepower.

The timing of a solid-state debut would fit BYD’s stated roadmap. Executive vice president Stella Li said last month that the company’s first vehicle with solid-state batteries will arrive in 2027, claiming BYD holds a leading position in both the technology and its commercialization. The automaker’s battery arm, FinDreams, is targeting initial small-batch production of sulfide-based all-solid-state cells in 2027, scaling toward mass output around 2030.

Yangwang’s existing lineup — the U7 electric sedan starting at 658,000 yuan (about $98,000), the U8 and U8L plug-in hybrid off-road SUVs, and the U9 electric super-coupe — already stretches well into six-figure territory. Reports suggest the new flagship could exceed 2 million yuan, or near $300,000. An official debut is expected this month, and with it should come firmer answers on pricing, battery chemistry, and just how far BYD intends to push into the rarefied air currently occupied by Europe’s oldest luxury marques.