When Chinese automaker YangWang (the luxury arm of BYD) first launched its U8 SUV last year, one of its most impressive claimed party tricks was its ability to float for short periods. The idea was that if the driver found themselves in deep water, they’d still be able to make it back to dry land. While YangWang isn’t the first automaker to advertise such capabilities, the brand’s willingness to prove them in person counts for a lot. In this new video from DiscoverChinaAuto, you can watch the U8 show off its skills as a temporary boat, as it drives into deep water and drives itself back out.
It’s fitting that the U8 is so capable in deep water, as it looks like Grand Theft Auto’s take on a Land Rover Defender. However, YangWang actually has the Defender’s 35.4-inch wading depth beat. For this demonstration, BYD set up a massive pool with a steel ramp leading into it. As the U8 rolls deep enough into the water, you can watch the 7,628-pound electric SUV start to float. And since it uses a four-cylinder combustion engine as a range extender for its quad-motor, 1,180-horsepower electric powertrain, its front-heavy nose dips further into the pool than the rear.
With the tops of its rear tires just peeking out of the water, you can see the SUV float around as its wheels spin and the driver slowly changes direction. Since turning the front wheels wouldn’t accomplish much in the water, the U8 uses its tank all-wheel-drive ability to steer. With an electric motor behind each wheel, it can spin the wheels independently as needed to turn and accelerate. If you watch closely, you can even see the system modulate power between the wheels in real-time, to get the EV going in the intended direction.
It’s slow for sure, but the U8 is able to accelerate forward a little bit, make a three-point turn, and drive out. According to BYD, the SUV can stay afloat for up to 30 minutes. What the video doesn’t show is how much water entered the cabin; plenty pours out from the U8’s door and tailgate sills after it leaves the pool. Granted, in an emergency passengers aren’t likely to care if their pant legs get wet, as long as the U8 can return everyone to safety.
Don’t forget that in 2022, Elon Musk said that the Cybertruck “will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes & even seas that aren’t too choppy.” Well, the Cybertruck can wade, but Tesla has still yet to demonstrate its seaworthiness. It’s one thing to make bold claims; it’s quite another to back them up.
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