BYD has opened an all-terrain circuit in Zhengzhou built specifically for new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and confirmed additional facilities in Hefei and Shaoxing.
NEVs refer to battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles using hydrogen as a power source. The term was originally used in China.
Positioned as a venue for track events, professional training and public experiences, the site supports BYD’s push to broaden NEV culture.
The Zhengzhou complex comprises eight zones: Indoor Sand Dune, Low-Friction Ring, Kick-Plate, Wading Pool, Dynamic Paddock, Race Track, Off-Road Park and a Camping Area.
Its indoor sand dune features a 29.6-metre vertical drop and a 28-degree slope and has been certified by Guinness World Records as the highest and largest dune-climbing facility for car testing.
Built with 6,200 tonnes of sand to mirror the Alxa Desert, it enables dune-driving demonstrations.
A 70-metre-long water-crossing pool is tailored for the Yangwang U8, allowing visitors to observe underwater manoeuvres — forward, turning and reversing — via viewing glass, showcasing capabilities of BYD’s e4 platform.
Safety and control technologies are highlighted elsewhere: the Kick-Plate recreates sudden-loss-of-grip scenarios on a wet, polished surface, while the Low-Friction Ring — China’s first 44-metre-diameter circular track — uses 30,000 basalt bricks with a 3mm water layer to maintain a consistent low-grip coefficient for stable, repeatable drifting and dynamics exercises.
The 1,758-metre race track offers nine curves and a 550-metre straight for acceleration and precision-steering tests.
A 15,300-square-metre dynamic paddock includes slalom, moose test and automated-parking modules to demonstrate BYD’s driver-assistance systems.
An Off-Road Park with 27 scenarios, graded from beginner to advanced, is intended to make rough-terrain driving accessible even to urban SUVs with intelligent all-wheel drive.
BYD said the next circuits will open in Hefei and Shaoxing, with the latter’s off-road area spanning 2,000 acres at about 500 metres altitude.
Alongside the launch, BYD and the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of China unveiled the “New Track Scheme” to introduce racing culture to a wider audience, targeting one million participants and developing 100 professional racers.
Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of China president Guojun Zhan said the BYD circuits would “accelerate the professionalisation of China’s NEV racing events and reshape automotive culture.”
