The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette has gained a new variant– an electric one. With 655 horsepower, the car celebrates its 70th birthday with a shock
It’s not often we get treated to two new variants of a car in a short amount of time. Some people call it overkill, we call it a well-welcomed treat. While the rest of the world shifts electric at a faster pace with a stygian tone to most of the automotive scene, Chevrolet wowed consumers all around the world with its unique approach to electrifying its lineup.
Why replace the engine when you can simply add an electric motor to it? With a question like that, it was hard to imagine GM brass saying nay to a compromise nearly everyone can appreciate. Even those insatiable tree huggers.
Revolutionary or Identity Crisis?
When the original C8 Corvette came out, ‘Vette loyalists were passionate about voicing their displeasure for such a radical change to an American icon. It was hard to wrap their head around something they saw as near-perfection, making a total 180. Their beloved idol has changed yet again, even more in the direction that the cultish fans may hate.
A non-sequitur, oxymoron, counterintuitive, whatever one wishes to call the E-Ray, one thing is clear. It shows the enthusiasm of the Corvette brand and nameplate to explore different ventures, not just the plain old V8 that has been stuffed in the ‘Vette’s hood since 1953. The E-Ray was held under wraps for a while and comes after the launch of the Corvette’s penultimate variant in the Z06.
The Z06 shows a change from a pushrod-style engine to a flat-plane crank, rivaling some of its European supercar peers, something the brand has failed to do in the past. You can’t forget the original aforementioned switch from the front-engine Corvette layout to moving the powerplant to the rear, some say that was the death of the Corvette as we knew it, some say that was the beginning of a new era.
In the past, we’ve never seen the Corvette make so many distinct statements all at once. To everyone over the age of 50, the Corvette they knew is dead, to them, this is just another swing from an automaker to create the solution to a problem that shouldn’t be solved. For the rest of us, the E-Ray is just fun.
This Isn’t Your Dad’s Tesla
Don’t let the name fool you, this isn’t Detroit’s latest take on an electric vehicle to appeal to the masses. This is a Corvette. It’s the first of its kind, pairing an electric motor to the base power source of the C8 Corvette. The electric motor works in tandem with the C8’s 6.2 L small block V8, a ‘Vette staple. The internal combustion alone makes 495-horsepower, the same figure as the LT2 in the seemingly pedestrian base model. Serving as its attache is the 160-horsepower producing electric power plant for a total of 655 horsepower.
Nearing the Z06’s impressive 670 horsepower, the E-Ray is only 15 horsepower short, but where it has its C8 brethren beat is its first iteration of an AWD system implemented in a Corvette. Sending power to all 4 wheels, it represents yet another stray from the Corvette’s traditional ethos. So long rear-wheel drive V8, enter electrified AWD monster. This gives it the opportunity to slither its way into more segments such as the grand touring class with the likes of the McLaren GT and the Porsche 911 Carrera.
A Complete Overhaul
Keep in mind, Chevy didn’t just tack on an electric motor and call it a day. Instead, they meticulously made sure the car was prepared for it behind the scenes. The drive unit isn’t too big, only adding about 300 lbs of extra baggage on a car that wasn’t hurting for weight savings in the first place. Rumors have the size of the battery pack at around a 12-pack of soda cans along with an exclusive oil cooler mounted behind the front bumper for the sole reason of cooling the front drivetrain.
The team behind the E-Ray also based some of its design off the performance oriented Z06, giving the E-Ray its wider rear fenders, carbon ceramic brakes standard, and girthy 345 width all seasons placed in the rear along with 275s in the front. If that doesn’t say take this out in a Nor’easter, nothing will.
A small 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery powers the E-Ray’s permanent-magnet AC motor while a separate 12-volt lithium-ion battery supports the V-8’s stop-start function and other accessories. Something you don’t see often in most hybrids. It’s important to note that the electric motor is comically tiny, with GM estimating you can get 5 miles of range in the Corvette’s designated “Stealth” mode which switches the car to all-electric driving at the driver’s whim. Stealth mode won’t last very long as the motor is only meant to be a supplement to the ICE, not an alternative.
Still the Quickest Kid on the Block
Despite the fattening of the car by nearly 300 lbs, the E-Ray is by far the quickest Corvette to ever brandish the nameplate. Notching a claimed 0-60 in 2.5 seconds, that beats out the Z06 by .1 seconds. We expect the E-Ray in its convertible form to be slightly slower, cause you know… aerodynamics. The E-Ray is available in both the standard targa top and its convertible counterpart and all the same caveats apply— the convertible will always lag behind the targa.
While the electric motors disengage past 150 mph, the car will keep sprinting all the way up to its claimed top speed of 180 mph, a high mark for a hybrid to achieve, especially with increased weight and a newly procured all-wheel drive system. The instant torque from the hybrid powertrain will certainly shoot the driver back in their seat, so get ready for a lot of slack-jawed commentary and remarks from your passengers. It’ll get even worse when you offer to take them to the drag strip and this beast runs a ¼ mile time of 10.5 seconds stock. Woah.
Woah is right, especially when you find out how much you’ll have to shell out for one of these. Those wanting the AWD system and the hybrid powertrain have a hefty premium to pay over those looking for the base C8. Starting at $104,295 before options for the targa, this is nothing like the MSRP on a 1LT. The hardtop convertible adds an extra $7,000 of flair, bringing the total up to $111,295, a king’s ransom for the E-Ray.
Drop $5,00 more and you can have yourself a base Z06, which starts at $109.295, cheaper than the convertible E-Ray. The E-Ray goes on sale later this year, where we’re sure it’ll be sold out before you can even get your name on the list… sans dealer markups.
