Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Offers Hybrid EV Sophistication Along with Raw V8 Power

If you thought that the Chevrolet Corvette might get left behind in the race to greener pastures and electrifying the automotive industry, then think again. Here we have the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray which essentially, in these times that are middling between EV and combustion, sits nicely between both worlds and also hints at what is surely to come.

The latest Corvette E-Ray hybrid offers up a V8 6.2 litre engine for the purists (the exact same one that sits in the Corvette Stingray), alongside an electric motor. It has great acceleration and is also now a 4WD Corvette – or eAWD as Chevvy are calling it. Visually, the E-Ray is not much different to what has gone before; it’s what’s underneath that impresses.

The Corvette E-Ray is currently the only naturally aspirated V8-powered car to offer two separate propulsion systems. The tech specs are indeed impressive, with the E-Ray offering a 0-60mph of just 2.5 seconds, completing a quarter mile in 10.5 seconds – and 655bhp. Broken down, that’s 470lb ft torque and 495bhp at the rear axle, plus 125lb ft torque and 160bhp at the front thanks to the electric motor. Chevrolet says that as a result, this is now the fastest production Corvette yet.

Chevrolet are billing the E-Ray as the car for all seasons, with a removeable roof for summer and the added security of four-wheel drive for autumn and winter. Chevrolet even confidently says that the added tech from the electric motor and related components give the Corvette E-Ray what may be thought of as a surprising amount of extra composure.

Part of the added composure will be directly as a result of the new eAWD system, a system which is always teaching itself about the road surface it finds itself connected to. It will offer selective power to each of the 4 wheels dependant on driver instruction and also what the electronics deem to be the best configuration depending on the road conditions.

The Corvette E-Ray’s electronics will be powered by a lightweight 1.9kWh lithium-ion 12-volt battery (kept running by regenerative braking) which will offer the ability for the E-Ray to utilise Stealth Mode; that is, quiet electric-only driving up to a speed of 45mph. When cruising, the motor will assist the V8 power and save fuel. There are also 6 additional modes to choose from: Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, My Mode, Z Mode.

The Corvette E-Ray is due to go on sale in 2023 at $104,295 for the 1LZ coupe version and $111,295 for the 1LZ convertible. While as yet unconfirmed, a right-hand drive version is likely to be made available.

“Corvette’s must provide an exhilarating driving experience on backroads and tracks, and E-Ray nails it” says Chevrolet’s Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter, giving a simple breakdown of the Chevvy Corvette ethos – and who are we to argue with that assessment.

Images: media.chevrolet.com