Back in April 2020, a leaked timeline revealed what new versions of the Chevrolet Corvette C8 we should expect in the coming years. Chevy was reportedly planning to to unveil a brand-new Z06 for the 2022 model year and a Grand Sport version for the 2023 model year. But a new report claims that Chevrolet decided to axe the Grand Sport nameplate. Instead, it will roll out a new model called E-Ray. Just like the cancelled next-gen Grand Sport, it will be a hybrid.

The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will be the first hybrid Vette

If older rumors about the Grand Sport prove to be true, the E-Ray should pair the already familiar, 6.2-liter V-8 engine to one or two electric motors. The V-8 will spin the rear axle, just like in the regular Corvette, while the motor(s) will power the front wheels. So the E-Ray will the first hybrid Corvette, as well as the first can from the nameplate with an all-wheel-drive system.

How powerful will it be? Well, leaked information from the past claims that the E-Ray will boast around 600 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. This means that the V-8 will probably remain similar to the regular Vette, while the electric motor will add around 110 horsepower and some 30 pound-feet of torque. It seems unlike for an electric motor to have such a small torque figure, so the E-Ray will probably generate 600 horsepower and almost 600 pound-feet of twist.

The E-Ray name, albeit new for the brand, is all but confirmed, as it has already appeared in two patent applications, in 2015 and 2020, according to GM Authority. E-Ray combines the words "electric" and "stingray," so it's not actually that weird for an electric Corvette.

FAQ

Q: When should we expect the Chevy Corvette E-Ray?

{{Initial timeline rumors claimed that the Grand Sport, now replaced with the E-Ray, was scheduled to arrive for the 2023 model year.}} This basically means that an unveiling is planned for 2022. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and a factory shutdown, new models might have been pushed back a while. So instead of seeing the E-Ray in the metal in the first half of 2022, we might have to wait until the fourth quarter of 2022.

Q: Will the Corvette E-Ray be the only electrified C8-gen Corvette?

The E-Ray will be followed by at least two more electrified models. Chevy reportedly plans to release a new ZR1 model for the 2024 model year. This version will pack a twin-turbo, 5.5-liter V-8 that will generate 850 horsepower and 825 pound-feet of torque without help from electric motors. However, Chevy is also planning to unveil a second hybrid for the 2025 model year. This supercar will be called Zora and will combine the twin-turbo V-8 from the ZR1 with a couple of electric motors. The Zora is said to arrive with a whopping 1,000 horsepower and 975 pound-feet of twist.