Launched for the 2020 model year, the C8 Chevrolet Corvette finally adopted a mid-engined layout, after years of speculation that Chevrolet would shift the engine’s location to behind the driver. While that finally silenced some voices around the car, speculation still remains about future Corvette drivetrains. With effect, the C8 platform might still bring a number of firsts to the Corvette line-up, including the first hybrid, the first electric, and the first all-wheel-drive powertrains. In this article, we’ll cover everything we know so far about the upcoming electrification of the Corvette brand, from the 2023 hybrid Corvette to the (gasp) four-door sedan and SUV models, which are likely coming with the next C9 generation.
Why Electrify The Corvette?
GM has long hinted that the current generation Corvette would go electric at some point, and that’s only natural – the electric craze is here to stay, and all of Chevrolet’s European rivals are either already hybrids or looking to introduce some form of it within the near future. This push toward electrification is not only driven by environmental concerns either, with manufacturers now fully aware of how to integrate electric motors to enhance the performance of their models. Not even the Corvette, for so long the paragon of Americana with its big V-8 engine powering the rear wheels, can resist the ongoing revolution. With effect, it has always been the supercar killer, bringing exotic-car-beating performance to the masses at an affordable price. So, if it is to compete with the European sports cars, it will have to play along, and that means resorting to electrons to boost power and cornering ability. The switch to a hybrid-electric powertrain and, eventually, fully electric propulsion is inevitable, especially as GM has committed to a completely electrified line-up by 2035.
The First Hybrid Corvette is Coming in 2023
President Mark Reuss confirmed in a LinkedIn post back in April 2022 that an electrified Corvette would become available as early as 2023. The key word here is “electrified”, as opposed to “electric”. That means the Corvette we’re getting this year is going to be a hybrid, with the fully electric version coming later on. The video Chevrolet published clearly shows the front wheels spinning independently of the rears, which indicates they have their own source of propulsion. There’s also the unmistakable sound of a combustion engine spinning as the ‘Vette plays in the snow. Therefore, we can expect one or two electric motors to power the front axle, while a conventional internal combustion engine powers the rear. That would result in the first Corvette ever with electric motors, as well as all-wheel drive.
The E-Ray May Have a Twin-Turbo V-8 With 1,000 Horsepower Combined
The hybrid Corvette will likely bear the E-Ray name, which Chevrolet patented a while back, unless the company decides to save that name for the fully electric version. It is still debatable whether the combustion engine will be the 6.2-liter pushrod LT2 of the base Corvette, or the high-revving 5.5-liter double overhead camshaft LT6 version found in the 2023 Corvette Z06. Some rumors point to the addition of two turbos to the LT6, which would bring the combined total of the powertrain to over 1,000 horsepower. That said, the C8 platform was designed from the ground up to accept the front power module (consisting of the electric motor or motors, gearbox, and control electronics), which means there’s a chance the base Stingray could get its own hybrid version as well. This version should have around 600 horsepower and slot directly below the Z06 in the Corvette line-up.
What we do know is that the batteries are likely to be those found in GM’s Ultium platform, which underpins the company’s current EVs. They will probably live in the “transmission tunnel” between the passenger seats, which interestingly is still present in the C8, despite no longer housing an actual transmission. Car and Driver noted that the system was always meant to be a “power adder” to the twin-turbo V-8. That means the Corvette hybrid was never meant to be driven on electric power alone, but that might have since changed and the new E-Ray could very well be able to move solely on electrons at lower speeds and over short distances.
The 2025 Corvette Brand Goes Fully Electric
The Corvette EV will come further down the line, likely around 2025. That’s because switching out the petrol engine entirely might necessitate a complete redesign of the rear of the car, owing to the marked differences between the two powertrains. Then there’s the need to accommodate a much bigger battery pack, in order to allow the car to draw enough power and give it a reasonable range before you have to stop to recharge it. So, the EV Corvette should arrive very close to the end of the current production run, or even as the next generation of the model. In fact, there is a chance the C9 Corvette will be a BEV only. It will probably also be all-wheel drive.
But if you think an electric Corvette is a heresy, you might want to take a seat. GM is planning to spin the Corvette name as its own sub-brand, and an electric four-door sedan and an SUV are on the cards. These models will sit on the Ultium platform that GM has used extensively to power its electric vehicles, and will be pitted squarely against the Porsche Taycan and the Mustang Mach-E, respectively. However, we still don’t know if they will exist in addition to the electric two-seater coupe Corvette, or instead of it. They are probably arriving at the same time as the C9 generation of the Corvette, which could hit the market by 2025 or 2026.
FAQ
Q: How much will the electric Corvette cost?
Considering the 2023 Z06 should cost around $90,000 - $100,000, the upcoming hybrid Corvette will probably slot above it in the line-up, so expect it to cost upward of $100,000.
Q: How much horsepower does the electric Corvette have?
We don’t know much about the upcoming electric Corvette yet, but the figures being thrown around suggest as much as 1,000 hp from a hybrid powertrain, combining electric motors with a combustion engine in an all-wheel drive configuration.
Q: Is the 2023 Corvette Z06 electric?
No. Powering the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is a 5.5-liter naturally-aspirated V-8 with dual-overhead-camshafts, developing 670 horsepower. The electric Corvette will be a separate upcoming model.
Q: When can I buy an electric Corvette?
We expect Chevrolet to unveil the hybrid Corvette sometime in 2023 as a 2024 model year car, while the fully electric version should hit the market in late 2025 at the earliest.