2024 E-Ray Brings Electrification, AWD to Chevrolet Corvette UPDATED

This will be a good day for spotting outraged boomers on Facebook. Chevy has just hauled the wraps off its newest addition to the Corvette line – an electrified model packing all-wheel drive and a 1.9 kWh battery pack between the seats.

Relax, hoss. It still deploys a 6.2L V8 engine and, according to Chevrolet, is the quickest production Corvette in history.

How quick? Try a run from 0-60 mph in an estimated 2.5 seconds, on to knocking off the quarter-mile in just 10.5 seconds. If the Buster had access to one of these, he’d be out of his debt to Dom. Power comes from a 6.2-liter V8 good for 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, all of which is fed to the rear axle. That mill is complemented by an electric motor which stuffs an additional 160 ponies and 125 lb-ft of twist through the front wheels via a 1.9 kWh battery pack. Those who can add may have now deduced the E-Ray produces a combined 655 horsepower from both the electric motor and V8 engine.

We’ll beg your askance for a moment and point out that some companies used to list a hybrid’s maximum peak power instead of simply slapping the output of its electric motor and gasoline engine together to come up with a figure. With potentially different power peaks at the front and rear axles, is the E-Ray actually capable of belting out 655 horses all at once? We’ve reached out to GM for clarity.

UPDATE: As we said, we reached out to GM for clarity on the total horsepower number since there are occasions in which some electric motors and gasoline-powered engines cannot simply have their numbers simply added together for a total. GM engineers are confident that’s not the case here. Spox for Chevy told us “Yes, when accelerating you can reach peak power from both systems in parallel, giving us 655 total system hp.” Fair enough, then.

Nevertheless, this thing promises to be a rocket. Dry weight is listed as 3,774 lbs for the coupe, which is a 408-pound walk from the numbers provided for a base gasoline-powered hardtop. All interior dimensions are identical between a 2023 Stingray and a 2024 E-Ray, though the width is up by a notable 3.6 inches. Eagle eyes will spot new buttons for electrification near the driver’s right hip, plus the obvious new displays in the gauge and infotainment clusters for managing and keeping an eye on the electric gubbins.

When selected at start-up, a new Stealth Mode enables all-electric driving for a period of time before the engine turns on for normal cruising. The mode could be used for quietly exiting a neighborhood without waking up all hands, for example, and has a maximum speed of 45 mph. The engine automatically lights its fires if the car’s speed exceeds that limit, additional torque is requested by the driver, or the E-Ray’s battery pack is depleted. Left unsaid is the suggestion this mode will turn E-Ray into a front-wheel drive car. The electric motor over the front axle is compact, preserving space in the front storage compartment; the total cargo volume is just 0.1 cubic feet less than the Stingray. The fuel tank capacity is 18.5 gallons – the same as the gasser.

Spotting one in traffic shouldn’t be too difficult, with its wide Z06-like proportions and smattering of available visuals exclusive to E-Ray. A glance at its rubber will be a giveaway, with 275/30R20 up front and 345/25R21 at the rear. Standard Stingrays wear 245/35R19 and 305/30R20 tires.

GM says the 2024 Corvette E-Ray goes on sale “in 2023”, which is ambiguous enough to cover their bases in case supply chain headaches rear their head. It’ll have an MSRP of $104,295 for the 1LZ coupe and $111,295 for the 1LZ convertible. Production will take place at Bowling Green Assembly.

[Images: Chevrolet]

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