Source: motorauthority.com
What a strange concept it is to think that American muscle car brands have been making headway with electric models. From Ford Mustangs to the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee, each American car brand has been hopping on the inevitable EV bandwagon. Chevrolet has a number of EVs already on the lot for consumers, but this one was definitely an eye-opener. While the idea of a fully electric Corvette is still likely years away, a hybrid version of the supercar has made its official appearance. As model releases are, though, they will not be available to consumers until at least 2024.
Photographs taken by Motor Authority showed that the Corvette E-Ray featured the same wide-body design as the new Z06. Chevrolet had also released a teaser video in January for the E-Ray, showcasing the beautifully aggressive sound of the V8 engine, but also a “Stealth Mode” option, which seemed to muffle the noise by keeping it in electric mode. An aesthetic difference to note here, though, was the Z06 has black accents for its aero kit parts while the E-Ray’s accents match the body color.
Motor and Engine
The E-Ray supercar features electric motors that power the front axle and the Stingray's 6.2-liter V-8 engine takes care of the rear. Motor Authority had also captured a video showing a prototype being tested on snow, to quote, “with the front wheels spinning under their own power,” which suggested that this model had an all-wheel drive option. Given an application for a patent by Tremec earlier in 2022, this model has an integration with the Corvette's 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, with the ability to drive the rear wheels. A hybrid featuring all-wheel drive is certainly a combination of firsts for any production Corvette and we can’t wait to learn more about the impressive performance vehicle as we approach 2024.
This patented hybrid transmission would work by connecting the motor generator to the transmission's output shaft or one of its two input shafts.
The peak output we were expected to see falls between 600-650 hp. Over time with the C8 Corvette’s product cycle, we can comfortably anticipate having a more powerful hybrid configuration, which has been rumored to be the Zora, a potential range-topping variant of the supercar.
The Zora is expected to come about for the 2025 model releases, featuring a hybrid version of the ZR1’s twin-turbo 5.5 liter V8 engine with a 1,000 hp output and 975 lb-ft of torque. It had been reported previously that the Zora would also include an all-wheel drive option with an electric motor on the front axle, like the E-Ray.
What’s To Come
In the near future, we should definitely expect electric cars to slowly take over. For instance, the electric Corvette will most likely use GM’s electric powertrain and battery toolset, the same setup that can be found in the GMC Hummer EV, which currently offers up to 1000 hp. Because of the love for classic American muscle and performance cars, however, we do not believe gasoline-powered vehicles will be completely disregarded. GM had previously stated, though, that they were looking to have all of their light vehicles fully electric-powered by 2035.
What are your thoughts on the hybrid Corvette E-Ray? Would you purchase a fully electric Corvette? Tell us in the comments.
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