The latest Genovation Cars C7 GXE made quite a splash with its C7 Corvette basis and full electric powertrain. Excuse us, we mean propulsion method.
So, we thought we would ask you, our dear readers, if General Motors and the Corvette team should take the idea of a fully-electric Corvette seriously as the concept gains traction via an unrelated company.
The C7 GXE, pictured above, arrives with greater battery management from the record-setting C6 GXE, allowing for 660 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. At the same time, it features 50/50 weight distribution and zero fossil fuels are burned, making it a very capable EV.
On the GM front, we’ve discovered trademark filings for “Corvette E-Ray“, leading us to believe the idea of an electric Corvette, or at least one with supplemental battery power, is certainly being considered. We likely won’t see any sort of electric hybrid during the C7 generation of the sports car, but the C8 will bring uncharted territory with it; the C8 Corvette is widely believed to make the switch to a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicle.
So, what do you think? Should an all-electric Corvette be in the cards? Talk to us and vote in our poll below.
Comments
yes
There’s no question they WILL, the question is When.
C7? No no way.
C8? Maybe, but there are still too many strategic questions at play
C9? Certainly.
So I assume your real question is, “Should the C8 have electric options?
I wouldn’t be surprised if no gas engine is even offered in the C9…. I know it sounds sacrilegious, but at the rate this stuff is going, 2026 or so when the C9 emerges we could be in a very different world!
more importantly though, Does anyone really think the C8 could possibly be Mid Engine Only? I believe the ZR1 alternative might, to accompany a lower cost Front Engine, but I didn’t think anyone thought the C8 would be wholly mid-engine…. am I wrong?
If there’s a split between a Front engine variation and a Mid Engine variation, the mid-engine could actually be designed right now as a hybrid like the NSX
Tesla has demonstrated that it is possible to build a high performance electric vehicle especially given the Ludicrous mode and given General Motors experience with electric vehicles with the Volt and Bolt, an EV variant of the C8 Corvette is no big deal.
One has to remember that electric vehicles in general are a lie as it affords the facile that we’re being ‘green’; but in actuality, we’re still creating tons of greenhouse gases because no one wants to accept that an electric vehicle has a greenhouse footprint as it is the amount of greenhouse gas generated by a fossil fuel power plant to generate the electricity needed to recharge the EV’s batteries in travel 12,000 miles in a single year.
Yes it has a greenhouse foot print but it’s much less than gas powered cars. That being said, not all power plants run on fossil fuels.
How do you fuel your gas cars? By hand or with an electric pump? Did you know that the energy needed to pump just ten gallons is equal to the energy to recharge the Chevy Volt for over 50 miles? So instead of burning gasoline and “creating tons of greenhouse gases because no one wants to accept that an electric vehicle has a greenhouse footprint as it is the amount of greenhouse gas generated by a fossil fuel power plant to generate the electricity needed” to pump your fuel, just use that same energy in an electric car and get rid of ALL the gasoline infrasructure. BTW, can you even refuel at hole while you sleep? Volt owners do!
The time will come they will be forced into it but only then. We first will see a mix of ICE Hybrid.
While performance is not an issue the real problem is the visceral feel and sound of a gas powered vehicle. What makes a Ferrari a Ferrari is the sound of the V12 along with the other parts that go with it.
The Corvette exhaust of a V8 is a very important part of the package and would be greatly missed. The Whine of an electric motors and gear is not one that makes many post a poster on the wall.
The appeal of performance is as much sound as is feel and smells. Anyone who has been to a race understand this. A top fuel car that does not share your rib cage or a NASCAR Stock Car that did not smell of racing fumes or a Corvette CR7 that does not thunder down the Mulsanne straight would be greatly missed.
Then the other factor. First the size and weight of the car. Now the Tesla is fast in a straight line but on a road track it lacks much. It has a lot of mass with the batteries even if they mounted low down. Also it is a 4 door sedan that can use much of the space to pack in batteries. A car like the Corvette is limited in space and if driven in anger would deplete the batteries very quickly.
The Formula E cars are a good example of fast but limited. When you have to change cars mid way through a sprint race you know there is a problem.
Finally if Corvette is Still to compete in the 24 hrs of Le Mans and Daytona or even the 12 hours of Sebring how could they even compete unless they get some special class and run for days.
“The horse manure is a very important part of the package and would be greatly missed.” This would have been you over a hundred years ago.
What are you talking about?
We have enough BS on this topic already to grow mushrooms on concrete.
Time Ray to face reality.
At this point in time where in the hell are you going to put enough batteries to make spirited driving last more than a nominal amount of miles. Even the much larger and heavier Tesla can only go so many laps and miles driven in anger.
Second check the lap time in the lightning lap. Check out number 21 on the list of 21 cars. Not good Ray not good at all. Not show here is that V6 Camaro that also was much faster. Life is a bunch of left and right turns. Going fast in a straight line is only good for John Force when he is at work.
Also part of the sports car experience is shifting gears, Reeving the engine and doing Heel to Toe shifting.
It is driving on the edge and managing the car to the razors edge of grip.
It is the noise and the smell of the engine, brakes and rubber.
Not everyone is chasing windmills that are only here because the government is funding it. In fact in Germany they have cut back as they have found that they do not work as well as promised.
The reality is the gas engine is going to be around for a while yet. Even in the old days gas cars were crap and if you wanted to get to town and back in one day you needed the horse. Once the cars got to the point you could rely on them and you could fuel them up without going to a drug store to find something combustible then they took over.
Hey I am not anti EV but I am playing with the reality that batteries are still in need of more improvements that could come as soon as one year or take as long as 20 years. We have very little infrastructure yet to charge just any where. Also we have yet to find cars to the point that they would suit everyone needs and at a price they can afford.
Once we get the batteries small enough and powerful enough that you can get a EV sports car that comes in round 2500 pounds and can run in anger on a track for hours then we have it made. We still will be missing the sweet element of sound.
On the other hand there is no reason we can’t have it all. Some people like to Re curve Bow Hunt and others like to use a modern advanced Rifle. Nothing wrong with primitive or modern as they both can exist.
In fact I have many people around me here that love to own and ride horses for the pure enjoyment. Sports cars are not much different as they are here for pleasure.
Or are you of the nature that because you like Chocolate that you want to force feed everyone Chocolate even though there is no reason we can not enjoy it all Electric, gas or what ever.
Right now GM would be much better suited taking the Omega and making some kind of larger powerful EV sedan that could hold enough batteries to match a Tesla and the noise of the engine is not a factor nor lap times. If you are going to drive a nail use a hammer for the job. A all EV Corvette at THIS POINT OF TIME [I hope you got that] is like driving a nail with a screw driver.
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CONCEPT CAR
2016 Lexus RC F GT Concept
2:43.2
2
LL4
2016 Dodge Viper ACR
2:44.2
3
LL5
2016 Ferrari 488GTB
2:45.1
4
LL4
2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
2:47.0
5
LL3
2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
2:47.1
6
LL4
2016 McLaren 570S
2:47.4
7
LL4
2017 Acura NSX
2:50.2
8
LL2
2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R
2:51.8
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LL4
2016 BMW M4 GTS
2:52.9
10
LL3
2016 Porsche Cayman GT4
2:54.0
11
LL2
2017 Chevrolet Camaro SS 1LE
2:54.8
12
LL4
2017 Audi R8 V-10 Plus
2:56.1
13
LL2
2016 BMW M2
3:01.9
14
LL4
2016 Jaguar F-type Project 7
3:02.2
15
LL3
2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
3:03.5
16
LL2
2016 Ford Focus RS
3:03.9
17
LL1
2017 Chevrolet Camaro 1LE
3:04.0
18
LL3
2016 Lexus GS F
3:05.9
19
RACE CAR
Copeland Motorsports Mazda MX-5 Miata Cup Car
3:06.4
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LL2
2016 Audi TTS
3:07.7
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ELECTRIC CAR
2015 Tesla Model S P85D
3:17.4
Tesla, no more needs to be said. If corvette wants to stay the best American sports car it needs to compete with Tesla.
Tesla needs to match Chevy first!!! They don’t even have a car that remotely competes with the corvette. I don’t think the roadster can even beat a Camaro ona road course. If they can’t touch the camaro, how long until they can touch the vettes? At least 5 years….
Right idea, wrong car.
Think of a steak house. That has all sorts of healthier options (chicken, salads, fish). And someone asks, “Should we make the prime rib vegan?”
Nope. More of the menu vegan FIRST.
I was the owner of a 2011 C6 Vette.I really liked the car .The interior was very dated .The new C7 is much better .
Long term a mid engine Vette would be super .Let’s see the future is soon to come
I don’t know, can they make one work better on the ‘ring than Tesla can so it does not cut power and not feel numb in suspension/handling?
I have a C7 and I’m looking forward to a C8 Grand Sport, but I would jump at an all electric C8 if the price was comparable to the Tesla electric autos. Electric cars are the future period!
No…..actually, hell no.
Interesting question on whether or not corvette should have an electric model.
I think there should be two models offered.
1 – a traditional gas powered model. Protect the base of enthusiasts.
2 – an electric powered corvette with a fuel generator to extend range. Providing this type of a model would introduce a high performance electric corvette and compete with Tesla. It would also ease in the concept of an electric powered corvette and satisfy a requirement for those who want a corvette, rarely leave the city, yet still want corvette performance
if you want an economy car, by a civic. The Corvette, Camaro, ALL AMERICAN TRUCKS, mustang, challenger, charger and CTS-V should only come with V8 engines! POINT BLANK!!!. We have cylinder deactivation, 10-speed automatics, better aerodynamics and everything else. The corvette already gets 30mpg with a big 6.2L V8!!!!!!! Here’s a novel idea, just make everything run on E85 make synthetic fuels out of corn since we have a crap ton of it already put 10-speed automatics and DCT transmissions behind a high tech V8 of your choice with lighter cars and the problem is solved. lets be real here car emissions now days are little more than water vapor even in big diesel trucks. If you really want to make this work, have the car manufactures make performance upgrades for their cars that are emissions friendly and 50-state legal. that includes, cold air intakes, intake manifolds, heads, cams, performance engine calibrations, short tube headers, catback/axle back exhaust systems, suspension upgrades, brake upgrades and cosmetic upgrades. this way everyone is happy.