It’s a question we’ve tossed around at GM Authority: should General Motors build an all-electric Chevrolet Corvette? That’s the topic in today’s poll and community question.
Obviously, electric cars offer some pretty incredible performance advantages. Instant torque, neck-snapping acceleration and some advanced all-wheel drive and torque vectoring systems. All of that sounds pretty beneficial to Chevrolet’s world-beater.
While we do think there will be an electrified Corvette at some point in the near future with the mid-engine C8 Corvette, an all-electric variant seems a little out there.
Despite the benefits, the Corvette isn’t exactly known for being a silent, yet deadly, sports car. It’s an in-your-face machine with a bark to match its bite, snarling every time the driver tips the throttle in. Battery electric cars simply don’t live up to those descriptors, no matter how many times a Tesla Model S smokes a high-performance car at the drag strip. Meanwhile, over in Geneva, Rimac just pulled the sheet off of its C_Two Concept, which estimates a 0-60 time of 1.8 seconds.
Just as power isn’t everything in traditional internal-combustion engines, the benefits of a battery-electric powertrain may not outweigh the lack of sensory details, especially in the aural department. And it seems to be an expensive endeavor, as the C7 Corvette-based Genovation GXE electric car asks an intense $750,000.
That’s not to say an all-electric Corvette would be a terrible car and not fun to drive. The Chevrolet Volt and Bolt EV prove electric powertrains can massage a smile from drivers’ faces.
What do you think? Is there room for an all-electric Corvette from GM in the future? Talk to us below and vote.
Comments
While the Corvette certainly has a presence, I wouldn’t say that’s it’s main take away. The Viper was about being in your face, the newest Corvette’s aren’t. GM has focused on making the most capable cars ever with the C7. Would an all electric sell really well? Probably not. I think the majority of Corvette customers are still the blue collar guys getting their retirement cars. That said, the demographic buying Corvette’s is shifting (with the C7 more than ever), and true performance is becoming a major selling point.
Will GM do an all electric C8? I doubt it. Should they? Maybe, but more as a test. That Z06X thing comes to mind.
Why not got fot he whole shibang and offer TT V6’s thru TTV8s’ a hybrid and all Electric. With the C8 Corvette will be starting a whole new chapter in its’s life. So why not make the most of it.
I think a high power hybrid is a better choice at this point. Maybe something like a 755hp lt5 driving the rear wheels and 300hp electric driving the fronts. Best of both worlds combined.
I wonder how far the talks have gotten about Corvette becoming it’s own sub brand of GM/Chevrolet. Then they could offer different platforms under the Corvette name.Not that they can’t now but you know how marketing works.
I am all for it. Bring out a competitor for the new Tesla Roadster. GM could bring it to market more quickly than Tesla, probably do it cheaper, and be at the forefront of the next step in vehicle performance.
Given the Trump Administration has opted out of the Paris Climate Accord which means it will be legal to sell non-ZEV in the United States beyond 2030 meaning General Motors can continue building gas powered Corvettes for US sales even if California decides to be a ZEV only state because California does ‘not’ sell as many Corvettes as people think as the total number of Corvettes sold in California is similar to Kerbeck Corvette in Atlantic City, New Jersey or about 1,100 vehicles.
The problem for me is Range. Give me a Corvette (or any other car) that can be recharged in minutes and I am all in. We also would need convenient facilities across the country. Until then Gas is King.
Yes, there should be an electric Corvette. It’s a great platform to push the development envelope. What GM learns here will improve all their other electric projects.
Electrifying not electric, as this ZL1 points out:
I talked about this in November in my VetteCast Corvette Podcast. I wondered the same thing. I initially thought “no way” And then…
Elon Musk revealed his electric supercar that does 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, and 0-100 in 4.2, and 1/4 mile in 8.9 seconds. Ho-lee crap.
So the performance is there, but will the Corvette enthusiasts accept it? I think we will find out sooner or later.
You had better check how many runs he gets per charge. Like even a gas car it takes more electric power and it does not go far.
If you are going to do a Corvette it would need to be a Hybrid. Cost is a factor.
Now if you have to do a Electric sports car move it to Cadillac as Cadillac will be featuring larger more powerful electric vehicles in the future and it would be a good way to give Cadillac the show case.
Keep in mind while cars like the S model in ludicrous mode is fast the range is very limited after just a couple runs.
In other terms that means track days would be very limited. The people like to point out how fast the S is but they fail to point out how limited the fast is.
To get to the truth on these Musk times you have to discover what he fails to tell you. Ludicrous mode range is not 300 miles not even close.
Also if you let Cadillac do this and share a platform it would make the technology transferable to the Corvette if and when the time regulations forces the issue.
1000% yes. Is there a better application than the Corvette? No. Full electric. GM should not waste a dime or second on annoying hybrids. Look at the just unveiled Porsche mission e concept. That’s the future.
I think the corvette needs to have a electric version to go along with the other gas versions!
No, not for the current front-engine Vette, but just as other supercars have electric options I do see it fit for the mid-engine Vette.
The Trump administration is doing everything it can to kill electric vehicles. GM and Ford won’t make any EV’s if the CAFE standard goes away.
Given that a Tesla family sedan can outrun a c 8 Corvette to 60 miles an hour or at the very least stay with it…… I don’t think GM has much choice the Corvette will become a dinosaur and quickly if it isn’t offered in an electric variant. Besides there won’t be much more time for the gas-guzzling roar of a V8 because after a while the government will shut all that down and everything will be electric. I understand that purists will scoff at this but that’s just the way the world is going so go with the flow… Or else you’re going to spend $150,000 on a c8 with 1200 horsepower and a lady picking up her kids from school will be able to keep up with you in her Tesla family sedan won’t that be a bummer LOL