GM Teases Chevy Corvette E-Ray, Says Fully Electric Corvette Will Follow: Video
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GM released a new teaser video of the upcoming Corvette E-Ray today, showing the hybrid supercar spinning its tires in the snow as it launches from a standstill.
The short teaser video, which is embedded below, shows a Corvette E-Ray prototype spinning all four tires as it attempts to gain traction in the snow during a hard launch. As GM Authority readers will already know, the Corvette E-Ray is a forthcoming hybrid variant of the American sports car that will pair the Stingray’s naturally aspirated 6.2L LT2 V8 engine with a front axle-mounted electric motor and a series of four 1.94 kWh batteries. The main purpose of this ~600-horsepower hybrid setup will be to improve the vehicle’s performance, particularly with regard to acceleration, rather than improve its fuel economy. The E-Ray will also utilize the same widebody exterior styling as the 2023 Corvette Z06, indirectly replacing the Grand Sport model in the Corvette model lineup.
This new teaser video wasn’t the only piece of exciting Corvette-related news released by Chevy this week. Appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box morning show on Monday, GM president Mark Reuss confirmed the automaker will also offer a “fully electric, Ultium-based Corvette in the future.” Further details on this future battery-electric Corvette were not offered by Reuss, so it’s unclear if this product will be based on the current C8-generation Corvette, or if it will be a different model entirely. Analysts believe GM would be smart to create a new Corvette sub-brand for performance vehicles, so Reuss could be hinting at a new type of Corvette model that would be sold alongside the traditional sports car model, but it’s impossible to say for sure at this point. However, it’s an exciting time to be a Corvette fan.
GM moved certain members from the Corvette engineering team to its Autonomous and Electric Vehicles team back in 2020, including then-Corvette chief engineer Ed Piatek. This move was done as GM planned to electrify the C8 Corvette with the E-Ray and is further justified by Reuss’ proclamation that a battery-electric Corvette variant is on the way.
“Some time ago we moved the Corvette team into the EV space in Warren, Michigan, and when we revealed the new mid-engine Corvette, I said there would be more to come,” Reuss said in a post shared to his LinkedIn page. “This morning I sat down with Phil LeBeau of CNBC and finally answered the question I’ve been asked countless times.”
The hybridization of the Corvette won’t stop with the E-Ray. GM is also cooking up a range-topping C8 Corvette Zora model, which is expected to pair a twin-turbocharged twin-turbo 5.5L V8 LT7 engine with a more powerful hybrid setup, pushing the total system output near or above 1,000 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque. The Zora will arrive late in the C8 Corvette’s lifecycle and will not launch until well after the E-Ray, however, so Chevy fans will have to exercise some patience in waiting for official details on this ultra-high-performance model.
Reuss says the hybrid Corvette will launch next year, meaning it will likely arrive as a 2024 model-year product and could make its debut sometime late this year. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to GM Authority for the latest mid-engine Corvette news, Corvette C8 news, Corvette E-Ray news, Chevy news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
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Bit late to the party on this one GmAuthority
Fashionably late
I have a funny feeling this is actually the ZR1 aka the “Zora” model. Taking some plays from the La Ferrari and 296 GTB. Wouldn’t make financial sense for GM to add a expensive all wheel drive battery set up for a model that’s BELOW the Z06. The all electric model will probably be the E ray.
It’s quite unfortunate how quickly this car has left it’s target market.
To be more clear, it’s fine if Chevrolet would like to position the Corvette at “super car” price points. As that would be fine. If you had the Camaro to be the normal persons sports car.
New leadership cannot come fast enough.
Huh? The wait list is longer than it has ever been at this point in time. More new cross shopping. More conquest sales. What more do you want?
WOOOOWWWW a Corvette that’s capable of AWD performance in the SNOW?!?!?!????
And it will cost less yet outperform ALL of those fancy but expensive imported supercars. So why buy an import if we have the best supercar made in the U.S. of A.?
I love what GM has done since 2016. All these new sports cars are outperforming imports that cost double the price. I know my opinion is of the minority, but I say KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GM!!!! Give us more of these awesome sports cars!!!! Btw, I’m loving my 6th gen Camaro so far too, the handling on this car is unreal.
Maybe in the far future we’ll see a snowplow option? 🙂
LMAO imagine a video of someone plowing their driveway with an AWD hybrid C8 Vette one day.
Spinning all 4 tires as it attempts to gain traction…. not a really impressive statement about traction control.
Let’s see if I can set this joke up correctly, please help me out if you have a better punch line:
The car is expected to be offered in 2024, however, the price for the car will be released in 2026.
Let me guess…you are impatient about the Z06 price. Who would turn it down if it was as much as 10% more than the predictions? I’ll predict the “E-Ray” (this hybrid) will be $8,000 to $10,000 less than the Z06. I think they said offered in 2023.
GM should stop making all the ugly cars and just produce this on in all the variants! They can do Trucks and the Corvette.. that should help with production.
Great news and great times in Corvette Nation, now it’s time Mark Ruess, Mary Barra, and Tadge J, to go to a carbon fiber cage to make the car lighter!!!! The only problem I have with going electric is the batteries make vehicles heavier and I don’t want Corvette getting too FAST, we need to get the dry weight down to 28 or 2900lbs!!!! Get it done CHEVY💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
I agree with your observation about carbon fiber, but I have a concern, and check me if I am wrong.
All the carbon fiber based supercars have broken in half and resulted in death in street based accidents
when hitting things like utility poles. This makes me think they are brittle. Every story seems to be,
broke in half, etc, etc..
I will trade safety, on the street, for that carbon fiber fantastic light weight awesomeness.
Driving like an idiot in any car ends up in heavy damage whether car breaks apart of is simply crushed. That driver does not win either way.
Having one in the garage is better than any promised in the future.
I waited one year to place an order, then waited a year for delivery.
But now one sits in my garage (10,000 miles so far). Yeah, it is only a basic 2LT Z51.
My point is that having one to drive is really worth it.
It will be a while until you can walk into a dealer and get any version, like it used to be in 2017.
I agree. Don’t think this would replace my ’21 3LT Z51 – but it’ll be interesting to see how it performs. For sure, weight will be affected.
if a base C8 Vette sells for $60k usd, I wouldn’t be surprised if a hybrid AWD Vette will sell for at least $80k. If I was getting one, the regular base engine and RWD would be perfect for a summer car at an affordable price. But I bet a hybrid Vette could get some very good gas mileage.
That is some very rocky snow…maybe salt…?
Also, It looks like there’s two different sets of wheels used in the video…not sure why they would do that.
Anyway, I’m not that interested in owning what will likely be a 4,000+ lbs Corvette, but the move to AWD is certainly interesting…at the same time, it doesn’t quite make sense to me if “only” using the Stingray’s 6.2. I didn’t think that traction at launch was a problem that needed remedied for the mid-engined Stingray…I don’t own a Stingray to speak from experience, but from what I’ve read, it seems to hook up well but then runs out of steam at the top end (vs mid-engine exotics)…so it seems that the way AWD would actually be useful is if there’s a lot more power planned to go to the rear tires.
For example, if electric were paired with the supercharged 6.2 motors from either the C7 Z06 or ZR1 (or similar high-torque engine), then AWD in the mid-engined Corvette would make a lot more sense to me…and that would be a very fun 1/4 mile machine.
I just hope that all the ppl on the Z06 wait list in front of me move their deposit & name over to whatever this model is…
With smaller electric motors powering both front and back wheels, hope designers will return to the most aesthetic sports car proportions — long nose, short trunk, driver seated directly in front of rear wheels. In any case, Corvette must adapt. And it will.
I think the C8 going mid-rear engine was a great idea. You still have the Camaro for front engine RWD platform, and it can be optioned with a LT1 6.2L Vette engine. The C7 was beautiful, but the C8 is just on another level. For the first time we have a $60k usd mid engine sports car.
Sleepy Joe let this cat out of the bag 2 years ago when he was driving around with Mary.
Sign me up, but I am tiring from the wait.
Hopefully those front wheels have exceptional traction. Gonna need it driving through the nuclear winter that Putin is gonna create.
The new E Ray will be out next year ? I’ll take that bet. I’ll bet my ZO6 it won’t be, just remembered I never got it. 🙁
Big question is, where are there decent roads to drive on anymore? Overpopulation and over aggressive economy fixations have ruined the once great American roadscapes .