The Chevy Corvette E-Ray is the first-ever Vette variant to offer a hybrid powertrain as well as the first in history to feature all-wheel drive – a combination making it a torque monster that dyno testing has shown can crank out 630 pound-feet, giving it a 2.5-second zero-to-60 time that beats even the Corvette Z06 by 0.1 second.
Now, its powertrain has won the Chevy Corvette E-Ray a spot on the 2024 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems list published by Wards Auto to honor the best powertrains offered by automakers today.
The ten winners were picked from a list of 34 nominees, which included nine pure ICE powerplants and 25 with some degree of electrification. The electrified nominees included six hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs), a category that includes the Corvette E-Ray. Also included were six plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and 13 fully electric entrants.
Out of the ten winners for 2024, six are hybrids, two are EVs, and two are internal-combustion-only vehicles. The editor in chief of Wards Auto, Bob Gritzinger, remarked that the “judges are equally excited about the wide range of propulsion systems on our 30th annual list.” The other four HEVs that achieved a spot on the winners’ list alongside the Chevy Corvette E-Ray are the Ford F-150 PowerBoost, Honda Civic Hybrid, Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid and the Toyota Camry XSE AWD.
As a reminder, the powertrain that won the Chevy Corvette C8 E-Ray a place on the Top 10 is based on the naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 LT2 gasoline engine used in the C8 Corvette Stingray. Rated at 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, this V8 is paired with a front-mounted electric motor developing 160 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, fed by a 1.9 kWh battery pack. Combined, the V8 and electric motor generate 655 horsepower.
Notably, the Corvette Z06 engine made the Wards winners list in 2023, while the GMC Hummer EV’s Ultium Drive system was one of the 10 Best in 2022. Among the 2021 winners was the turbocharged 1.3L I3 L3T gasoline engine, used for motivation by the Chevy Trailblazer and Buick Encore GX crossovers. The 2020 list included the naturally aspirated 6.2L LT2 V8 gasoline engine used in the Corvette Stingray, while other GM powertrains have appeared earlier in the Wards 10 Best.
Bob Gritzinger summed up the current state of powertrain technology by stating that “it’s truly a fantastic time to be able to sample and appreciate the variety of powertrains the industry has to offer.”
Comments
I agree! We need more V8 hybrid systems like this. 7th gen Camaro and a pickup truck please.
Sure you can get this but be prepared to pony up. You are basically paying for two propulsion systems.
As a owner of a Ford hybrid for ten years, the price difference is justified. You spend much less in fuel and maintenance cost, since the engine runs much less hours and cooler than a non-hybrid. Add the extra grip of AWD, and you will love it!