The Chevrolet Corvette Electric, also referred to as the Corvette EV or Corvette E, is an upcoming line of sporty electric vehicles that will expand the Corvette brand into uncharted territory. In fact, the term Electric Corvette can refer to three body styles – a four-door sedan, a four-door crossover SUV, or a two-door coupe and convertible. The first of these models – the electric sedan – is set to launch in 2026.
Quick Facts
Corvette EV Sedan | Corvette EV SUV (Crossover) | Corvette C9 | |
---|---|---|---|
Assembly Location: | GM Lansing Grand River, MI, USA | GM Lansing Grand River, MI, USA | GM Bowling Green, KY, USA |
Body Style: | Four-door sedan | Four-door utility | Two-door coupe, Two-door convertible |
Platform: | BEV Prime | BEV Prime | TBD |
Powertrain: | Ultium Batteries, Unique Ultium Drive Motors | Ultium Batteries, Unique Ultium Drive Motors | Ultium Batteries, Unique Ultium Drive Motors |
Drive Wheels: | RWD and/or AWD | AWD | AWD |
Market Availability: | Global | Global | Global |
Launch Availability: | 2026 calendar year | 2026 calendar year as 2027 model | 2030 |
Models & Timing
The Corvette Electric lineup is expected to include three models – a four-door sedan, a four-door SUV, as well as a two-door coupe and convertible.
The Electric Corvette Sedan is expected to be generally similar in scope to the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S. This vehicle will aim to deliver high levels of performance as well as space for four-passengers and their luggage. This model is expected to launch during the 2026 calendar year.
The Electric Corvette SUV (technically a crossover) will essentially be a higher-riding, high-roofed version of the Sedan. Contrary to what the term “SUV” might convey, this will be a sporty offering that will aim to take on the likes of the Lamborghini Urus, Porsche Cayenne, and Ferrari Purosangue, albeit in EV form. This model is expected to launch roughly around the same time as the Corvette Electric Sedan.
The third Corvette EV will be a two-door coupe and convertible, which will likely be the direct successor of the internal combustion powered Corvette. This one will be the last to launch, and timing is a bit murky. Our sources currently put it at launching closer to 2030.
Note that the exact names of these models can and likely will change once the models come to market. However, we do know that they will all carry Corvette branding.
Platform
The Corvette Electric Sedan and Crossover/SUV will be based on a new GM platform rumored to be known internally at GM as BEV Prime. This architecture will be similar but also notably different from the BEV3 skateboard-style electric vehicle platform, which underpins the likes of the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV, as well as a myriad of other vehicles.
For starters, BEV Prime will be a premium-level architecture, developed from the get-go to underpin high-performance electric vehicles that are in need of more beneficial levels of weight distribution, chassis components, and suspension technologies. To that end, we’re hearing that BEV Prime is being developed with a particular focus on chassis performance. Note that BEV Prime will also be used by several other GM models, including Cadillac electric sedans.
As for the two-door electric Corvette model, it will likely be based on an even more unique variant of this BEV Prime architecture.
Powertrain
The EV Corvettes will derive power from the latest generation of the GM Ultium modular battery packs sending power to Ultium Drive motors.
Corvette Brand Expansion
The introduction of these Corvette EV models will, for the first time ever, expand the legendary Corvette brand name to vehicles that have more than two doors.
This strategy will be somewhat analogous to that of Porsche, which has used the DNA from the 911 to successfully expand into crossover SUVs over the past two decades with the Cayenne and Macan. Porsche has also recently expanded into sedans and even wagons with the Panamera (sedan) and its wagon variant, the Panamera Gran Turismo. The German automaker followed up the Panamera with an electric successor, the Taycan.
Similarly, Lamborghini expanded into the utility vehicle space with the Urus crossover, while Ferrari is expanding into utilities with the aforementioned Purosangue. Even Aston Martin (DBS), Alfa Romeo (Stelvio, Tonale) and Maserati (Grecale, Levante) have all embraced the crossover game.
The topic of Chevrolet creating a Corvette sub-brand has been floating for roughly a decade, with the following reports on the topic:
- November 2022: Corvette brand to expand to electric sedan, crossover in 2025
- August 2022: Electric Corvette crossover under consideration
- January 2021: electric Corvette crossover in the works
- July 2019: GM finally considering Corvette brand (report)
Meanwhile, the two-door coupe and convertible models will likely succeed the Corvette C8, completing the sub-brand’s electric vehicle migration. It’s worth noting that the success of the C8 and the launch of the sedan and crossover SUV models indicate that Chevrolet will be in no particular rush to introduce this model.
Corvette E-Ray, Zora
Though GM Authority readers likely known this already, we feel obliged to note that new Corvette C8 E-Ray is not an electric vehicle. Instead, it’s a hybrid that combines GM’s LT2 gasoline internal combustion engine (to drive the rear wheels) with an electric battery pack and motor (driving the front wheels).
Similarly, the upcoming Corvette C8 Zora – the eventual range-topper of the Corvette C8 family named after early Corvette engineering chief Arkus-Duntov, expected in 2026 – will mate a twin-turbo 5.5L V8 LT7 engine (from the C8 ZR1) with an electric battery.
Discussion
Discuss the Chevrolet Corvette Electric models in our Chevy forums.
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