Speculation, spy photos, and even an inadvertent slip of the tongue by the U.S. President all painted the picture that GM was preparing the C8 Chevrolet Corvette for a green motoring future. GM would typically not budge on its strict code of silence regarding these Vette variants. However, all of that changed today, with GM president Mark Reuss confirming that not only is an all-electric Vette coming but that an AWD hybrid version is coming too.
A Massive Shift In Corvette History
The confirmation came from GM President Mark Reuss who revealed the news in a long post on his LinkedIn account earlier this morning. This post follows up on prior comments from Reuss who promised that more would be coming in regards to a recent move by the company that saw the Corvette team move into the newly constructed EV space at the GM Tech Center.
The addition of an EV and a hybrid to the Vette roster would be a notable shift away from the established pattern that has defined the Corvette with the model never straying far from its core ingredients though the company did move the front-mounted engine to a mid-mounted location with the debut of the C8 era Vette a few years ago. The addition of green technology would be a prominent sign that GM is taking the supercar competition more seriously with the firm making note of recent hybrid offerings from McLaren and even Ferrari.
While Reuss kept details on the EV variant limited, he did confirm that it would be built on a modified version of the company’s Ultium platform and that it would also debut a new Battery recovery system. As for the hybrid, Reuss posted a trailer on his LinkedIn (which has since made it to Chevy’s Youtube page) of the model skating around in the snow on a low-temperature test track.
The trailer confirms the all-wheel-drive setup and it would seem that the front wheels are mated to an electric motor since they start spinning quicker than the rear wheels. The hybrid would also be the one that will launch first which could be an indicator that GM doesn’t want to create too much change too fast for Corvette loyalists who would be more willing to accept the hybrid model first as a launching point for the EV variant. Look for the design here to also not change much from core C8 essentials and look for the changes to perhaps be limited to minor exterior add-ons as well as badging.
When Will We See The “E-Ray”?
As mentioned, Reuss didn’t share too much information about the EV version and we still don’t know what it will be formally called outside of the E-Ray moniker which was trademarked by GM a short while ago. However, it’s safe to assume that the EV will not only be the definitive range-topper in the Corvette lineup but also a non-luxury focused halo in the Ultium family, especially once the Cadillac Celstiq ultra-luxury sedan makes its eventual appearance.
In the meantime, we’ll have to wait and see how things formally play out but count us excited for the appearance of a hybrid-powered Vette.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.