The great American sports car is going partly electric. Chevy pulled the wraps off the 2024 Corvette E-Ray, revealing a dual powertrain affair. A 6.2L Small Block V8 sits behind the driver in a mid-engine configuration. An electric motor is connected to the front wheels, providing AWD, and instant torque for improved off-the-line launches. Together they’re bringing the Corvette into the electric future.
Chevy says this Corvette is the quickest production ever made with a 2.5 second 0-60 time. That time upsets the current title holder, the monstrous 2019 Corvette ZR-1 that can hit 60mph in 2.85 seconds.
But this electrified sports car does not need to be plugged in to recharge. Instead, the battery is exclusively charged by regenerative braking and when the vehicle is coasting.
The dual-powertrain arrangement comes with more benefits. With both axles’s powered, the E-Ray features eAWD giving it better performance on the track and in adverse weather conditions. In addition, drivers can opt to drive only on battery power as long as the vehicle’s speed does not exceed 45 mph.
A single electric motor powers the front wheels. It produces 160 hp and 125 lb. ft of torque. Combined with the 6.2L V8, the E-Ray produces 655 hp.
The Corvette E-Ray isn’t the first sports car to look at two different powertrains for propulsion. The Polestar 1 used a similar affair but in a different configuration. The main difference is that the E-Ray allows drivers to drive on an electric motor.
Chevy says that the 2024 Corvette E-Ray will go on sale sometime in 2023. The MSRP starts at $104,295 for the coupe and $111,295 for the 1LZ convertible model.
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Chevy announces the fastest Corvette yet, the electrified 2024 Corvette E-Ray by Matt Burns originally published on TechCrunch