General Motors is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Corvette by launching the 2024 Corvette E-Ray. In case you have been living under a rock and have somehow ignored all the teasers up until now, it is the first hybrid Corvette, and it comes with all-wheel drive, but in an eAWD form. The setup is good enough for a 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) sprint of just 2.5 seconds with "initial vehicle movement," which is code for rollout.
The 2024 Corvette E-Ray unveiling takes place 70 years after the first Corvette debuted at the Motorama event in New York City. The new model comes with a 6.2-liter LT2 small block V8 that is mated to an electric motor on the front axle.
The result is an all-weather Corvette that can perform a quarter mile in 10.5 seconds with an approximate speed of 130 mph (209 kph), while also being capable of driving in an all-electric mode.
The LT2 is a naturally aspirated unit with stop-start technology, as well as cylinder deactivation, which can even run on just four cylinders at a time. The 2024 Corvette E-Ray's V8 provides 495 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque to the rear axle only, while its electric motor only drives the front axle, so it becomes a front-wheel-drive electric vehicle when it drives in that mode alone.
The only transmission in the range is an eight-speed MLH Dual Clutch Transmission. There are six driver-selectable modes: Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, My Mode, and Z-Mode. There is also a dedicated Charge+ command that makes the vehicle maintain and increase the battery's state of charge to its maximum level.
Photo: General Motors
General Motors has developed the 2024 Corvette E-Ray in both hardtop convertible and removable roof coupe forms, so you can get one in either body style. It is currently the quickest production Corvette in history, and its electrified front axle has 160 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque at its disposal.
According to GM, the Corvette E-Ray comes with 655 horsepower from its hybrid setup, and it is designed to offer the Corvette experience and feeling in many situations and weather conditions. It can also drive in Stealth Mode, which is an all-electric mode for the street, limited to 45 mph (ca. 72 kph).
It has a 1.9 kWh battery pack, located between the seats, composed of 80 flat-pouch Lithium-Ion cells made by LG. The package is in a single unit that is implemented into the structural backbone of the vehicle, just as you can find on any other C8.
In other words, the backbone tunnel and the corresponding floor of every Corvette C8 are the same, and this battery pack was made to fit there, not vice versa. Naturally, GM knew that it planned to make an electrified Corvette, so its engineering team had left enough room through design for the battery.
The official specifications of the Corvette E-Ray have not revealed how long can it drive on electric power alone, but do not expect it to perform miracles. The onboard battery does not need to be charged by plugging in the vehicle, and that is not a possibility, so this is a full-hybrid, not a plug-in hybrid.
From a dynamic standpoint, Chevrolet claims a maximum lateral force of 1.1 G on a skid pad with performance summer tires, which come optional with the performance package. In standard trim, the 2024 Corvette E-Ray comes with Michelin Pilot Sport All Season tires. A Brembo Carbon Ceramic brake system is standard, as well as a Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 system with three predetermined settings.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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