The all-electric Chevrolet Corvette Is under consideration, but how feasible is this project?
Mark Reuss, President of General Motors, confirmed the company would offer a “fully electric, Ultium-based Corvette in the future.” This statement raises several questions, like what form the Corvette EV will be or when we see it on the roads.
True, there are a lot of rumors related to future new versions of the popular model. In particular, we’ve heard that GM is developing a ZR1 version of the Chevy Corvette to arrive as a 2025 or 2026 model. It will be allegedly equipped with the Corvette Z06’s twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, but the engine will produce about 850 hp (634 kW) on the ZR1.
A hybrid AWD Corvette E-Ray is coming as well, with the familiar LT2 V8 engine and an electric motor delivering 600-650 hp (447 – 485 kW) in total. The Ray is expected before the ZR1 arrival.
A range-topping Corvette Zora may land in 2025. This version will possibly combine the ZR1’s engine with the E-Ray’s electric drive system to develop over 1,000 hp (745kW).
Finally, the all-electric Chevrolet Corvette is rumored to debut in 2024. In the opinion of GM Authority, this project is complex and costly because GM’s engineers will have to solve the difficult problem of how to stuff Ultium batteries and drive motors into the Corvette C8 platform, which the Ultium technology is not adapted to. This would impact the Corvette C8’s handling and ride, and would not necessarily offer benefits in terms of performance.
Moreover, GM’s Bowling Green assembly plant in Kentucky, where the Corvette C8 is exclusively built, will need retooling to produce the EV version – that’s also a process requiring investment.
Certainty, the carmaker can go another way and use a new EV-dedicated platform, like BEV3, for its electric Corvette, which will be able to incorporate all GM Ultium tech. In this case, the introduction of a fully electric Corvette for the next-generation C9 looks more realistic, albeit the new generation is still several years away.
It is also possible that a completely different model will appear under the Corvette nameplate, as was the case with the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
