• Images of the upcoming hybrid version of the Corvette have appeared online.
• The Corvette E-Ray, as it’s to be called, will debut in 2023.
• With its electric motors, the car should offer between 600 and 650 hp.
We know that different electrified versions of the Corvette are coming, including both hybrid and all-electric variants. Chevrolet confirmed as much last April.
While the fully electric Corvette is not expected for some time, the timeline for the arrival of the Corvette hybrid is much shorter. The Corvette E-Ray, as it’s to be called, is scheduled to make its appearance in the summer of 2023.
Some early images of the model have now surfaced online, courtesy a page that briefly appeared on the Chevrolet website. It showed images of the E-Ray and provided details of the marketing schedule for it. The page has since been taken down, but the Corvette Blogger website got hold of screenshots and has shared them.
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When asked about the vehicle, a Chevrolet spokesperson told the site, “Looks like the holidays came early for a few astute Corvette fans. Stay tuned for more.”
The images reveal a Corvette E-Ray with a body as wide as the Z06 variant. No plug for charging is seen, which rules out a plug-in hybrid configuration, at least for now. This is in line with what Chevrolet engineers said when they compared the prototypes with an Acura NSX, also a conventional hybrid car with a mid-engine.
The Corvette E-Ray is expected to come with one or two electric motors on the front axle, as well as the current version's 6.2L V8. This was confirmed with an earlier promotional video showing a test model driving in the snow. In this video, we see the car's front wheels come to life on their own. An electric motor integrated into the Corvette's eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and capable of driving the rear wheels, is also a possibility, judging by a recent patent filed by the brand.
Of course, we'll have to wait for the model's official technical details to find out what to expect.
Power should be between 600 and 650 hp. A more-powerful hybrid configuration is expected during the production cycle of the C8 Corvette. There’s strong speculation that it will debut in a high-end variant carrying the Zora name.
We can expect Chevrolet to share more information about the Corvette E-Ray early next year, so stay tuned.