The 2024 Corvette E-Ray Brings The First Electrification To Chevrolet’s Sports Car

It’s 70 years since Chevrolet debuted a fiberglass bodied two-seater named after the smallest of naval combat ships. By the standards of what the car would eventually become, the first 1953 and 1954 Corvettes were not particularly impressive. But with the substitution of the first small-block V8, it eventually became an automotive icon and every production Corvette has been powered by a V8 engine. But this year, the Corvette engineering team has whipped up something new with the debut of the first Corvette E-Ray. For the first time, a Corvette adds electric propulsion and all-wheel drive.

The 2024 E-Ray is the long-rumored hybrid Corvette. It’s a first tentative step toward the day when Corvettes no longer have V8s – or an engine at all. Chevrolet will be producing a fully electric Corvette, but that’s still several years away. The E-Ray is the Corvette for those in search of all-weather capability with nearly the performance of a Z06 and the ability to quietly sneak in or out of your neighborhood without waking the neighbors. Oh yeah, and perhaps just a bit more fuel efficiency, but that’s a bonus rather than the real goal.

Visually, the E-Ray looks quite similar to the Z06 with the same wide-body shell. But where the Z06 features black trim pieces in the front and rear fascias and the side scoops, the E-Ray’s are in body color. The E-Ray also has its quad exhaust pipes in the corners as less Vettes do, rather than the central pipes of the Z06. An electric blue over-the-body stripe is available only on the E-Ray. The other differentiator is the twisted five-spoke alloy wheels that are unique to the hybrid and also available in carbon fiber.

Speaking of the hybrid propulsion system, this is no Prius. The starting point is the 495-horsepower version of the 6.2-liter LT2 V8 from the Z51 Stingray. It remains paired with the same eight-speed dual clutch transmission. Unlike the new hybrid Cadillac LMDh race car that has its electric motor packaged with the gearbox at the rear axle, the E-Ray puts the electric drive on the front axle. A 160-hp electric motor with 125 lb-ft of instantaneous torque drives the front wheels and also recuperates kinetic energy under braking. Unlike the now departed second-generation Acura NSX, that single motor means Chevrolet engineers will have to rely on dabbing the brakes for torque vectoring rather than controlling a motor for each front wheel.

The energy for the motor is stored in a 1.9-kWh lithium ion battery packaged in the center tunnel between the seats. This is a larger than typical hybrid battery (most are between 1.0 and 1.5 kWh) and it gives the Corvette the ability to go about 3 to 4 miles at speeds up to 45 mph without running the V8. While most hybrids like the Prius just refer to this as EV mode, in the Corvette they call it stealth mode so you can sneak home late at night or leave early without disturbing the neighborhood.

Interestingly, the battery which is supplied by LG Energy Systems is not based on the Ultium batteries GM is using in its new electric vehicles. According to Chevrolet officials, the E-Ray has been in development since before the Ultium program which means this has been cooking for quite some time, making it curious why it has taken so long to arrive.

In total, the V8 and electric motor deliver 655-hp, just shy of the 670 provided by the twin-cam V8 in the Z06. With the instant-on torque delivery of the motor at the front axle helping with launches, the E-Ray is claimed to deliver similar 2.5-sec 0-60 and 10.5-sec quarter mile times despite carrying 340-lbs more than the Z06.

With that kind of performance, braking is equally important and the Corvette E-Ray comes standard with the Brembo carbon ceramic brakes that are optional on other Corvettes. Also standard are the MagneRide dampers and 20 and 21 inch staggered wheels. In keeping with the extra traction, Michelin Pilot Sport all-season tires come standard, but for those that want maximum performance, Pilot 4S summer tires are available.

The 2024 Corvette E-Ray goes on sale later in 2023 with a starting price of $104,295 for the 1LZ coupe. Unlike the Z06, the E-ray will also be available as a convertible. Since the launch of the mid-engine C8 in 2019, the definition of what a Corvette is has evolved more than it has at any time in the nameplate’s 70-year history and it continues to do so now with a hybrid, an upcoming electric model and rumors of a crossover in the coming years. We live in interesting times.