Hybrid Propulsion System Transforms Corvette E-Ray

Turning a traditional internal combustion engine into a hybrid propulsion system typically does not transform a vehicle. 

Electrification usually makes it more fuel efficient, puts a spring in its step with added low-end torque and maybe enables it to glide a few miles solely under electric power.

These are notable features, but minor benefits compared with what hybridization does for the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. It looks like the latest eighth-generation C8, but a big dose of electrons has turned it into a totally different car with superpowers never seen in a Corvette, such as the ability to turn into a sure-footed daily driver in inclement weather, providing capability to attract buyers who previously would only consider a European exotic. 

Who could imagine a Corvette that can cruise silently for up to four miles (6.4 km) in stealth mode?

The Corvette brand always has taken pride in delivering supercar performance at a fraction of the cost of top-end Porsche 911s and exotics like Ferraris, Lamborghinis and McLarens. But it never has offered an all-wheel-drive choice to compete with AWD Porsche 911 models. The E-Ray’s AWD now puts it on equal footing with the competition.

“You can drive this car any way you want, as a civil touring car or all-out performance car. It’s very seamless in the marriage between the internal-combustion engine and the electric motor,” says judge Dave Zoia.

“Now you can have your ’Vette and eat snow, too!”  chimes in judge Bob Gritzinger. “Adding an electric motor to the front axle gives mid-engine Corvette owners AWD they could never get in the pre-C8 era. Now the (more expensive) Porsche 911 4S isn’t the only one that has owners who will strap on snow tires and go for a spin – without spinning – in the winter, if they so desire.” 

Thanks to the fattest all-weather tires ever made, and an electric motor providing an additional 160 hp and 125 lb.-ft. (170 Nm) of torque to the front axle in addition to the 495-hp 6.2L V-8 powering the rear wheels (for a total of 655 hp), the E-Ray is the most user-friendly Corvette and the quickest, hitting 60 mph (97 km/h) in 2.5 seconds. 

It beats even the ferocious Z06 Corvette – by a tenth of a second.

The E-Ray also is quicker in the quarter mile, but the Z06 does have a higher top speed (up to 195 mph [314 km/h] depending on optional aero package) compared with the E-Ray’s 183 mph (295 km/h).

“Insane power. BEV-like G forces,” comments judge Christie Schweinsberg. “That said, it’s not as unrestrained as I was expecting and calmer.”

While hybridization of the powertrain is designed to improve performance, not fuel economy, electrification enables the E-Ray to achieve the same numbers as the less-powerful base Stingray: 16/24 mpg (6.8/10 L/100 km) and 19 mpg 12L/100 km) combined. This efficiency also allows the E-Ray to avoid a gas-guzzler tax, which is $2,600 on the less thrifty Z06. 

“The E-Ray is a glorious piece of work that not only expands the reach of the Corvette into new seasons, but also by years as it points to the fully electrified ’Vette of the future,” sums up judge Gritzinger.