Chevrolet Corvette Electric: What we know [Update]

Update: ‘Corvette Electric confirmed by GM’ section updated.

The American sports car has been a favorite among gearheads, and the Chevrolet Corvette is no exception. The latest generation of the iconic nameplate is one of the most potent performers on the road today, but that’s not stopping Chevy from making its sports car smarter and more efficient, and among the future plans is an all-electric version.

Corvette Electric confirmed by GM

On April 25, 2022, General Motors, via its Twitter account, made it official that it will launch a Chevrolet Corvette electric, in addition to the hybrid Corvette (Corvette E-Ray). The same day, GM President Mark Reuss confirmed “a fully electric” Corvette in a LinkedIn post. The company will reveal details at a later date, Reuss added.

The launch of the Corvette E-Ray amidst GM’s massive EV assault caught many by surprise. For those wondering why the company did not launch a pure-electric powertrain in the Corvette, it made this decision before it envisioned the Ultium-focused EV offensive. The Corvette E-Ray (Corvette hybrid) is “something that’s been in the works for a while for us,” Steve Majoros, Chevrolet’s Vice President of Marketing told media on January 13, 2023, Detroit Free Press reported on the 17th of the same month. An all-electric Corvette is coming in the future, though, Majoros added.

Chevrolet Corvette Electric Design

The Chevrolet Corvette electric sports car should carry the design traits of the Z06 in terms of the overall silhouette and dimensions, but beyond that, GM has been very secretive about the intricacies of the product.

The Corvette electric range should include a convertible, as the open-top version may contribute significantly to its sales volume. Convertible is quite popular among Corvette customers already, and with an electric powertrain offering an even more thrilling yet calm driving experience, it could become even more popular in the future.

An Autocar report dated March 11, 2022, lists the Corvette convertible as one of the best-selling convertibles in history. And the best years of this body style aren’t behind the Vette. In his presentation during the “What’s New with Corvette” seminar (NCM Bash held between April 28-30, 2022), Corvette product manager Harlan Charles revealed that 48% of the 2022 Corvette C8 units GM produced by April 4, 2022, were in the convertible version, CorvetteBlogger.com reported. Convertibles haven’t accounted for such a high percentage of Corvette production since the MY1968!

Platform

The all-electric Corvette is unlikely to be based on the Y2 platform that underpins the eighth-gen Corvette, which is available in gasoline and gasoline-electric hybrid variants. GM planned and engineered the eighth-gen Corvette’s architecture with quite a few variants in mind, Reuss said while talking about the Corvette E-Ray, CNBC reported on January 19, 2023. However, we doubt pure-electric was ever one of the ideas.

In the LinkedIn post on April 25, 2022, Reuss said it will be an “Ultium-based” model. So, the electric Chevy Corvette should have a skateboard platform like the Tesla Roadster, the Mercedes AMG-GT electric, and many other upcoming electric sports cars.

The Ultium platform is capable of handling at least 1,000 hp (split between three electric motors of 255 kW each, offering a predominantly rear-wheel bias), as seen on the GMC Hummer EV, GM has detailed that the Ultium platform can support rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and Performance all-wheel drive variants of products. However, the electric Corvette could be a new breed.

When McElroy asked if they could catch the noise, vibration, and feel of driving a gas-powered Corvette in the upcoming electric version, Reuss said that General Motors had the sound engineering capability to pipe in or cancel noise. He added:

The question is, and I don’t have the answer for it, whether people want an artificial sound in an electric car. I don’t know yet!

Mark Reuss, President of General Motors, speaking at the SAE Foundation annual awards in May 2022 (via Autoline/Youtube)

Battery & Range

General Motors will look to utilize Ultium modules and systems designed for electric trucks and SUVs for the electric sports car. Whether the Corvette electric would come with a heavy, 200 kWh battery is a huge question mark, as the focus will be on keeping the sportscar light and yet offering acceptable range for a drive to a racetrack, at least about an hour of high-performance consumption, followed by a drive back home.

Either that or owners will have to rely on the Level 2 and DC fast charging with an 800V architecture at the minimum to replenish the Corvette electric quickly.

Release Date

GM hasn’t announced the release date of the Chevrolet Corvette electric. yet. However, U.S. President Joe Biden may have hinted that it will debut by January 20, 2025, the date his current term ends. Here is what he said during his speech at the signing of H.R. 4346 (The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022) on August 9, 2022:

That new Corvette — this electric Corvette — I got a commitment, that I don’t think I’m going to be able to enforce, that I get to buy the first one, because it’s going to be out before I’m out of office.

U.S. President Joe Biden (Signing of H.R. 4346 on August 9, 2022)

TopElectricSUV says

The Chevrolet Corvette Electric could be a super-sport model with a completely new character, excellent driving dynamics, and a whole new level of efficiency. Moreover, being a bespoke EV, it could be designed to offer more comfort and practicality than the Corvette E-Ray.

Chevrolet Corvette Electric FAQs