Superlative Supercar: The New 2024 Corvette E-Ray Is a Series of Firsts and Bests
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The latest Chevrolet Corvette C8 models have been rife with controversy, from the revolutionary mid-engine design to the inception of the first hybrid-electric model, the new 2024 Corvette E-Ray. However, the first hybrid Corvette is more than divisive; it’s a record breaker. In fact, the new E-Ray is a mold-breaker in the model lineup.
What’s so special about the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray?
The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, like the current C8 Z06, changed the formula of performance Corvette models. However, the E-Ray, unlike the Z06, has a couple of claims to fame:
- The first hybrid Corvette ever
- The first model in the nameplate’s history with all-wheel drive (AWD)
- Fastest-accelerating model in Corvette history
- The first Corvette with all-electric drive modes
Make no mistake, the Corvette Z06 is an inspired member of the lineup. The Z06 is the first high-revving, flat-plane crank V8 in the model’s lineup. Moreover, with 670 horsepower, the Z06 is the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine on the market and the most potent factory Corvette since the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. Still, the E-Ray takes the C8 formula to the next level through hybridization.
Is the E-Ray fully electric?
The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is not fully electric. Instead, it’s the first hybrid-electric model in Corvette history. Specifically, the E-Ray pairs a 160-horsepower front-mounted electric motor with the C8 Stingray’s 495-horsepower 6.2L LT2 V8.
Moreover, the combined 655-horsepower output of the E-Ray’s hybrid architecture establishes it as the third most powerful Corvette to ever roll out of Bowling Green. However, the E-Ray’s electric motor doesn’t serve the purpose of efficiency but rather speed and grip. Consequently, the new hybrid Corvette gets just 19 mpg combined from the EPA.
Do they make Corvettes in AWD?
The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the first AWD model in the nameplate’s history. When GM engineers paired the LT2 V8 with a front-mounted electric motor and a 1.9 kWh self-driving battery pack, they turned the E-Ray into an eAWD grippy performance car.
Better yet, the team that unveiled the E-Ray revealed the model’s multiplied grip by driving it on the ice aboard The Rink at Rockefeller Center. However, the ‘Vette’s platform allowed drivers to perform “Cyclone Turns,” wherein the E-Ray spins so tight that it appears to remain in place.
The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the fastest-accelerating Corvette ever
Despite having less power than the flat-plane V8-powered Z06, the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will outsprint it to 60 mph. Specifically, the E-Ray hit 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds, 0.1 seconds quicker than the Z06. As a result, the E-Ray is the fastest-accelerating Corvette ever.
The culprit is the E-Ray’s grippy eAWD, which sends power to all four wheels instead of the comparably old-school RWD application of the Stingray and Z06. In fact, the E-Ray will outrun the C7 ZR1, the most powerful Corvette to date.
| Model | 0-60 mph | ¼ mile | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C7 Corvette ZR1 | 3.0 seconds | 10.8 seconds | 212 mph (Mfr claim) |
| C8 Corvette E-Ray | 2.5 seconds | 10.6 seconds | 183 mph (Mfr claim) |
What is the range of the E-Ray Stealth Mode?
The new Corvette E-Ray’s “Stealth Mode” will allow the hybrid ‘Vette to cover up to 4.0 miles on electric-only power from its 1.9 kWh battery pack. Furthermore, the E-Ray can travel at up to 45 mph in Stealth Mode.
However, Stealth Mode isn’t the only electric-only mode in the E-Ray’s repertoire; the “Shuttle Mode” allows drivers to move the E-Ray without firing up the gas-powered LT2 for short movements. It could be helpful for maneuvering during quiet hours or within a parking garage.
A hybrid-electric application, grippy eAWD, and explosive acceleration put the E-Ray on the map among already noteworthy C8 models like the Z06.
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