2024 E-Ray hybrid is fastest Corvette ever, first with AWD

The E-Ray is the first hybrid Corvette, and the first to offer all-wheel-drive—better yet, it’s the fastest ‘Vette ever
The hybrid system is compact, adding just 118 kg to the curb weight and enabling 6 km of electric-only driving
The coupe version starts at $128,798 in Canada, with convertible pricing to be announced later

Chevrolet picked its top-secret Milford Proving Grounds to provide a peek at one of the most anticipated cars arriving in 2023: the E-Ray, the most sophisticated and capable Corvette in the marque’s 70-year history. Given the blistering-fast Z06 it now overshadows, its earning that title is no mean feat!

The E-Ray boasts a number of significant firsts. It’s the first Corvette with an electric motor and a hybrid system, capable of delivering six kilometres of electric-only driving. It also spins out a second first — all-wheel-drive. Now while the ability to run on electricity alone improves fuel economy, and the all-wheel-drive system brings foul-weather drivability, make no mistake, the hybrid parts are there for one reason and one reason only — performance. Yes, the E-Ray is a grand tourer first, but, as the experience proved, it’s immediate in its delivery of speed, and it can hang its tail out with the very best of them.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Photo by Chevrolet

The E-Ray’s architecture is simple. The mid-mounted 6.2-litre V8, which produces 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, works with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to drive monster P345/25R21 rear tires. These mandated adopting the Z06’s wide-body style, which is a good thing from both form and function perspectives.

Neatly engineered into the front end is a high-output electric motor that sits beneath the front trunk. It gets its juice from a 1.9-kilowatt-hour battery. The system, which adds just 118 kilograms to the E-Ray’s curb weight, is also somewhat different in that the battery was specifically designed to give up its power and accept a charge very quickly. In this regard, it is more capacitor-like than a conventional battery. This makes the electric response instantaneous.

More importantly, the motor adds 160 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque, and drives the front P275/30R20 tires. The plus is the electric motor’s gearing brings a torque multiplication factor of eight, so when acceleration is demanded, the E-Ray picks up its huge rear haunches and blasts forth in a serious hurry. The fact the gas and electric power sources combine to produce a net output of 655 hp sure helps things along!

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Photo by Graeme Fletcher

When asked what the most difficult part of the E-Ray was to engineer, the answer was the interaction between these two totally independent power sources. The V8 engine and electric motor are only technically linked by the tarmac that lies beneath them. First impressions say this aspect has been mastered very well. The drive saw both work independently and together in a flawless manner.

The E-Ray rides on Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 with three settings. The setup is firmer than the Stingray’s, but has more compliance than the Z06’s, so it fulfills it grand touring mandate without giving up handling. It also uses ceramic Brembo brakes to rein in the stallions.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Photo by Chevrolet

There are multiple drive modes: Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, My Mode, and Z-Modes. My Mode alters everything from the exhaust note to the adaptive suspension; Z-Mode plays with the powertrain. There are also the electric modes. Stealth uses electricity alone until the driver gets too aggressive with the gas pedal, or until the E-Ray hits 72 km/h. In either case, it automatically switches to the regular hybrid mode at that point.

The second EV mode is Shuttle. It’s designed to allow the owner to move the E-Ray around when it’s stored, without having to start the engine and put a nanosecond’s worth of heat into the block — typically a no-no for a car that has been sitting for a couple of months.

The demonstration ride started with a run from rest to 100 miles an hour (160 km/h). Launch control engaged, the E-Ray left like it had received a monster kick in the back end. You see, the gas-electric combination makes this the fastest ‘Vette yet — it warps to 100 km/h from a standstill in under three seconds, which outguns the Z06!

After experiencing its straight-line ability, it was off to an autocross course. Here the E-Ray was pushed to the absolute max. The key here is that the front-mounted electric motor brings a dynamic dimension no other Corvette has enjoyed. During the autocross, the back end was so far sideways, I was looking out the passenger window to see where we were going. It was here the electric motor paid big dividends. The power being sent through the front wheels pulled the E-Ray back into line and kept it oh-so-manageable in the most adverse of situations.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Photo by Chevrolet

Yes, the driver could have pulled the back end into line eventually, but the speed and grace with which the E-Ray could be tossed sideways, drifted, and then gathered up at will was mightily impressive. More impressive was the fact the E-Ray managed a full-on lane change at 135 km/h and didn’t even twitch. Now, that is world-class!

Likewise, running a traction circle with the tail out saw the electric side pull the ‘Vette forward as the rear tires smoked. It did make for one seriously long and lurid drift! The reason the car has the ability to flick the rear out and hold it there comes down to the Performance Traction Management system. It has five stability control settings, including fully off.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Photo by Chevrolet

In designing the Corvette C8, the engineers opted to use the central tunnel to return the structural integrity lost when the roof section was removed. The plus to this layout is it gave them somewhere to put the battery. It’s protected and leaves the under-hood storage space intact. To ensure everything keeps its cool, there are three additional coolers. One for the battery, another for the electric motor, and a third for the power electronics.

The cabin is much the same as any other Corvette, although the instrumentation has been tweaked to show what’s happening. There are three primary looks, each of which has a snazzy appearance — the one that shows the engine and electric motor output is very slick. There’s also a neat button sitting on the central tunnel. The Charge+ button allows the driver to recharge the battery during normal driving. When engaged, the electric motor switches to regenerative mode. Now the system uses the engine to drive the regen phase until the battery is recharged. It’s designed for those times when the driver wants a fully-charged battery — it could be for a maxed-out hot lap or when the electric range is needed.

This may have been an all-too-brief introduction to the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, but the take-away from the exercise was loud and clear — this is a world-class sports car, with a price to match. (In Canada, the coupe version of the E-Ray will start at $128,798; pricing for the convertible will be revealed closer to the model’s launch this summer.) The wide-body E-Ray has style, it’s incredibly fast, and it handles beautifully, even in the extreme. And beneath all that, Chevrolet’s embedded an underlying message — the electrification brings some needed green.

Keyword: 2024 E-Ray hybrid is fastest Corvette ever, first with AWD

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