Chevy's Controversial New Corvette E-Ray Set To Debut Next Week
One of the most exciting — and most divisive — upcoming cars officially has a release date. Per Chevrolet on Instagram, the Corvette E-Ray, the first hybrid to bear the legendary Corvette name, will hit the market next week.
The sudden release date is a surprise across the board. Barely a month ago, a leak from Chevy's design department gave us a computer-generated first look at the machine. Before that, all we had were hints and speculation. News outlets had been hesitant even to give the beast an estimated release date, let alone one arriving in just a few weeks.
At the same time, Chevy had reason to play its cards close to the vest. As far back as 2019, when the E-Ray was little more than a trademark and a few conversations at auto shows, questions were being raised regarding what it would mean for a hybrid to bear the storied Stingray name.
Hybrid theory
Is the E-Ray a true successor to the Corvette Stingray title? Short answer: we don't know. As far as we know at this time, nobody outside of Chevy has put the hybrid through its paces. Until we get hold of an E-Ray and put it to work, all we know is what we're told. What we're told, however, and what we can infer from the information available, is promising.
As we've reported before, there's good reason to expect the E-Ray to perform as well as its gas-powered twin. The carmaker designed the latest 'Vette with electrification in mind, meaning the E-Ray will be a monster. As we've previously reported, sources suggest the Corvette E-Ray will come with the 6.2L V8 from the gas-powered model, alongside an electric model bumping the original's 495 horsepower into the stratosphere — 600 to 650 horsepower in total.
Throw in all-wheel drive for tighter handling and Chevy is suddenly selling a hybrid that could lap a Porsche 911. That plus clever hybrid-specific features like a Stealth Mode that shifts the 'Vette to all-electric for silent running makes for a new and exciting take on classic Chevy muscle. All this remains speculation until the car becomes available for testing. That said, we're optimistic, as we found the latest 'Vette thoroughly honored its ancestors.