How Far Can The Corvette E-Ray Hybrid Drive On Electric Power Alone?
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic Corvette, Chevrolet launched the E-Ray on January 17, 2023. The E-Ray sports a 6.2-liter, small-block, V-8 engine that sends 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, but that's not all. The E-Ray has a special secret that comes in the form of an electric motor that sends 160 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque to the front axle, bringing the total power and torque numbers for this e-AWD up to 655 HP and 595 lb-ft, respectively.
The E-Ray is no plug-in hybrid, though. The vehicle uses regenerative braking and engine power to charge its rather diminutive 1.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The goal is not higher efficiency, or being able to do entire trips under electric power alone. Instead, Chevrolet is using the hybrid-electric powertrain to enhance the driving experience and deliver an overall safer vehicle when the weather gets less than ideal. Chevrolet did include a Stealth Mode, though, so how will the Corvette E-Ray fare when running only off battery power?
The Corvette E-Ray is not made for EV-only travel
The E-Ray includes a Stealth Mode that restricts the vehicle to its electric motor only — allowing it a little more than half the performance of a Bolt EUV — at speeds of up to 45 mph. Given the small battery and equally unimpressive performance of the motor, the only real benefit of switching to the all-electric Stealth Mode is silence.
According to Chevrolet, the E-Ray can go somewhere between three to four miles before it automatically switches to its internal combustion power plant. Chevrolet imagines the feature being used in situations where being discreet is valued, like getting out of your neighborhood early in the morning without waking up all the children on the block with the roar of a V-8 cold start.
Despite its unreasonable electric-only range, the Corvette E-Ray is meant to embody performance rather than efficiency, and it does that very well. According to Chevrolet, the E-Ray is the quickest production Corvette to date, achieving a 0-60 mph time of only 2.5 seconds. Handling is also sure to be a strong point thanks to the mid-engine and the e-AWD system.