Chevrolet unveils first-ever electrified AWD Corvette

MANILA: Chevrolet has returned to Motorama held in New York, USA to unveil the 2024 E-Ray, the first-ever electric Corvette with all-wheel drive and a 6.2-liter LT2 Small Block V8, exactly 70 years after the Corvette made its premiere at the auto show.

“In 1953, the enthusiastic reaction to the Chevrolet Corvette concept kicked off seven decades of passion, performance and American ingenuity. E-Ray, as the first electrified, all-wheel-drive Corvette, takes it a step further and expands the promise of what Corvette can deliver,” General Motors President Mark Reuss stated.

The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, which is available in removable roof coupe and hardtop convertible variants, uses electrification to upgrade the driving experience with aggressive straight-line performance, all-weather confidence, and sure-footed grand touring capabilities that are only possible with eAWD.

The Corvette E-Ray is the only sports car that combines two separate propulsion systems to deliver naturally aspirated V8 power with electrified responsiveness driven by eAWD.

“Corvette has been a halo for Chevrolet since 1953. E-Ray’s unprecedented blend of confidence, luxury performance, sophistication and style provides a new reason for more people to experience Corvette,” Chevrolet Vice President Scott Bell stated.

The E-Ray is the fastest production Corvette ever, with a 0 to 100kph time of 2.5 seconds.

“Corvettes must provide an exhilarating driving experience on backroads and tracks, and E-Ray nails it. The electrification technology enhances the feeling of control in all conditions, adding an unexpected degree of composure,” Chevrolet Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter said.

The foundation of the Corvette driving experience is a nearly instantaneous feeling of propulsion from low-end torque, and the E-Ray has plenty of it. The V8 engine delivers 495hp and 470lb-ft of torque to the rear axle. It is supplemented with an electric motor with a 1.9kWh battery pack in-between the seats to produce an additional 160hp and 125lb-ft of torque through the front wheels. Altogether, the electric motor and V8 generate 655hp.

The intelligent eAWD system of the Corvette E-Ray continuously studies the road surface and adapts to driving demands and traction conditions with ease. The eAWD provides more power to the front wheels during intense driving and in low traction conditions, helping improve vehicle stability.

The battery system of the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray does not need to be plugged in to charge. Regenerative energy from coasting, braking, and normal driving is used to charge the battery.

The electrified powertrain system of the Corvette E-Ray offers thrilling acceleration to power out of corners and smoothly execute passing maneuvers.

Each of the six driver-selectable modes for the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray —Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, My Mode, and Z-Mode — modifies the amount of electric assist. The Charge+ feature, which optimizes the battery's level of charge, is another option available.

The infotainment system's E-Ray Performance App gives the driver technical details on how the propulsion system is performing. There are three main display layouts: Gauges (shows dynamic power output from electric motor and V8 engine), Dyno (displays graph of power/torque across selectable time intervals), and Data (displays electrical system performance and efficiency).

In certain circumstances, the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray can run on electric power, thanks to its driver-activated electric modes.

Stealth Mode allows all-electric driving, when selected at startup, for a while before the engine comes up for normal drive. The engine starts up automatically if the vehicle's speed surpasses the set limit, the driver requests more torque, or the battery pack runs out of charge.

The exterior of the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray draws on the upscale athletic styling and performance-focused design that Corvette customers love.

“There’s never been a Corvette like E-Ray and its sophisticated design reflects that. It starts with the body color trim which draws your full attention to the exotic proportions of the E-Ray. The interiors allow customers to reflect their individual personalities with their choice of color executions that provide a refined or dynamic sport look and feel,” Chevrolet Executive Design Director Phil Zak stated.

Among the exterior design highlights include four aluminum wheel finishes, 14 exterior color choices, E-Ray-exclusive body-length stripe package in Electric Blue, standard carbon flash badging, available black exhaust tips and bright badging, available carbon fiber ground effects, and optional carbon fiber wheels in carbon flash, visible carbon fiber finish or visible carbon fiber with a red stripe.

Pricing for the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is $104,295 (approximately P5.6 million) for the 1LZ coupe and $111,295 (approximately P6 million) for the 1LZ convertible. It will arrive in US dealerships in 2023.

Photos from Chevrolet

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