The inevitable electrification march has finally hit the streets of Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the automaker’s first Vette hybrid, aiming to provide the ultimate grand-touring experience. While not supposed to be a best-of-both worlds replacement for the Corvette Grand Sport, E-Ray followed in its footsteps by borrowing elements from the regular Stingray and the track-focused Z06 to create something different.
Let’s take a look at the E-Ray and the various bits and knick-knacks that underlie it and see how this model compares to its siblings.
Powertrains
The rear of the Corvette E-Ray gets its driving force from Stingray’s LT2 naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8. It produces the same 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque as in the Z51-equipped Stingray. The real bit of uniqueness lies at the front, where a permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor provides an additional 160 hp and 125 pound-feet for a net output of 655 hp, earning the E-Ray the honor of being all-wheel-first. drive a Corvette. The e-motor draws its power from a lithium-ion battery with a usable capacity of 1.1 kilowatt-hours.
The E-Ray LT2 uses the same eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as the Stingray and Z06. However, while the Z06 modifies that setup with shorter final drives for extra zip, the E-Ray sticks with the Stingray’s taller gearing.
The Z06 makes slightly more power than the unique LT6 flat-plane-crank overhead-cam V-8, which makes 670 hp and 460 pound-feet. If you go for the base Stingray without the Z51 package, you’ll have to settle for just 470 hp and 465 pound-feet.
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Chevy estimates the Corvette E-Ray coupe will reach 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and reach the quarter mile mark in about 10.5 seconds. That would make it slightly quicker than the Z06, which took 2.6 seconds to reach 60 mph during our test but logged a similar 10.5-second quarter mile. However, there are no slouch Corvettes; even the stingray we tested took just 2.8 seconds to get to 60 and used 11.2 seconds in the quarter.
The E-Ray’s handling performance should be somewhere between the Z06 and Stingray, though it’s likely closer to the former, as the hybrid borrows from the Z06’s wider body. In our tests, the Z06 coupe hit 1.16 g on our 300-foot skidpad test, while the Stingray was slightly less grippy at 1.03 g. Chevy estimates the E-Ray can hit 1.1 g, but we’ll see how close to that figure once we get to it.
Body and Chassis
If the E-Ray looks wide to you, it is. The hybrid uses the same shell as the Z06, meaning it’s about 3.6 inches wider than the Stingray. The E-Ray also features a cute wide tire configuration, with 275/30ZR-20 front and 345/25ZR-21 rear tires. However, unlike the Z06’s built-in summer tires, the E-Ray comes standard with all seasons (yes, there’s a 345 all-season wide), with summers available as part of the optional package.
Stopping the E-Ray comes thanks to Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, with a 15.7-inch disc at the front and a 15.4-inch disc at the rear. This braking setup is optional on the Z06, but in the case of the hybrid, Chevrolet wanted to keep the mass of each E-Ray as low as possible, which is why it’s standard. For context, the fattest stopper you can get on a stingray measures just 13.6 inches at the front and 13.8 inches at the rear.
All three Corvettes use the same basic suspension formula, consisting of a control arm arrangement at each corner. However, there are some key differences between the models. Both the E-Ray and Z06 come standard with Chevrolet’s excellent magnetorheological dampers, whereas those are only optional on the Stingray. E-Ray’s unique front end packaging brings some light tweaks, including a higher front damper mount to account for the new half axle, as well as unique front springs and a different anti-roll bar, both tweaked to compensate for front-end mass. E-Ray addition.
Speaking of mass, all that new technology has definitely contributed to increased weight. While we haven’t seen our scales for a while, we estimate the E-Ray will weigh in at around 4,000 pounds, with the convertible adding another 80 pounds on top. This is based on Chevy telling us that the E-Ray hybrid component adds about 300 pounds to the equation, and our own scale puts the Z06 and Stingray just a hair under the 3700.
Fuel Economy
The Corvette E-Ray is a traditional hybrid, not a plug-in, so any kind of electric-only range would be small. Chevy estimates between three and five miles on the electric alone, at which point the V-8 will come alive. While that’s not enough to do much, it’s enough to quietly leave your neighborhood in its unique Stealth E-Ray mode, which will make your local homeowners association try to ban the Corvette.
The 75 mph highway fuel economy loop delivers 26 mpg in Stingrays, or 1 mpg below its EPA estimate. In our brief stint with the Z06, we observed just 12 mpg, but that didn’t come under the same strict guidelines as our road fuel economy test, and it’s in line with the EPA’s 12 mpg city estimate.
Feature
The Corvette E-Ray comes with a variety of unique features to match its unique powertrain. The new 12 volt lithium-ion battery allows extended stop-start use. There’s also a new Charge+ mode on E-Ray. This is meant to maximize the car’s loading conditions, which should help on long track assignments. The Stealth Mode mentioned above will make sneaking out of the house a lot easier, and works at speeds of up to 45 mph.
The hybrid also features a unique tuning of its Performance Traction Management system, seeing how both sets of wheels now provide forward motion. Data geeks should also appreciate a number of new pages in the infotainment system, including a power output meter and a page outlining the performance and efficiency of the electric section.
Price
Even though the Corvette E-Ray uses the V-8 Stingray, it’s much closer in price to the Z06. When it goes on sale later this year, the E-Ray will cost $104,295 for the coupe and removable targa roof. That’s slightly less than the 2023 Z06 coupe, which costs $106,695. The E-Ray convertible comes at an additional cost of $7000 versus the coupe, with a base price of $111,295. If you prefer to stay cheap, the Stingray comes in at $65,895, rising to $73,395 for the droptop.
