General Motors has confirmed in recent hours that the flagship of the Chevrolet brand, the legendary Corvette supercar, will be fully electrified in the coming years: in 2023 it will receive one or more hybrid versions, and a 100% electric variant will be added later.
Chevrolet has shared a video on social media showing a Corvette C8 covered in camouflage. This unit corresponds to a prototype of the future hybrid model. In the clip, you can see that the front wheels lose traction when you start accelerating, which indicates that you will enjoy an all-wheel-drive system.
The hybrid Corvette will share the spotlight with the high-performance version Z06, also scheduled for next year. Rumors indicate that the hybrid model could be available with two engines: a V8 6.2 naturally aspirated and a V8 5.5 Biturbo. In the first case, the final power would be around 600 hp, while in the second it would go to 1,000 hp.
At the moment it is unknown how many electric motors it will equip (one or two on the front axle, another coupled to the thermal unit…); however, it seems clear that there will be no mechanical connection between the front and rear axles: the former will be fully electrified, while the latter will receive its power from the V8.
The Chevrolet Corvette will also have hybrid versions
There is hardly any data on the 100% electric Corvette, whose launch date has not been specified either. Rumors suggest that it could debut in the middle of the decade as the flagship of the range, therefore sharing space with the standard C8, Z06, hybrids, and the future ZR1, even more, powerful than the Z06.
In the absence of confirmation, General Motors is expected to use technologies such as Ultium batteries developed with LG Energy Solution. Like the hybrid Corvettes, the pure electric probably enjoys an advanced all-wheel-drive system thanks to the use of two, three, or four motors.
Among the rivals of the electric Corvette will be the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, the future electric sports cars from Aston Martin, Lexus, and Lotus, and the long-awaited Tesla Roadster, whose production should start in 2023 after accumulating a significant delay since the presentation of the prototypes in 2017.
