he American super sports car took a step towards electrification and took advantage of the 70th anniversary from its appearance at the Motorama Auto Show held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City in 1953 to make its debut. In this way, it is its eighth generation that launches a hybrid set with which it increases its benefits and performance.
all wheel drive
Thanks to the Corvette E-Ray It has an electric motor and offers four-wheel drive, a system called by Chevrolet as eAWD. The front axle houses a generator that produces 160 horsepower and 125 pound-feet, which is powered by a 1.9 kWh battery. The combustion engine maintains the 6.2-liter V8 LT2 with 495 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque that channels the traction force to the rear axle. As it happens in all hybrids, the torque and power figures do not add up; in this case the Corvette E-Ray develops 655 horsepower. This setup makes it significantly faster than the Corvette Stingray I tested a few months ago.
It is also evident that just as its performance against the stopwatch improves, it is also evident that it registers a greater weight on the scale, mainly due to elements such as the batteries that are in the tunnel between the two seats. The Corvette E-Ray, in its coupe configuration, marks a weight of 1,712 kilograms against the 1,530 kilograms of the Corvette Stingray, also with a coupe-type body.
greater control
The electronics and its constant monitoring of the traction on each of the wheels allows the eAWD system to adapt to the road conditions as well as the driving modes available: Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, My Mode and Z mode. To them is added the Charge + that prioritizes the maximum level of battery charge. And although Chevrolet did not specify what the autonomy in the fully electric driving mode called Stealth, it only announced that it can be driven in this mode up to a maximum speed of 72.4 km/h.
Now the E-Ray claims to be the fastest in Vette history as it achieves 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds versus the 2.9 seconds it takes the Corvette Stingray. Also for the quarter mile it only invests 10.5 seconds. This model does not require connection to an electrical network, since the regenerative system of the brakes and inertia feed the batteries.
less to go
Like the rest of its siblings, it will be produced at the Bowling Green, Kentucky plant, and the brand said it will hit the US market this year with a price starting at $104,295 for the 1LZ coupe body and $111,295 for the 1L convertible. .
