It’s a 37-degree January afternoon in Michigan at General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground. The “black lake” sea of asphalt test area wears a sheen of moisture on a day that threatens rain but doesn’t deliver, and yet the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray spins its front and rear tires just for a beat before it hooks up and rockets forward.The shock of a hard launch is my first impression from the passenger seat while Corvette Chassis Development Engineer Bill Wise takes the wheel.
The battery and hybrid system’s inverter take up all usable space in the center tunnel, so a larger battery is highly unlikely. The battery consists of four modules of 20 pouch cells, and according to Josh Holder, the Corvette’s chief engineer, the C8 was designed to fit this battery from the start.Wise puts the car through another exercise that involves a rolling “launch” from about 45 mph. This time the car has to go from running on electricity to starting the engine.
In the E-Ray’s other modes, which are shared with other Corvettes, the electric motor can add hybrid power and/or the stability of all-wheel drive when needed—well, as long as the speed stays below 150 mph. At that point, the electric motor shuts off as it approaches its rpm limit around 15,000 rpm. The electric motor can also provide an extra bit of power to keep the V-8’s Active Fuel Management cylinder shut-off system in 4-cylinder mode longer on the highway.
Again, the power comes on strong and between that and a few flicks of the steering wheel Wise is able to induce slides in both long autocross corners and on the skidpad. The car transforms into a drift machine, spinning its Michelin Pilot Sport all-season tires with ease. The front motor is an X factor here, though, as it wants to pull the car out of a corner rather than allow the drifts.
Still, the hybrid system’s big price premium affected the car’s packaging. Chevy could have fit the hybrid system in the Stingray’s body, but instead chose the Z06’s wide body, which is 3.6 inches wider and uses wider 275/30/R20 front and 345/25R21 rear tires.