General Motors has unveiled the next generation Corvette that will be built exclusively in Bowling Green.
With global fanfare at the Motorama auto show in New York City, GM unveiled its first hybrid-electric, all-wheel drive Corvette, the 2024 E-Ray.
The big reveal on Tuesday fell on the 70th birthday of the iconic sports car. The model was introduced locally on Wednesday at the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green.
During a media tour of the plant, General Assembly Planner Jack DiDonato said another one of the car’s unique features is stealth mode.
“Whenever we start a Corvette up in the morning, if the neighbors are asleep, you’re going to wake the whole neighborhood up," stated DiDonato. "The beauty of stealth mode is once you turn the vehicle on, you can back out of your driveway, get out your development, nobody wakes up, it’s completely quiet.”
Billed as a force on and off the track, the car is designed for all-season performance. It’s also the fastest Corvette yet, capable of going from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds.
"We have our normal propulsion system driving the car with an internal combustion engine for the rear wheels and we have a 160 horsepower electric motor that drives the two front wheels, creating this all wheel drive situation that makes the performance absolutely fantastic," explained Plant Manager Kai Spande.
The electrified Corvette requires no plug-in charging. The battery is charged via regenerative energy from coasting and braking, as well as during normal driving.
Both a coupe and convertible body style will be offered. The E-Ray will hit dealer showrooms late this year with a starting price of more than $104,000.
According to Spande, the E-Ray represents the next chapter for GM.
“Generally speaking, across the United States and across the world, there is significant increase in demand for electric vehicles," Spande added. "I think all automakers are moving into the electrification space, where it makes sense.”
An all-electric Corvette is expected at some point, but GM hasn’t announced a time frame for the EV version. The Detroit automaker has said it plans to exclusively offer all-electric vehicles by 2035. Production is currently underway on an all-electric Silverado truck, as well as Cadillac and Hummer suvs.
