General Motors has a big year ahead for Chevrolet, with the launch of four electrified vehicles this year and updates to four gasoline-powered cars in its lineup — including a hybrid Corvette that GM says will be the quickest version of the sports car yet, going from zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds.
On the electric side, GM has started building some 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV pickups at Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck that it is road testing now. Fleet customers get first dibs, with retail orders starting in the fall. Chevrolet also will roll out the 2024 Blazer SUV followed by the Equinox EV later this year.
But one of the most anticipated electrified cars to come to market this year will be the 2024 Corvette E-Ray hybrid. Let’s start there.
What will the E-Ray cost and when can I get one?
The E-Ray, which will be built at Bowling Green Assembly in Kentucky starting this year, will start at $104,295 for the 1LZ coupe and $111,295 for the hard-top convertible. GM has not given a specific date for when it will go on sale or reach the market, but it will be this year. GM is calling it the quickest production Corvette in history, able to go from zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and blow through the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds.
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Why did Chevrolet start with a hybrid Corvette and not go to full electric?
Chevrolet Vice President of Marketing Steve Majoros told media on Friday the E-Ray is “something that’s been in the works for a while for us,” noting it was designed before GM developed its proprietary Ultium propulsion system that will underpin and power GM’s other newest EVs. The E-Ray will use batteries by LG Energy Solution for its electric front motor. Majoros said that considering the Corvette has had success offering variations over the years, it made sense to bring a hybrid into the mix first. It will be a car that enthusiasts want, he said, adding that Chevrolet is “on the road to” a fully electric Corvette in the future.
What makes the E-Ray special?
“The thing I think makes it special is having the all-wheel drive,” Harlan Charles, product marketing manager for Corvette, told media on Friday. “Some of our competitors, Ferrari Mclaren for example, they went V-6 and made room for rear drive. We wanted to keep the Corvette signature legendary, a small block V-8. Talking with customers of Corvettes and other sports cars, that was a big bonus and the best of both worlds.”
Also, GM said E-Ray is the only sports car pairing two separate propulsion systems.
Why not make it a plug-in hybrid to get more range?
The E-Ray’s battery is regenerated “through the road” rather than plugging into a charging system. That means as the car accelerates and brakes the battery is recharged on the road with no physical connection between the motor and the battery pack. GM engineers said making it a plug-in would have meant hurting performance in favor of range.
The power and the distinguishing design
The car’s power comes from the 6.2-Liter small block V-8, putting 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque to the rear axle. It is complemented by an electric motor that provides an additional 160 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque through the front wheels using a 1.9 kilowatt-hour battery pack located between the seats. In total, E-Ray produces a combined 655 horsepower from both the electric motor and the V-8.
The E-Ray’s body is 3.6 inches wider overall than the gasoline-powered Stingray. It will offer four aluminum wheel finishes and come in 14 exterior color choices, including new offerings for 2024 of Riptide Blue, Seawolf Gray and Cacti. It will have an exclusive body-length stripe package in Electric Blue along with various special badging, seat choices, interior colors and ways to personalize the car.
The E-Ray also introduces the new Artemis Dipped interior. That interior features deep green tones on nearly every interior surface. It will be available only on 2024 models.
What is new with the 2024 Silverado EV pickup?
Chevrolet has started building pre-production Silverado EVs at Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck and it is doing road testing. GM opened the order banks for the pickup on Friday for fleet customers and “demand has been off the charts,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet.
“So we’re going to go fleet first or commercial first,” Bell said. “Then, as we get into the later part of the year, we’ll open up retail opportunities for this truck and then a full year of Silverado EV production in 2024.”
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Bell said retail order banks for the Silverado EV, expected to start at $39,900, will open in the fourth quarter.
Chevrolet also will bring to market the Blazer EV SUV, which will be made at GM’s Ramos Arizpe Assembly plant in Mexico, in late summer. Its base trim level will start at $44,995, pushing it upmarket from where its gasoline-powered counterpart starts now at $34,800.
Also built at Ramos Arizpe in Mexico will be the Equinox EV SUV, which will start at around $30,000 and reach car buyers by end of the year.
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What else is coming from Chevrolet this year?
On the internal combustion side, this year, Chevrolet will also launch the new 2024 Trax subcompact SUV, the redesigned 2024 Colorado midsize pickup, a 2024 Silverado full-size heavy-duty pickup, with refreshed exterior and redesigned interior, and a refreshed 2024 Trailblazer SUV.
Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.