2024 Chevy Corvette E-Ray Shows Off ‘Stealth’ All-Electric Driving Mode
Chevy’s teaser confirms that the new hybrid C8 will be able to drive in an electric-only mode.
It's no secret the hybrid-powered, all-wheel drive Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is coming soon. Well, it was a secret until the configurator leaked and revealed a slew of relevant details. Leaks aside, the car is set to be revealed next week. Before then Chevy is showing off one of the car's features: "Stealth" mode.
In a video posted to Facebook, the pre-production Corvette is shown starting and accelerating as normal, motivated by its V8. Then, the new Stealth mode is enabled, and it takes off silently through a cityscape, driven doubtlessly by electricity. The short clip says a lot about the car's capabilities.
The E-Ray can be seen taking off and achieving a reasonably high speed. Just how fast it gets going isn't clear, but it looks to be at least 30-40 mph. That would indicate this thing has a reasonable amount of electric power under the hood.
Keep in mind this all exists in the context that this car is probably not a plug-in hybrid. In other words, it gets all of its power from regenerative braking or other means, like charging the battery directly with engine power. That raises questions about how long the car can remain in Stealth mode. If I had to bet, I would say it's less than 20 miles, perhaps even fewer than 10. Conventional hybrids typically do not have very much fully electric range to offer. Even some PHEVs have relatively little.
Even if the E-Ray can't go very far on a single charge, though, it's still a cool party trick and one that can come in handy on short trips out of the house. All-electric range in hybrids is great for stretching those last few miles to a gas station, moving a car around your driveway without starting it, or driving in stop-go traffic. In short, it makes the whole car a little better at not much cost.
We'll know much more about the E-Ray when it's revealed Jan. 17.
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