The legendary American sports automobile is making the transition to electric propulsion. Mark Reuss, President of General Motors, made the announcement this morning in a LinkedIn post along with the first photographs of the future electric Chevrolet Corvette.
Reuss anticipates the vehicle will be available for purchase “early next year.” Even still, a new version of the Corvette is the least fascinating portion of the unveiling. The video below clearly demonstrates that the front tyres are powered, indicating that the Corvette is going all-wheel drive.
Chevrolet appears to be preparing for an all-wheel-drive future. Automotive speculation indicates that the unreleased, high-performance Corvette C8 Z06 will feature an all-wheel drive, and the video also verifies this configuration in the EV version as well.
The EV Corvette appears to be built on the current mid-engine Corvette architecture, which provides ample space in the front and rear for motors on each axle. Internal combustion engines require extensive retrofitting to accommodate the additional driveshafts and differentials required for all-wheel drive. With EVs, all that is required is an additional motor and some computer code.
Reuss, however, claims that the electric Corvette will be built on General Motors’ Ultium platform, which will also be used by a number of other GM electric vehicles, such as the Hummer, Silverado, and Blazer electric vehicles. The company was silent on the subject of replacing the Corvette’s small-block Chevrolet engine with batteries and motors.
The first hints of the vehicle surfaced several years ago when General Motors relocated the Corvette team to the EV building in Warren, Michigan. And neither does today’s announcement shed any light on the subject. The announcement didn’t reveal what the price would be, how long the battery would last, or how long it would take to go from 0 to 60 mph.
The die-hard fans of the Corvette brand were well aware that this moment was just around the corner. The Corvette is the ultimate American sports vehicle, and it has been powered by a small block Chevrolet V8 since virtually the beginning.
While an electric Corvette will lack the familiar rumble of a V8, the electric motors will more than compensate with explosive performance — especially if it features motors on each axle.
