Rumors of an electric Chevy Corvette preceded the C8 Corvette’s reveal earlier this summer. The future is electric, meaning sports cars like the Corvette and others will one day abandoned internal combustion engines for electrification or fade away into history. Getting Chevy – or any automaker – on the record about future products is like herding cats into a bathtub full of puppies. And yet, Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter didn’t dodge questions about a possible electric Corvette during last week’s Autoline After Hours (18:25 mark), discovered by our colleagues at Muscle Cars and Trucks.
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Juechter was upfront about the reality facing Corvette. Chevy is a part of General Motors, and the automaker has bold plans, including producing zero-emissions vehicles. It’s not a direct confirmation of an electric Corvette, but if GM plans to build vehicles with zero emissions, an electric Corvette seems far likelier than a hydrogen-powered one. However, that doesn’t mean the electrified ‘Vette is right around the corner.
Zero-emissions vehicles is GM’s goal, and not one it can achieve overnight. Juechter says in the interview that “we’ll get there eventually” with electric vehicles, adding that his and his team’s job is to work towards GM's mission. The C8 Corvette’s platform is a starting point for Chevy and Juechter’s team. So far, we have one C8 Corvette model, the Stingray, and we know more high-performance versions are coming – electrification of some form is possible.
Gallery: 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Don’t expect to log online one morning to find the internet drowning in electric Corvette news. The march toward electrification will be slow, especially for cars like the Corvette. Batteries take up a lot of space and add considerable weight. The Corvette’s small footprint makes fitting the battery pack a challenge. If Chevy builds an electrified Corvette anytime soon, it’ll probably be a hybrid – a stepping stone to full electrification one day.
Source: Autoline After Hours via Muscle Cars and Trucks