Aurelia Butler

The inexorable march of electrification has finally reached the streets of Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the automaker’s first hybrid Vette, aimed at providing the ultimate grand-touring experience. While it’s not supposed to be a replacement for the best-of-both-worlds Corvette Grand Sport, the E-Ray follows in its footsteps by borrowing elements from the regular Stingray and the track-focused Z06 to create something different.Let’s take a gander at the E-Ray and its various underlying bits and baubles and see how this model compares against its siblings.ChevroletChevroletPowertrainThe Corvette E-Ray’s rear half gets its motive force from the Stingray’s LT2 naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8. It makes the same 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque as it does in the Z51-equipped Stingray. The real bit of uniqueness lies up front, where a permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor delivers an additional 160 hp and 125 pound-feet for a net output of 655 hp, giving the E-Ray the honor of being the first all-wheel-drive Corvette. The e-motor gets its juice from a lithium-ion battery with 1.1 kilowatt-hours of usable capacity. The E-Ray’s LT2 uses the same eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as the Stingray and Z06. However, while the Z06 modifies that arrangement with a shorter final drive for a little extra zip, the E-Ray sticks with the Stingray’s taller gearing.The Z06 makes a smidge more power from its unique LT6 flat-plane-crank overhead-cam V-8, which produces 670 hp and 460 pound-feet. If you opt for a base Stingray without the Z51 package, you’ll have to make do with just 470 hp and 465 pound-feet.PerformanceChevy estimates the Corvette E-Ray coupe will reach 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and nail the quarter-mile mark in about 10.5 seconds. That would make it a smidgen quicker than the Z06, which required 2.6 seconds to reach 60 mph during our testing but recorded a similar 10.5-second quarter-mile. No Corvette is a slouch, though; even the Stingray we tested only required 2.8 seconds to reach 60 and used 11.2 seconds in the quarter.The E-Ray’s handling performance should be somewhere between the Z06 and Stingray, although likely closer to the former, as the hybrid borrows the Z06’s wider body. In our testing, the Z06 coupe achieved 1.16 g on our 300-foot skidpad exam, while the Stingray was a little less grippy at 1.03 g. Chevy estimates the E-Ray can achieve 1.1 g, but we’ll see just how close it gets to that number once we get our hands on one.E-Ray Galore!Body and ChassisIf the E-Ray looks wide to you, it is. The hybrid uses the same shell as the Z06, meaning it’s about 3.6 inches wider than the Stingray. The E-Ray also features the same comically wide tire configuration, with 275/30ZR-20 rubber up front and 345/25ZR-21 out back. However, unlike the Z06’s default summer tire, the E-Ray comes standard with all-seasons (yes, 345-width all-seasons exist), with summers available as part of an optional package.Stopping the E-Ray comes courtesy of Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, with 15.7-inch discs in the front and 15.4-inch discs in the rear. This braking setup is optional on the Z06, but in the case of the hybrid, Chevrolet wanted to keep the mass of every E-Ray as low as possible, which is why they’re standard. For context, the beefiest stoppers you can get on the Stingray measure just 13.6 inches in the front and 13.8 inches in the back.ChevroletChevroletAll three Corvette variants utilize the same basic suspension formula, comprising a control-arm setup at every corner. However, there are a few key differences between the models. Both the E-Ray and Z06 come standard with Chevrolet’s excellent magnetorheological dampers, whereas it’s only optional on the Stingray. The unique front-end packaging of the E-Ray brings some mild adjustments, including a taller front damper mount to account for new half-shafts, as well as unique front springs and a different anti-roll bar, both of which were tweaked to compensate for the E-Ray’s additional front-end mass.Speaking of mass, all that new tech definitely contributes to extra poundage. While it still won’t see our scales for a little while, we estimate the E-Ray will weigh around 4000 pounds, with the convertible adding another 80-ish pounds on top of that. This is based on Chevy telling us that the E-Ray’s hybrid components add about 300 pounds to the equation, and our own scales put the Z06 and Stingray just a hair below 3700.Fuel EconomyThe Corvette E-Ray is a traditional hybrid, not a plug-in, so any sort of electric-only range will be small. Chevy estimates between three and five miles on electricity alone, at which point the V-8 will bark to life. While that’s not enough to do much, it’s enough to quietly leave your neighborhood in the E-Ray’s unique Stealth mode, which should keep your local homeowner’s association from trying to ban Corvettes. A 75-mph highway fuel-economy loop produced 26 mpg in a Stingray, or 1 mpg below its EPA estimate. In our brief stint with a Z06, we observed just 12 mpg, but that didn’t take place under the same rigorous guidelines as our highway fuel-economy test, and it jibes with the EPA’s 12-mpg city estimate.FeaturesThe Corvette E-Ray comes with a whole host of unique features to match its unique powertrain. A new 12-volt lithium-ion battery allows for extended stop-start usage. There’s a new Charge+ mode on the E-Ray as well. It’s meant to maximize the car’s state of charge, which should help on long track stints. The aforementioned Stealth mode will make sneaking out of the house a whole lot easier, and it works at speeds up to 45 mph. The hybrid also features unique tuning to its Performance Traction Management system, seeing as how both pairs of wheels now provide forward motion. Data geeks should also appreciate the host of new pages within the infotainment system, including power output gauges and a page outlining the electric half’s performance and efficiency.PriceEven though the Corvette E-Ray uses the Stingray’s V-8, its price is far closer to that of the Z06. When it goes on sale later this year, the E-Ray will cost $104,295 for the coupe and its removable targa top. That’s slightly lower than the 2023 Z06 coupe, which costs $106,695. The E-Ray convertible comes with a $7000 surcharge versus the coupe, putting its base price at $111,295. If you’d rather stay bargain-minded, the Stingray comes in at $65,895, rising to $73,395 for the droptop.This content is imported from poll. 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The 2024 Chevy Corvette E-Ray coupe has a starting price of $104,295; the convertible adds $7000 and starts at $111,295.That targa-topped E-Ray is nearly $40,000 more than the base Stingray coupe, which starts at $65,895.The new E-Ray is a 655-hp all-wheel-drive hybrid that’s slated to go on sale later this year.The 655-hp hybrid all-wheel-drive 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will require customers to cut a significantly bigger check compared with the base C8 Corvette Stingray. Not only does the E-Ray’s $104,295 starting price enter six-figure territory, but it’s nearly as expensive as the track-focused Z06 model, which opens at $109,295.Opting for the convertible hybrid will cost even more, as the droptop E-Ray starts at $111,295 for the base 1LZ trim. That $7000 price gap is the same one that separates the Z06 coupe from the convertible, which has a base price of $116,295.Both E-Ray variants are offered with multiple option packages. A Performance package, for instance, includes Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires (Michelin Pilot Sport all-seasons are standard) and other upgrades. There are also stripe packages and carbon-fiber appearance packages that will raise the bottom line even further. However, Chevy has yet to release detailed pricing for those options. All the Specs and DetailsTo offset the price discrepancy somewhat, the Corvette E-Ray comes standard with features that are otherwise optional on the base Stingray. The list includes magnetorheological dampers (an $1895 option on the 2023 Stingray) and carbon-ceramic brakes (available only on the Z06). The E-Ray’s 160-hp electric boost counts for something too, as the hybrid uses the same gas-fed 6.2-liter V-8 as the Stingray but adds a front-mounted electric motor to the mix—bringing the powertrain’s combined output to a lofty 655 horsepower.Chevy hasn’t yet started taking orders for the 2024 Corvette E-Ray, but the company says it will go on sale later this year.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Believe it or not, some Corvette fans weren’t happy when Chevy messed with the recipe of their favorite sports car. While moving its small-block V-8 from the front to the middle helped unlock a previously unachievable level of performance, fundamentalists fumed that the bow-tie brand went too far with the C8 generation.Now those purists are likely to be even more pissed off with the arrival of the 2024 Chevy Corvette E-Ray, which adds fuel (and electrons) to the fire as the first Vette with all-wheel drive and a hybrid powertrain. By combining those new traits with the regular Stingray’s V-8 heart and the track-focused Z06’s wide body, the E-Ray alters the identity of America’s preeminent sports car and sets it on a radical new course.Extra Corvette E-Ray ReadingThe Most Revolutionary Vette Yet The C8 generation, which debuted for the 2020 model year, broke the Corvette mold by adopting a mid-engine layout. The introduction of an all-wheel-drive hybrid variant changes the game yet again and was part of the plan all along—something we uncovered a while ago. With the electrified Vette finally revealed to the world, we now know exactly what it’s all about. The E-Ray isn’t intended as a Grand Sport replacement, rather it’s billed as an ultimate grand-touring model meant to find new roads (pun intended). It also finally gives Chevy a four-season adversary to all-wheel-drive Porsche 911s and other high-end rivals that don’t have to hide in their garages in the slipperiest conditions.At the heart of the E-Ray is the 495-hp version of the 6.2-liter pushrod V-8 inherited from the Stingray. Known as the LT2, the engine feeds the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, only now there’s a front-mounted electric motor in the mix with 160 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque. The drive unit is said to be about the size of a 12-pack, with a magnesium casting and an E-Ray-specific oil cooler located behind the driver’s-side front bumper. Altogether the hybrid setup makes 655 hp and constitutes an all-wheel-drive system.Chevy says the E-Ray’s electrical components add about 300 pounds to the curb weight of the Corvette Z06 coupe and convertible; the hybrid is available in both body styles. Based on our own measurements of a 3666-pound Z06 coupe and a 3799-pound Z06 convertible, the E-Rays will likely tip our scales at around 3966 and 4099 pounds, respectively. That will also mean the droptop E-Ray is the first production Corvette to eclipse two tons—making it the heaviest model ever.Despite the extra poundage, the E-Ray’s all-wheel-drive traction and instant electric torque contribute to Chevy’s claim that it’s the quickest factory-built Vette ever. The company says the coupe will hit 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, which is just a tenth shy of the 2.6 ticks we clocked with the targa-topped Z06. The E-Ray also claims a quarter-mile time of 10.5 seconds, identical to our Z06 test. For those attempting high-speed runs at the track, the electric motor is geared out of the equation above 150 mph (Chevy claims the E-Ray has a top speed of around 180 mph).The First Battery-Powered CorvetteA small 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery powers the E-Ray’s permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor; a separate 12-volt lithium-ion battery supports the V-8’s stop-start function and other accessories. The main pack is entirely contained in the center tunnel that separates both passengers. Chevy says it weighs about 100 pounds, with its 80 pouches supplied by LG but assembled by GM. Its tiny battery is also the reason the E-Ray isn’t a plug-in hybrid. Chevy says it’s designed to rapidly charge and discharge itself. The amount of electric assist varies among the six selectable drive modes, and there’s also a hybrid-only function called Charge+ that can be activated to maximize the battery’s state of charge, which is said to be especially useful while lapping longer racetracks. Pure-electric driving is very limited, with Chevy estimating up to five miles of range in the E-Ray’s exclusive Stealth mode. The latter only works up to 45 mph or until the driver activates the gas engine with the throttle. The main benefit of Stealth mode is respecting others, with the ability to quietly exit neighborhoods without the gas engine’s boisterous soundtrack. It’s worth noting that the electric motor doesn’t work in reverse. It has an open diff and uses brake-based torque vectoring. It’s also intended to optimize performance rather than efficiency, so while the hybrid should be the most frugal Corvette at the gas pump, don’t expect Prius-level fuel economy when its EPA ratings eventually come out.In Stealth mode, the hybrid Corvette emits a futuristic hum for safety reasons and probably because it sounds cool. Even when the vociferous V-8 gets involved, the two sounds merge to create a raucous sci-fi melody inside the cabin, as we learned during a brief, albeit wild, ride-along. That experience on a closed track at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds showcased the E-Ray’s ability to perform an awesome drift (despite no dedicated drift mode). Also missing is a line-lock feature, but it does have the Z06’s custom launch control, and an engineer assured us it can do a burnout.Corvette E-Ray Exclusive ContentThe E-Ray’s unique hybrid powertrain is accompanied by a host of exclusive features as well as hardware normally reserved for the hardcore Z06. Not only does the hybrid inherit the track-oriented car’s huge hips, which are 3.6 inches wider than the Stingray’s, but it also comes standard with carbon-ceramic brakes (currently part of the $8995 Z07 performance package on the Z06).To promote its four-season capability, every E-Ray pairs those Z07-grade stoppers with Michelin Pilot Sport all-season tires sized 275/30ZR-20 front and 345/25ZR-21 rear (stickier Pilot Sport 4S summer rubber is optional). One of our favorite facts about the hybrid Vette is the immensity of its 345-section-width rear all-seasons. Chevy says they’re the biggest ever fitted to a production car, and we can’t prove otherwise.Supporting the E-Ray’s interesting wheel-and-tire combination are standard magnetorheological dampers. The fronts are part of a reworked suspension setup where the shock towers were raised and a connecting brace was added to accommodate the half-shafts from the electric motor to the front wheels. Since this was all planned during the C8 Corvette’s development, we’re told it doesn’t affect the suspension travel or hood height. The front-axle lift system also remains optional.The E-Ray’s front-motor setup also barely affects the Corvette’s front trunk space, with cargo volume said to lose less than one cubic foot. The same goes for the car’s interior, which is almost identical to nonhybrid models. The most notable changes are the unique displays now viewable in the gauge cluster and center touchscreen, including one specific to Stealth mode as well as special pages for power output and other performance metrics. Buttons for the start-stop system and the Charge+ function are also added to the side of the center console near the driver’s thigh area.When to Expect the Expensive E-RayThe 2024 Corvette E-Ray will go on sale later this year, with the base 1LZ coupe starting at $104,295. That’s nearly $40K more than the base price of the 2023 Stingray coupe and $7000 less than the 2023 Z06 coupe. The E-Ray convertible costs an extra $7000, with a starting price of $111,295 for the 1LZ trim.Of course, there are myriad other options that Chevy has yet to specify pricing for. The roster of available add-ons includes an E-Ray-specific Electric Blue stripe that runs the length of the car, carbon-fiber exterior and interior trim, multiple seat options, and carbon-fiber wheels. There’s also a Performance package that—while not as extreme as the bewinged Z07 kit—adds the aforementioned summer tires.As long as there are people who hate change, there will be people who balk at a hybrid all-wheel-drive Corvette. Well, the electrified E-Ray is officially on the way, and we expect an even mightier Zora version is on deck—no matter what the haters say.This content is imported from poll. 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Jeremy Clarkson has been working with Amazon Prime’s streaming arm since he left the BBC and Top Gear in 2015. However, that relationship is not likely to last into 2025, Variety reports. Citing its own sources, Variety claims that Amazon Prime Video is “likely” planning to stop working with Clarkson after already-ordered episodes of his two programs, Clarkson’s Farm and The Grand Tour, wrap in 2024. Under the expected plan, Clarkson would finish out his existing agreements with the company before both parties move on at the end of the deal. That would likely mean a third season of Clarkson’s Farm and four more episodes of The Grand Tour.Better TimesThe decision is a response to Clarkson’s widely derided column about Meghan Markle, which blamed her for the actions of her husband, Prince Harry. Clarkson took particular heat for a reference to a scene in Game of Thrones, suggesting that Markle be “made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant, ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her.” Clarkson apologized for the column a few days after it ran, then again on Instagram Monday. In the second apology, he also announced that he has already apologized to Markle and Prince Harry directly.”Usually, I read what I’ve written to someone else before filing, but I was home alone on that fateful day, and in a hurry,” Clarkson wrote in his Instagram apology Monday. “So when I’d finished, I just pressed send. And then, when the column appeared the next day, the land mine exploded.”While no change in plans has been formally announced, Amazon called off an upcoming press conference to promote Clarkson’s Farm shortly after the Variety report was released Monday. More

First things first: this is just a proposed bill, and even if it’s adopted, it would not be an actual ban on electric-vehicle sales in Wyoming.Instead, this is a political messaging bill, one that spreads love to the oil and gas industry and says EVs just don’t work in the state.We agree that different regions of the country are positioned in different ways when it comes to EV adoption, but we see through the legislators’ intent with this bill because they added a line that says that, should the bill be adopted, a copy will be sent to the governor of California. Why might that be?Republican legislators in Wyoming have decided it’s time to bring the debate over electric-vehicle sales in the state squarely into the political arena. Four state senators and two state representatives have introduced a bill proposal (SJ0004) that expresses support “for phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035.”It’s a simple little bill, one that presents wildly unbalanced views of the benefits and costs of EVs and wouldn’t, in the end, actually ban EV sales. Not yet, anyway. If adopted, the bill would simply do two things. First, it would force the legislature to shoot for the goal “that the sale of new electric vehicles in the state of Wyoming be phased out by 2035.” The bill would also “[encourage] Wyoming’s industries and citizens to limit the sale and purchase of new electric vehicles in Wyoming.” So, no actual laws, just encouragements. Opening of the Wyoming bill.State of Wyoming”The Legislature would be saying, ‘If you don’t like our petroleum cars, well, we don’t like your electric cars,'” the resolution’s sponsor, Republican State Sen. Jim Anderson, told local media outlet the Cowboy State Daily. The publication reported late last year that Wyoming stands to get $24 million from the federal government to install EV charging stations in the state. If that all sounds like this might be a bit of a political stunt and not exactly a legitimate effort to improve the lives of everyday citizens, you’re on to something. The proposed bill’s “whereas” section is full of flowery love for the oil and gas industry, saying that extraction of these resources “has long been one of Wyoming’s proud and valued industries.” It also talks about how “the oil and gas industry in Wyoming has created countless jobs and has contributed revenues to the state of Wyoming throughout the state’s history.” But the state’s official assessment of the bill says it would have absolutely “no fiscal or personnel impact.”CC: State of CaliforniaIf that’s not clear enough for you, there is a third recommendation that would take effect if the bill becomes law. Under this section, the Secretary of State of Wyoming would be required to send copies of the resolution to President Biden and top federal officials, other Wyoming representatives in Washington, D.C., and, get this, the governor of California.That last line is important and, if you haven’t been paying attention, odd. Why would the governor of California care what Wyoming does with EV sales? He wouldn’t, but the bill’s Republican sponsors apparently want to score political points by bringing California into it. Last year, California announced it would ban the sale of gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035, an actual rule that is already affecting laws in other states and the auto industry’s long-term planning. This Wyoming bill of encouragement? Not so much.It’s Happening, PeopleThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More