The first retail 2024 Corvette E-Ray was sold at Barrett-Jackson for $1.15 million. Chevrolet brought VIN# 001 to South Florida for Barrett-Jackson’s 20th Anniversary auction in Palm Beach and the car brought $1.15M when the gavel fell. The new-age Corvette model twinkled under the lights in a very attractive Riptide Blue Metallic paint, one of three new colors for 2024. This Corvette E-Ray was a charity auction with 100% of the proceeds going to the DonorsChoose charity. The buyer was none other than Chevrolet dealer and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick.
The 2024 Corvette E-Ray is the first-ever hybrid Corvette. It has been electrified with an e-AWD system that works in tandem with its LT2 V8 engine to give it the fastest 0 to 60 time ever for this legendary nameplate. The front wheels of the 2024 Corvette E-Ray are powered by a 160hp electric motor, while a 495hp V8 gasoline engine powers the back wheels. With a maximum power output of 655 horsepower, the E-Ray is also the fastest ‘Vette yet, able to go from a stop to 60 miles an hour in 2.5 seconds.
The E-Ray has a 1.9 kWh battery pack that recharges quickly through coast regen, brake-apply regen, and through-the-road charging. The 2024 Corvette E-Ray will be available in late 2023 with an MSRP of $104,295 for the 1LZ coupe and $111,295 for the 1LZ convertible model.
Electrified Mag’s Take: The Corvette E-Ray is a breakthrough for the brand and will go down in history as the first electrified, AWD version of the marque. For those waiting for an all-electric Corvette, this might be the closest we get with the current mid-engined C8 platform.
However, that’s all about to change. As we all know, people buy automobiles for the nameplate as much as for the car itself. This is also true for Corvette, which is one of the auto industry’s most valued brands. However, with only one model (with different trim levels) it currently only generates a small percentage of its potential profit.
Starting in 2025, GM plans to launch a Corvette sub-brand that will include a sleek four-door coupe and a brawny crossover. Whether we will see a pure EV version remains to be seen. The first model, an SUV based on GM’s famed Alpha architecture will be ICE powered. With Ferrari, Maserati, and Porsche all offering one or more SUVs – the antithesis to the hard-core sports cars that put them on the map – why shouldn’t Corvette follow suit? For us EV fans, we will have to wait a bit longer for a pure EV Corvette, whatever guise it may take.