E-Ray Explained: Team Chevrolet Shares All E-Ray Details at Corvettes at Carlisle 2023
We spoke to Tadge Juechter and his team about the development and design of the E-Ray and why it is such a special car.
Last year I pulled into the VIP/Media parking lot at Corvettes at Carlisle and was surrounded by a dozen or so C8 Z06s. This year I pulled into the same lot, and it was the new E-Ray model that was represented with a dozen different examples. Maybe next year the lot will be full of C8 ZR1s? Getting an up-close look at the newest models is always one of the many highlights at Corvettes at Carlisle. The E-Ray was the hot model at the 2023 show. Thanks to Tadge Juechter, Corvette Chief Engineer, and other members of Team Chevrolet who were in attendance, I was able to get some great insight into the quickest accelerating Corvette ever made.
In addition to the sea of E-Rays that were hiding in the parking lot Team Chevrolet had a couple of other examples that they used inside the show itself to demonstrate some key features. There was even a cutaway E-Ray that provided the best look yet at how the battery pack and related hybrid components are designed into the car.
We even got to hear the E-Ray rev. If you were afraid that this hybrid Corvette would sound anything like a Toyota Prius, you can put those fears to rest right now. I was excited about the E-Ray before Corvettes at Carlisle but now I absolutely can’t wait for it to hit the streets.
Hybrid Performance
Juechter and other Team Chevrolet members led an information and Q&A session on the E-Ray. There were two things that the team wanted to make abundantly clear at the outset. First, you don’t have to plug this car in. There is no charging port, you don’t have to worry about range anxiety or anything like that. The battery is charged by simply driving along. Second, this car was NOT built for fuel economy purposes or to win any points with the environmental crowd. This car was designed as a hybrid for maximum performance. Performance was the goal, the team focused on mph not mpg.
Before the E-Ray was revealed to the public the team tested it at a local drag strip. The guy running the tree at the drag strip has obviously seen many quick cars in his day. But after seeing this camouflaged Corvette make several blistering 10.5-second runs down the quarter mile, he could not believe what he was seeing. In fact, he asked the team if they were seriously going to sell a car this quick to the general public. Performance goal met.
Battery Pack
The 1.9 kWh battery pack in the E-Ray feeds an electric motor that is only about the size of a coffee can. Yet the motor delivers 160 horsepower to the front wheels. That is 10 more than the original 1953 Corvette could muster. Combined with the LT2, the total system output is 655 horsepower. But why not more? Why not send 200 or 300 horsepower to the front wheels with a larger electric motor? The issue becomes one of traction. According to Juechter, the car launches so hard that if more power was sent to the front, it would essentially be wasted. As the car rears back at launch those front wheels just could not put down more than the 160 horsepower that it does. The team felt this was the optimal power output to keep the car well-balanced and to keep the weight of the car in check.
Whenever the topic of battery packs comes up there is always some concern over longevity. The battery pack in the E-Ray is covered by an eight-year / 100,000-mile warranty. According to Team Chevrolet, it is designed to last the life of the car. This battery pack system is not shared with any other GM vehicle. It is designed for the E-Ray only. Of course, it being a battery it will degrade ever so slightly over time. But the performance should never fall off a cliff. In regular driving, the stress on the battery pack is very low.
E-Ray All Arounder
The Z06 is the Corvette track weapon. The E-Ray was designed to be more of a traditional GT car that can be used all year round. All-Season tires are standard. Unless you are trying to drive through a Buffalo blizzard the E-Ray should be able to get you through any weather. At the same time, dry weather performance is incredible for the road. If this is going to be a dedicated track car, you would want different rubber, but this car, while capable, is not the track car in the lineup.
Interesting Tidbits
The C8 was designed from the beginning with the idea of accommodating a hybrid, AWD model. The E-Ray name was trademarked back in 2015. There is a sea creature called the Electronic Ray, and the decklid logo on the E-Ray is designed to look like the sea creature. The E-Ray can start and drive for 3 or 4 miles in an all-electric mode called Neighborhood Exit. Perfect for those early morning drives when you don’t want to disturb anyone. GM listens to us. Some things added to the new model year Corvette came from feedback from customers. Examples include the soft close front hood and engine appearance package for convertibles.
Build Details
The information we all want to know. How many will be built and when does production begin? What are the new color constraints? Team Chevrolet touched on these topics as well. Juechter insisted that they will do everything they can to build an E-Ray for everyone who wants one.
This is not a limited-edition car.
And even though it shares the wide body from the Z06, building an E-Ray will not mean there is one less Z06 allocation. The E-Ray is ready to start production this fall. The only wild card right now is the potential UAW strike. Juechter also said that this is an extremely complicated car to build. So, production will ramp up slowly to give all teams time to get comfortable building this car.
A slow ramp-up also refers to the new paint colors such as Sea Wolf Gray. Team Chevrolet explained that this is nothing new. Whenever new colors are introduced, the ramp-up to produce them is always slow at first. It is important to note that the entire car is not painted in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Some parts such as the mirrors, and decklid are painted by other vendors. And it is important that these vendors also get used to the new paint and ensure that it matches exactly with the rest of the car. Once that happens the new colors will roll out as quickly as the existing colors.
Time with Tadge
I got a few minutes of one-on-one time with Juechter and got some interesting insight on the E-Ray from him. I asked him what his favorite E-Ray feature was. His answer was not what I expected. He told me that when he drives the Z06 or Stingray he actually misses the features of the E-Ray. If he is just moving his Corvettes around the driveway to wash them, he loves not having to fire up the engine in the E-Ray and being able to move the car under just electric power. He just loves this E-Ray.
More than his words, I could sense it in his smile and enthusiasm for the car. He loves the extra performance that hybrid technology brings to the table. Yet, he still was able to drive over 400 miles on a single tank.
This car can do everything, and if Juechter loves it, I am sure we will also.
Images: Joe Kucinski
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