BREAKING: GM Commits to ‘an All-Electric Future’ and Shifts Corvette Engineers Over to its Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Programs
What does this mean for the future of Corvette & how soon will we finally see the long-rumored e-Vette?
Effective September 1st, 2020, General Motors is transferring all members of the Corvette engineering team to their autonomous and electric vehicles programs. And from what our insiders told us directly, the Corvette team is “not happy.” From what we can tell, the unhappiness is related to the team’s ever-expanding workload, a common experience for lots of employees across all industries in 2020 (assuming folks are lucky enough to still have a job). Others inside GM indicated that the team is excited to be developing new products.
CorvetteForum reached out to GM for a comment, and Ken Morris, Vice President of Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Programs, said, “General Motors is committed to an all-electric future. I’m excited to be putting the team that redefined supercar performance, design and attainability in key roles to help us integrate and execute our EVs to those same high standards.”
In other words, the C8 Corvette is a huge hit that “[delighted] customers and critics alike” and General Motors wants that spirit infused into their “all-electric future” commitments. The Corvette engineers have always been the Halo Team, and now they’ve been tasked with taking GM into the future.
This potentially scary news, of course, leaves us here at CorvetteForum with lots of questions.
- What about the rest of the C8 program, like the Z06 and ZR1?
- Does this mean the long-rumored E-Vette is going to arrive sooner than originally anticipated?
- Does this mean the end of gas-powered GM vehicles, or that simply GM will offer electronic counterparts to the current lineup?
GM, as is custom, declined to comment “on potential future product,” but they did tell CorvetteForum that the same team that’s already working on the Corvette will finish all current projects. Presumably, this means the Z06 and ZR1 and any other crazy edition we know is coming. It’s just that the Corvette team is ALSO working under this new direction.
According to InsideEVs:
In practical terms, the shift will see Tadge Juechter stay on as the Executive Chief Engineer for Global Corvette. He has been involved with the Corvette program for its past three generations. Ed Piatek, the Corvette Chief Engineer will have a new role and title: Chief Engineer – Future Product. Finally, Josh Holder is being named Chief Engineer for Global Corvette, taking Piatek’s place.
The same leaked memo states that GM is looking to offer more electric vehicles, especially ones that are affordable and performance-oriented. Whether folks will buy an all-electric Corvette at any price is another story entirely. Our insider was also intentionally coy about an all-electric Corvette.
Then again, when you see a quote like “all-electric future,” it’s very clear to us that the writing on the wall.
The Corvette will be an all-electric vehicle.
The only questions are, WHEN, and will the Corvette be EXCLUSIVELY electric (or some type of optional setup)?
What About the Z06 and ZR1?
Our biggest questions are of course about the rest of the C8 generation. We know GM’s testing them. Motortrend is pretty sure that there’s a twin-turbo flatplane crank engine similar to the Cadillac Blackwing under the hood. And, last month, another internal GM source leaked to us some very cryptic information about the upcoming Z06. When patent drawings of the C8 were originally released, eagle-eyed viewers noticed plenty of extra space around the front axle.
That’s unusual packaging for a two-seat, mid-engine sports car where space is at a premium.
Many guessed that said void is the perfect space for an electric motor. Our sources said the Z06 will utilize a hybrid all-wheel-drive drivetrain, with an electric motor over the front axle working in concert with a worked-over V8 behind the driver.
The combination of an electric motor, providing nearly instantaneous torque, and all-wheel-drive would give the more powerful Corvette Z06 the traction it needs to sprint to some truly eye-watering 0-60 times. We were told something “in the two-second range, or less.”
Hypercar Performance
That would put it in league with – and possibly surpass – the Porsche 918 Spyder, which also featured a hybrid/mid-engine V8 drivetrain. The 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder could sprint from 0-60 in 2.2 seconds.
The ZR1 was said to go even further, with a twin-turbo V8 and a hybrid system combining to make “around 900 horsepower,” according to our source. With this recent news from GM, it’s possible that both of these concepts are dead in the water.
General Motors isn’t killing the Corvette, at least not literally. But if Corvette buyers don’t like what GM is offering, they may have no choice. What do YOU think??? Let us know HERE in the forums!
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to add the fact that the current Corvette team will be finishing all current C8 projects, which presumably include the Z06 and ZR1. We also added the quote from InsideEVs.
Photos: General Motors
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