Will the Mid-Engine Corvette Offer a Hybrid Powertrain?

Corvette Shell Spotted at GM Battery Testing Facility in Michigan

Looks like we’ve got more fuel to throw on the rumor that Chevy is busy working on a mid-engine hybrid Corvette.

Well, that’s if CarAdvice indeed saw what they claim to have seen at General Motors’ 85,000 square-foot battery plant in Warren, Michigan.

During a recent tour of the battery facility, CarAdvice says they spotted the shell of a Corvette in the battery lab. The facility is used by GM to test and evaluate batteries for concepts and future production models.

CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About the Latest Rumors

The Corvette shell was apparently on a hoist labeled “Y1BC,” the current code name for the C7. CarAdvice also claims to have seen engineers exploring some of the same cylindrical cell technology that’s used in Tesla models. In contrast, both the Chevy Volt and Bolt, which won the North American International Car of the Year award, use flat cells. These are arranged upright in a pack that sits under the floor pan.

Rumors of a hybrid C8 Corvette have been swirling for some time. Speculation is that the next-gen C8 Corvette
could feature a hybrid system that offers 5 kwh of battery power and around 20 km of electric driving range.
Now, keep in mind, we’re talking “hybrid,” which means the car will be powered by a combination of both electric and traditional combustion power, likely a V8 engine. Although, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a high-powered, next-gen V6 as the combustion engine of choice.

After all, the new 647-horsepower Ford GT is powered by a 3.5-liter V6. Then again, the idea of abandoning the V8 would sit uneasily with Corvette fans regardless of the technology under the hood.