Following years of rumors and speculations, Chevrolet has finally confirmed a hybrid Corvette is on its way. General Motors President Mark Reuss took to LinkedIn to share a video of a camouflaged prototype having fun in the snow. We’ve attached the YouTube version of the 25-second footage showing off the mid-engined electrified sports car, which appears to be spinning all four wheels.
That leads us to believe the Corvette Hybrid is going to have AWD, with the combustion engine driving the rear wheels and an electric motor powering the front axle. We’re curious to know whether the battery pack will be large enough to give the all-American machine an electric range. A completely silent Corvette would be a game-changer.
As a matter of fact, a pure EV derivative was also confirmed today. Mark Reuss confirmed a zero-emissions model riding on GM’s Ultium platform is scheduled to arrive at a later date. If the name of the architecture doesn’t ring a bell, it’s been used so far by the GMC Hummer, Cadillac Lyriq, and Chevy Silverado EV. Additional models to ride on the same architecture will be the Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Sierra EV, Honda Prologue, and an unnamed Acura crossover.
With Chevy working on hybrid and electric Corvette derivatives, we’re being reminded of BMW’s dead-on-arrival Vision M Next. There had been rumors of a production version, but the project was apparently canceled due to cost reasons. Volume EVs rank higher on the list of priorities, but at least there’s the plug-in hybrid XM coming by late 2022.
As a refresher, the Vision M Next unveiled nearly three years ago was a plug-in hybrid performance machine combining a four-cylinder gasoline engine with a front-mounted electric motor. The two developed a combined 591 hp to propel the electrified concept to 62 mph (100 km/h) in three seconds en route to 186 mph (300 km/h). With the combustion engine turned off, the car was able to cover 62 miles (100 kilometers) without sipping any gasoline.
Source: Chevrolet / YouTube, Mark Reuss / LinkedIn
