Chevrolet is reportedly hatching plans to spin-off a Corvette sub-brand that will see the high-performance nameplate attached to both a battery-electric sedan and a large SUV.
, General Motors will not only create a new Corvette sub-brand but make the next all-new C9 Corvette an all-electric battery-powered model, meaning the current C8 Corvette is likely to be the last combustion-powered sports car offered by Chevrolet.The move to offer a pure-electric Corvette sedan alongside the current C8 Corvette coupe and convertible is said to be driven by a desire by the car-making giant to have a premium (high-profit) rival for cars like the Porsche Taycan that will appeal in non-sportscar markets like China.
Likely to further anger purists is the even more controversial SUV that will reportedly come next from Chevrolet.
The GM-owned brand is believed to want a competitor for the Ford Mustang Mach-E among its ranks, although it's not known whether the Corvette SUV will be a direct rival for Ford’s electric crossover or will take the shape of a much bigger, more expensive off-roader.
According to MC&T, the Corvette sedan is being co-developed alongside the Cadillac Celestiq sedan that will be introduced in 2024 to replace the current CT6.
That means the all-electric Corvette four-door will be based on GM's all-new BEV3 skateboard architecture created specifically for pure-electric vehicles.
Powering it will be the car giant's next-gen Ultium batteries and at least two powerful electric motors. GM's flagship EV tech boasts an 800-volt electric architecture and allows fast-charging at up to 350kW.
The upcoming Corvette SUV, if it’s also pure-electric, will likely employ the same platform, powertrains and batteries as the Cadillac Lyriq SUV.
According to MC&T's report, plans to introduce an all-electric Corvette based on the current C8 sports car have been put on ice, but the 745kW E-Ray plug-in hybrid version (pictured here in testing) is still on track for an early 2023 debut.