“Corvette E-Ray” trademark signposts pure-electric supercar

General Motors has been caught submitting an application to trademark the name “Corvette E-Ray”.

Sending Chevrolet fan forums into a tailspin overnight, the news of the new E-Ray name was leaked via US spy photographer, Chris Doane, on his personal Facebook account.

According to US mag, Car and Driver, the E-Ray is not the only trademark name the Corvette brand has applied for over the summer, with the name “Corvette Manta Ray” also recently registered.

Packaging of the current ‘C7’ Corvette means it’s unlikely any state-of-the-art hardware can grafted onto the current car. Instead, the new powertrain is expected to arrive with the next chapter of the Corvette.

GM’s performance brand is known to be working on what’s believed to be a mid-engined supercar that could now be offered both with a conventional petrol power (Manta Ray) or an all-electric or hybrid powertrain (E-Ray).

The US trademark filing was made on December 16 -- three weeks after General Motors applied for a patent for a “Hybrid Powertrain and Modular Rear Drive Unit” -- points out car blog thetruthaboutcars.com.

This adds credibility that instead of a pure-electric powered supercar, the E-Ray could be a plug-in hybrid.

According to the rumours, the new Corvette should be with us by 2017.