Electric Chevrolet sports car confirmed

Chevrolet has confirmed it is developing a high-performance electric vehicle – and it could take the form of a Ford Mustang Mach-E-slaying SUV.

Even more shocking, it could also wear the Chevrolet Corvette’s twin-flag logo.

During an almost hour-long presentation at the world’s largest consumer electronics expo in Las Vegas, CES, former Holden chief designer and now GM’s global design boss Mike Simcoe was on stage in front of a number of dimly-lit EV designs, including the all-electric Hummer, and confirmed that a red-hot Chevy EV is in the works.

“The Ultium platform will allow Chevrolet to further expand its range of electric vehicles to full-size pick-up trucks, compact crossovers and even high-performance vehicles,” Simcoe said.

And the vehicle in question could be a Chevrolet Corvette SUV.

Speculation is now mounting based on a shadowy concept car positioned to the left of screen in the presentation, bearing an LED light signature similar to the new mid-engine C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stringray that is due to launch in Australia later this year or early 2022.

Although this is a long bow to draw and nothing has been officially confirmed, Simcoe stated that GM’s EV platform will be leveraged for flagship high-performance models and that over the next five years “GM will introduce 30 new EVs globally”.

While there was no talk of an electric Corvette per se, the company confirmed that it is set to release four new Chevrolet EVs in due course. And it’ll happen fast, says Simcoe.

“Chevrolet’s well-established expertise building vehicles that combine compelling design, useful technology and performance have resulted in some of GM’s best-selling vehicles, and we’ll continue to bring more choice and broader adoption of electric vehicle technology to even more drivers,” he said.

“We are able to accelerate the design process, helping to deliver a full vehicle line-up in record time,” he added.

It’s possible to make out a Corvette-inspired front-end design from the grainy, zoomed-in image we cut from the video, showing headlights and a sharp front apron with which parallels can be drawn with the Corvette coupe.

Whether GM unleashes an electric Corvette SUV or not, Simcoe’s confirmation of a high-performance Chevrolet EV is telling.

And with GM’s new Ultium platform that provides the Hummer with up to 745kW from its triple-motor powertrain and battery options of between 50kWh and 200kWh, it’s clear that the US auto giant’s upcoming EV assault will be significant.