2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Road Test and Review

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Few cars can boast a more storied history than the Chevrolet Corvette, which enters its 71st year with the 2024 model. The sleek two-seater converted to a mid-engine layout for the 2020 model year with the Corvette Stingray coupe, subsequently adding a retractable-roof convertible version and a Z06 high-performance variant in the interim.

For 2024, Chevrolet introduces the Corvette E-Ray. It’s the first-ever gas-electric hybrid Corvette, and even though the moniker may conjure up the doings of an evil comic-book villain, the E-Ray masterfully blends Z06-level performance with all-wheel-drive traction.

The E-Ray features the wider fenders, fascias, and quarter panels of the high-performance Z06 model, all the better to house the wider wheels and tires that get the power to the tarmac. A sharp eye will also note the discrete E-Ray badges on the quarter panels and rocker sill plates.  

All E-Ray models are available with a choice of coupe or retractable-roof convertible body styles. Available trims are 1LZ, 2LZ, and 3LZ. Including the $1,695 destination charge, base prices of 2024 E-Ray coupes range from the $106,595 1LZ and $112,095 2LZ to the $117,545 3LZ. Convertible versions of the E-Ray start $7,000 higher.

First-Ever Corvette Hybrid

There are gas-electric hybrids focused on increasing fuel efficiency and those that blend the power of a gas engine and one or more electric motors for a performance boost. Unsurprisingly, the E-Ray falls into the latter group. It combines the output of a midship-mounted 6.2-liter small-block gas V8 with 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque with a front-mounted AC motor with 160 hp and 125 lb-ft of grunt. Total system output is 655 horsepower.

The gas engine drives the rear wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the electric motor directly powers the front ones, creating the first-ever all-wheel-drive Corvette. A small 1.9 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion propulsion battery pack, sandwiched under the center console tunnel, juices the on-demand eAWD electric motor on the front axle. The 655-hp E-Ray is EPA-rated at 19 mpg in combined city/highway driving, matching that of the base 490-hp Stingray and far exceeding the 15 mpg combined EPA rating of the 670-hp Z06.

For the E-Ray coupe at least, Chevrolet wisely maintained the ability to view the mid-engine small-block V8 under the rear hatch in all its glory, a time-honored tradition among Corvette fans. The engine is not easily viewed in the E-Ray convertible without considerable disassembly due to thermal protection panels for its folding top.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Jet Fighter Cockpit Inspired

As with the Corvette Stingray and Corvette Z06, the new-for-2024 E-Ray features what Chevrolet calls a jet fighter-inspired cockpit. As you would expect in a high-performance sports car, the dash layout is driver-oriented. It includes a 12-inch HD color driver display with three driver-selectable gauge layouts, and an 8-inch HD color infotainment display angled toward the driver. The driver display adds readouts for electric motor output, all-wheel-drive front/rear torque distribution, and hybrid battery charge status.

Most switchgear is conventional, but the E-Ray continues to use a pushbutton transmission shifter and mouse-like drive mode selector on the console, plus a long column of hard buttons for climate control and seat heating and cooling functions atop the divider bisecting the driver and passenger areas like other Corvette models.

A color head-up display at the bottom of the windshield is standard fare, showing items such as turn-by-turn navigation directions, turn signals, speed limit signs, tachometer, road speed, and gear selected. The E-Ray gets basic cruise control, but no distance-setting adaptive cruise control or GM’s hands-free Super Cruise at this time. E-Ray owners probably want to drive themselves, anyway.

As seen here in the test car, the 3LZ trim is the most sumptuous choice. Standard and exclusive to 3LZ models are luxurious French-stitched, leather-wrapped coverings for the instrument panel, console, and door trim, faux suede on the headliner, visors, and windshield pillars, and a carbon-fiber and leather-wrapped heated steering wheel.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Grippy Seats

All E-Ray models get leather-covered 8-way power-operated seats. Moving up to 2LZ or 3LZ trim adds seat heating and ventilation, power adjustable seatback bolsters, power lumbar adjustment, and seat memory settings. Supportive in all the right places, the seats are a snug fit but reasonably comfortable for six-footers, even for longer stints behind the wheel. Generous seat travel accommodates a wide range of drivers and passengers, however larger passengers will have cramped space for their left arm due to the large divider that partitions off the driver area.

The 3LZ test car had the top-line GT2 seats. These add carbon-fiber trim and otherwise have the same appearance as the optional competition seats, but without the extra-firm bolstering.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Latest Infotainment

The Corvette E-Ray features the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Premium system with Google built-in navigation, advanced voice recognition, and wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto cellphone mirroring. Crammed into the driver cockpit is an 8-inch high-definition color touchscreen. It retains an easy-to-use rotary volume knob and hard Home button with virtual shortcut buttons now moved to the left edge of the screen. Moderately sized by today’s standards, the screen is at least positioned close to, and angled toward, the driver. Arguably, the passenger would have to peer over the Corvette’s unique wall of switches for seat heating, cooling, and climate control to catch a glimpse of it anyway.

The 3LZ-trimmed test car had the top-line 14-speaker Bose premium audio system which delivered an immersive sound and good fidelity, no easy feat with the lusty small-block V8 bellowing its own delicious internal-combustion sound track directly behind the driver’s ears. A Bose 10-speaker audio system is standard in the base 1LZ model. Both audio systems also pipe some synthesized electric motor “sound” into the E-Ray’s interior whenever the hybrid system’s electric motor is powering the front wheels.

The infotainment screen is also where you can view the performance data and video recorder.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Stash Space

In the mid-engine Corvette, everything has a place. Or to put it another way, every available nook and cranny is stuffed. Sandwiched between the engine and the rear of the Corvette is a rectangular trunk, big enough to hold a couple airport roller bags or two sets of golf clubs. Brackets in the 7.2 cubic-foot rear trunk provide a secure location to store the coupe’s removable targa roof section but not much else if the roof panel is back there. And even with the addition of the E-Ray’s hybrid electric components, there’s still about 5 cubic feet of stash space in the frunk (front trunk) for a single airport roller bag and a laptop case.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Advanced Chassis

As with other mid-engine Corvettes, the E-Ray utilizes a stiff and lightweight aluminum and carbon-fiber structure. Standard Magnetic Ride Control provides a masterful balance of vertical wheel control and ride comfort, utilizing magnetorheological shock absorbers that can respond to road inputs and adjust from firm to compliant and back to a firm setting in milliseconds.

Optional with 2LZ and 3LZ trims is the Corvette’s front suspension lift feature that the driver can select to raise the front of the E-Ray as much as 40 millimeters. That can make all the difference in preventing the low-hanging nose from scraping over speed bumps or traversing steep driveway ramps. 

A cool feature unique to the E-Ray is Stealth Mode. When activated by the driver before starting the engine, it allows the E-Ray to operate on the electric motor alone for about 4 miles at up to 45 mph, great for slinking off without stirring up all of the neighborhood dogs with the otherwise talkative gas engine exhaust system.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Getting a Grip

More than just a Corvette with Z06 levels of power, the E-Ray also sports extra-wide Z06-sized 275/30ZR20 front and 345/25ZR rubber on super strong forged aluminum wheels. The difference is the E-Ray’s skins are Michelin Pilot Sport all-season tires, all the better to take advantage of the new hybrid Corvette’s all-wheel-drive foul-weather driving capabilities. Not to worry, however, as Chevrolet makes summer performance Pilot Sport 4S rubber an option for buyers looking for the ultimate dry-road stick. Another option are ultra-lightweight carbon fiber wheels, albeit a pricey one.

Huge, six-piston front/four-piston rear drilled Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, measuring 15.7 inches in front and 15.4 inches at the rear, provide formidable, fade-free stopping power along with a small amount of regenerative braking to help keep the hybrid battery charged. 

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Performance and Competitors

To put it mildly, the E-Ray is giddy fast. Many electric cars are also quick (and mostly silent) due to the instant maximum torque electric motors offer, but the E-Ray comes by its rapid acceleration in what feels like Old School fashion, complete with raging internal combustion sounds and head-snapping transmission shifts. The front electric motor has a supporting role, helping the E-Ray launch cleanly and with greater traction on both dry and slick roads, but the new Corvette hybrid still feels like a rear-drive car that can do burnouts on command.

According to my stopwatch, the E-Ray can sprint from rest to 60 mph in about 2.5 seconds, quicker than Chevrolet’s published numbers for the Stingray and roughly the same as the more-powerful, but less torque-rich Z06. Chevrolet also claims the E-Ray can cover the standing start quarter-mile in a very brief 10.5 seconds. That’s right up there with versions of the Porsche 911 and within spitting distance of some exotics from storied European
brands.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Better Than a Z06?

The best aspect of the E-Ray is its all-wheel-drive traction combined with Z06 levels of performance. Not only does AWD help balance handling in everyday driving, but when equipped with the base all-season tires, it brings peace of mind should the E-Ray driver encounter rain-slicked roads or, heaven forbid, an unexpected snow shower. And even though the E-Ray will keep pace with a Z06 accelerating from rest through the quarter-mile, the new Corvette hybrid is EPA-rated at 19 miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving, rivaling that of the base Corvette Stingray—quite a feat. 

More excitement is on the way for Corvette fans in 2025, headlined by a brutally fast, 1064 horsepower ZR-1 powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Which E-Ray to Buy?

It’s doubtful E-Ray buyers ponying up more than six figures for a sports car are overly concerned about the value for the dollar. But among the E-Ray’s three available trims, the 2LZ stands out as a smart proposition if generous amounts of wrapped leather and faux suede trim in the cabin aren’t a must. The 2LZ trim includes standard niceties owners can enjoy every day, such as heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, topline 14-speaker Bose sound system, front camera, and a wireless phone charger. Buyers who occasionally take their E-Ray to track day events will enjoy the 2LZ trim’s standard performance data and video recorder. And even though all Corvettes come with a standard backup camera and camera rearview mirror, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend any new car that doesn’t include the 2LZ trim’s standard blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert, which are unavailable
in the 1LZ trim.

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray ・ Photo by Ron Sessions