When you were a little kid and tried to imagine the cars of the future, you might have pictured something like the Chevy E-Ray. Even today, it almost looks too modern to be real. The E-Ray, for the record, is a hybrid-electric variant of the ever-popular Corvette C8. If you’ve followed the Corvette through the ages, then you know that it’s always been something of a symbol of sex appeal and style. The cool guy in the movie always has a Corvette. The “bad boy” the parents don’t want their daughter dating drives a Corvette. And maybe you always wanted to drive one yourself, but couldn’t quite justify adding such an expensive toy to your driveway.
We might finally be able to help you justify this pretty purchase. Sure, no one is going to claim it’s an affordable vehicle. The Corvette is not marketed toward the budget buyer. But you might still be able to convince yourself it’s a “responsible” purchase. As an electric-hybrid, this beauty can run on just the battery for quite some time. It’s kinder to the environment than purely gas engine vehicles, and your local Chevy dealership can probably convince you of a slew of other reasons. Here, we’re just giving you a peak at some of the stand-out features of the E-Ray that we think drivers are going to appreciate.
It’s Always Reading the Room, and the Road
Many sports car drivers know that driving such a beast of a vehicle can be a very hands-on experience. You have to constantly read the road and make rapid, manual adjustments to make sure you don’t lose grip or face other issues. The Chevy E-Ray was designed to make some of these adjustments for you.
It has Magnetic Ride Control, which reads the road at every moment and makes instant adjustments to the shock absorbers as needed to give you better control. When it senses the need for a change, it can make one in a matter of milliseconds. You can feel the vehicle adjusting in real time to the road beneath you.
It also enjoys e-AWD. Yes, an all-wheel-drive Corvette. It still has the standard 6.2L V8 of the standard Corvette, but the e-AWD system sends power to an electric motor driving your front wheels when you need it, to give you better stability as well as extra power for acceleration. Between Magnetic Ride Control and e-AWD, the E-Ray responds almost immediately to changes in the road. You can keep pushing it to its limits, without worrying that the car’s systems won’t keep up.
Stealth Mode
This feature isn’t necessarily for you, but for everyone else in your life, like members of your household or neighborhood. You might think the roar of your Corvette’s engine is the most beautiful sound in the world, but the obscenities that neighbors may have screamed from their windows when your engine woke them up indicate that not everyone feels the same way. In comes Stealth Mode.
Stealth Mode lets the E-Ray go into all-electric mode at speeds of 45 mph or lower. These are the speed limits you might find in residential areas or school zones. This enables the E-Ray to drop to a whisper-level of noise making. You can maintain a friendly relationship with your neighbors, and still enjoy our dream car. Once you exceed 45 mph, the gasoline engine will kick in. It will also turn on if the battery is dying, or if you mash the gas pedal.
Until you can live out your dream of residing in a compound with exclusively other Corvette owners who love the sound of the vehicle’s engine, this is a smart feature to utilize to keep the neighbors on your good side.
Don’t worry, Chevy didn’t design the sound of the E-Ray just to appease your neighbors. They know that you want to hear the engine of this masterpiece. That’s why you will love the visceral sound experience that kicks in at higher speeds with the engine. The front electric motor essentially harmonizes with the LT2 engine to make a sound that will ignite something deep inside of you and make every penny spent on the E-Ray feel worth it.
Superior Charging
The E-Ray includes some unique charging capabilities. Charge+ mode enhances the battery charging, aggressively calling on the car’s regenerative powers so it can go from empty to full in just a few miles.
Speaking of regenerative powers, the E-Ray’s got plenty of them. First, there’s coast regen, where the vehicle snags a bit of energy anytime you release the throttle. Then there’s brake-apply regen, which you’ve likely seen in other hybrids, putting energy back into the batteries when you brake. Finally, there is through-the-road regen. This one’s a bit more complicated, but basically it involves the front-mounted electric motor transitioning into regen mode under certain road conditions.
Between these three regen modes and the Charge+, it’s easy to maximize how much time you spend in electric mode on the E-Ray.
Staggered Wheels
When you see the E-Ray, you’ll instantly notice that the tires and wheels are larger on the back than on the front. This looks cool, and lends to the overall wider stance of the E-Ray compared to the standard Corvette. It also provides improved balance and grip, which can mean even better acceleration.
By the way, those staggered wheels are wrapped in all-season-tires. You might not have expected that from a sports car that’s mainly made for the tracks or paved roads, but this E-Ray is actually ready to handle some poor weather conditions, too.
Styling That Sticks Out
We’ll skip the part where we pretend people who drive E-Rays don’t want attention. A car like this is made to turn heads, and Chevrolet was unapologetic in its design choices here.
First, you get 14 exterior color choices, and they are anything but subtle. Get ready for Torch Red, Bright Orange, Metallic Red, Silver Metallic… You get the idea.
There are standard flash badging elements throughout the vehicle and aluminum wheel finishes. Plus, its slender and long headlights look like snake eyes. It’s quite the site to behold.
Speed Never Looked So Good
If you’ve waited your whole life to pull the trigger on a Corvette, maybe it’s finally time. The E-Ray is a masterpiece, offering all of the thrills you want from a sports car, combined with the practicality of a hybrid vehicle. Its charging system is brilliant, and Chevy has found several ways to let the vehicle reclaim battery power. Plus, that Charge+ mode lets you take on extra laps, even when your battery is near empty. Chevy knows that E-Ray drivers won’t want to slow the fun for any reason, not even to recharge a battery.
Stealth mode is a very smart addition. Too long have sports car drivers been the menace of their neighborhood, battling it out with irritated neighbors. You can’t help it that your four-wheeled baby has a loud voice, right? Well, you actually can now, at least under 45 mph, thanks to stealth mode. These are just some of the features that really make the E-Ray worth a visit to your local Chevy dealership.
