Corvette silenced in Europe — at least at start
The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray hybrid launched in Europe with a 'stealth' mode that allows it to start on electric power for silent getaways.
'It's good for neighbor relations when you leave early in the morning,' GM Europe President Pere Brugal said at the supercar's launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 10.
The new model adds a 162-hp electric motor on the front axle mated to a 1.9-kilowatt-hour battery to create the first all-wheel-drive Corvette.
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Overall power is 644 hp and the 0 to 100 kph time is 2.9 seconds, making the E-Ray the quickest production Corvette available in Europe.
The price in the U.K. is £153,440 ($206,000) for the coupe variant, undercutting the Z06 but far above the standard V-8 model at £92,890. Both coupe and convertible versions of the E-Ray will be sold across Chevrolet's 18 European markets.
The hybrid technology gives the U.S. automaker an answer to the increasing number of electrified supercars from European rivals.
'We think the timing is perfect,' Brugal said. 'The hybrid supercar market is experiencing huge growth.'
Half of the models sold in Europe's exotic segment were plug-in hybrids in the first six months of the year, marking 49 percent growth for PHEVs, preliminary figures from market researcher Dataforce show.
Some were SUVs, topped by the BMW XM, but electrified supercars also include the segment's No. 4 seller, the Ferrari 296 GTS, as well as the Ferrari SF90, Lamborghini Revuelto and McLaren Artura.
Lamborghini's new Temerario, a replacement for the Huracan, will also be a PHEV.
The E-Ray is a hybrid rather than a PHEV, but the model will also compete with the new Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid. Like the E-Ray, the 911 hybrid will have a 1.9-kWh battery pack.
The Corvette was GM's bestselling car in Europe in the first half of the year, with volume of 338 — 39 sales ahead of the Cadillac Lyriq full-electric SUV, according to Dataforce figures.
No other models have so far been offered by Cadillac in its launch markets of France, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. More markets and models are coming, but Cadillac is in no rush to announce them. 'We're not here to push metal,' Brugal said.
GM returned to Europe in 2024 with Cadillac after exiting the market in 2017 with the sale of its Opel and Vauxhall subsidiaries to PSA Group. Opel and Vauxhall are now part of Stellantis.
Premium rivals to BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz — along with JLR and Volvo — have found it difficult to gain traction in Europe, but Brugal insists that customers will be lured to Cadillac by the combination of design, brand awareness and technology.
Cadillac has yet to offer its Super Cruise hands-off, eyes-on semi-autonomous driving system in Europe, but that will change next year, Brugal said.
GM has a fleet of vehicles testing Super Cruise on Europe's major highways with the aim of following Ford, which already offers its similar BlueCruise system in certain models, including the Mustang Mach-E full-electric SUV.
Last year, Ford said it won permission to offer BlueCruise in 15 European Union countries over 133,000 kilometers (82,744 miles) of Blue Zones.
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