Chevrolet Confirms an Electric Corvette Is Coming… Someday

The Corvette will go fully electric one day. At least, that’s what Tony Roma, GM’s chief engineer for Corvette and performance cars, told The Drive. “Someday we will fully electrify Corvette,” he said, before quickly adding: “not today.” As for when, he’s keeping his lips sealed.

• GM confirms a fully electric Corvette is on the way, with no date attached

• The current C8 generation already offers three electrified variants

• The C9 is expected in late 2028, but what will power it remains an open question

Multiple personalities

The Corvette’s transformation is already underway. The current C8 is the first generation in the nameplate’s history to embrace electrification, with three variants that add an electric motor to the front axle for all-wheel drive. After the E-Ray, which gives way to the Grand Sport X for the 2027 model year, the ZR1X became the most powerful Corvette ever built, with up to 1,250 horsepower.

In every case, there’s a V8 on board. The V8 has been the heart of the Chevrolet Corvette since 1955. (For the record, the 1953 and 1954 models made do with an inline six alone.)

Back in 2022, GM President Mark Reuss had already floated the idea of an electric Corvette. At the time, the automaker was aiming for an all-electric lineup by 2035, so the Corvette’s fate seemed like a natural part of the plan. That target, however, was scrapped last year in favour of a mixed approach, with gas and hybrid powertrains sharing the stage with electric ones.

A turning point in history

C8 production is expected to wrap up in late 2027 or early 2028, with the C9 following toward the end of 2028. Is that when the Corvette goes all-electric? That might have been a fair bet in 2022, but today, it’s anything but certain.

Some form of electrification is a safe assumption, just as we see now, but there’s no guarantee an EV variant will show up during the C9’s production run. Who knows, maybe it’ll be the C10’s turn.

In fact, if we had to bet on one thing, it would be this: the day an electric Corvette hits the market, it could very well be sold alongside a version that still packs a combustion engine, hybrid or not.

The auto industry is definitely heading toward electrification, and Tony Roma made that clear. The road, however, looks longer than anyone expected. We believe the full switch to electric will play out over a generation of buyers, not a generation of models.

One thing is certain: we’re living through a pivotal moment, and the Corvette captures it perfectly.

And what comes next will be anything but boring.