All-wheel drive traction coming to C8
Electric motors could allow zero-emissions Corvette driving
A new report says that the C8 Chevrolet Corvette will be getting electric power soon. In the form of electronic all-wheel drive.
The leak comes from GM-Trucks.com, and while all jokes aside the C8 is far from a truck, this site also was the first with the C8’s start-up animation screen last year. So when they say that they can confirm the eAWD option, we take it seriously.
According to the site, who said that it has “exclusively reviewed and validated documentation” about the car, the Corvette will get the option of electric all-wheel drive starting in 2023 or 2024.
Documents confirmed the feature to be named eAWD and carrying the RPO code – GM for the three-character code that denotes the feature on the build/order sheet – to be XFD for one model year and then becoming XRD.
While the option was originally expected in 2023, GM has recently had to push models back by months or a full model year, largely due to COVID-19, and so the eAWD system might not arrive until 2024. The report says that while the AWD Corvette would likely be a hybrid, Chevrolet will market it as a performance option, not a hybrid option. Expect electric motors in the front wheels and a frunk-mounted battery.
Silent Corvettes have been spotted already around Detroit, and Joe Biden discussed an electric ‘Vette during a campaign ad, both of which would appear to be firmed up by this report. The site also said that the documents point to two other vehicles getting eAWD along with the Corvette Stingray, but didn’t go into detail about those vehicles.
