Corvette Stingray Coupe

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Coupe

The all-new 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will very soon arrive in dealerships, though some reports claim the entire 2020 allocation is already sold out. That's not necessarily a bad problem to have. Chevy needs for the C8 Corvette to be a smashing success, particularly with a younger crowd. This is an early indicator of good things ahead. But like with any Corvette generation, there will be more than one variant aside from the base Stingray coupe and convertible. Two examples: the Z06 and ZR1. The C8, however, is also expected to feature a hybrid variant, something never done before on any previous Corvette.

And, it turns out, Chevy may have accidentally revealed the C8 hybrid's existence in the 2020 Corvette Stingray owner's manual. Corvette Blogger already has a copy of the owner's manual and, while reading through it, noticed something interesting on page 244.

It is written there of a secondary fuse block located under the section of the interior that separates the driver and passenger seats. There are two specific fuse sizes we need to take note of in the included diagram, numbers 7 and 12. As you can see, #7 is a Power Sounder Module/Pedestrian Friendly Alert Function. It turns out this is the same label as Fuse #34 in the Chevy Bolt. The Pedestrian Friendly Alert Function gives EVs a sound to alert pedestrians of the incoming and mostly silent EV.

Fuse #12 reveals a lithium-ion battery module. Now, the Bolt does not have this component and the C8 is also lacking a fuse for a Rechargeable energy storage system like there is in the Bolt. What this does reveal, however, is that the C8 seems likely to utilize a hybrid system designed to use its stored power for quick performance boosts instead of long-range electric power.

For now, Chevy is keeping all C8 Corvette hybrid details a secret, but a previous rumor suggested the hybrid Vette's battery pack will be located within the car's central tunnel and an electric motor powering the front wheels will be located in the frunk. This would mean an all-wheel drive Corvette with as much as 200 horsepower coming from the electric motor alone. It's possible this setup could also be used for future C8 variants, including the ZR1.

No launch date has been provided, but other sources claim Chevy is targeting a 2021 reveal for the first-ever hybrid Corvette.