C9 Chevrolet Corvette May Not Be All-Electric After All

Jan. 17, 2023 6:31 AM ET by Jay Traugott Rumor / 6 Comments

A new report claims the next-generation model could ride on an updated C8 platform.

The next-generation Chevrolet Corvette, internally called the C9, may not utilize an all-electric powertrain despite some earlier reports to the contrary. The latest rumor comes from AutoForecast Solutions (AFS), which also provides a tentative timeline for the C8's final years and when the C9 will enter series production. But let's back up and discuss that powertrain rumor.

The report states that GM management may prefer the C9 to ride on an updated version of the C8's platform, dubbed the Y2. It was all-new for 2020, and the C8 is the only GM model to use it. Chances are that will remain the case, and engineers will modify that setup and rename the Y3. The existing platform is capable of electrical assist, proven by the new Corvette E-Ray.

Updating both platform and the hybrid technology is absolutely possible and, equally important, GM may not need an all-electric Corvette just yet. How come? Because of the also rumored EV Corvette sedan and SUV, both part of a new Corvette brand expected to launch in 2025. Both vehicles are expected to ride on the new GM BEV Prime platform, according to the report.

In other words, the Corvette EV four-door liftback sedan and SUV could be the ICE Corvette's saving grace, at least for several more years.

And speaking of which, AFS predicts the C8 will cease production at the Bowling Green, Kentucky assembly plant sometime in June 2028. That eight-year production cycle is in line with previous generations and allows for many updates and new variants.

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Coupe Top View

The C9, meanwhile, is expected to begin production one month later, in July 2028, and will be kept alive until 2035. Beyond that is anybody's guess. Coincidentally (or not), that's the year GM pledged to complete its ICE model phase-out and become EV-only. Several states, such as California, passed bills recently to ban new vehicle ICE sales beginning that year, too.

The point is that Chevy has plenty of time until it needs to launch a Corvette EV. Why rush into things when the Corvette EV sedan and SUV can pave the way first? It's a formula that's working very well for Ford right now with the Mustang and Mustang Mach-E.

What's certain is that the C8 still has plenty of life left in it until its successor arrives. Between now and then, the Corvette sub-brand featuring two new body styles and a BEV architecture will undoubtedly draw lots of attention and discussion.