An electric Corvette is coming - just not yet, GM's top Corvette engineer says
Tony Roma, GM's executive chief engineer for Corvette, reiterated that a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette remains part of the plan and called EVs 'the end game', but he would not provide a timeline.
By CarNews247 Reporter ·
General Motors still intends to build a fully electric Chevrolet Corvette at some point, the company's lead Corvette engineer has confirmed, but the firm is not ready to say when that will happen.
"The electric cars are the end game, so someday there will be an electric Corvette, and I think that’s what Mark was trying to say," said Tony Roma, GM's executive chief engineer for Corvette and Performance Cars.
Speaking on The Drivecast, Roma reiterated GM's commitment to an electric Corvette and described electrification as inevitable—though he also stressed the combustion V8 will remain in the line-up for now.
"Someday we will fully electrify Corvette. But not today," said Tony Roma, GM's executive chief engineer for Corvette and Performance Cars.
GM president Mark Reuss first announced plans for an electric Corvette in 2022, but more than four years on a production EV has yet to appear. With the mid‑engine C8 generation well into its life cycle, some observers see the next C9 as a more plausible candidate for a battery‑powered Corvette, although GM has not confirmed which generation will receive the all‑electric model.
For now Chevrolet has introduced electrification in other ways. The E-Ray pairs a naturally aspirated 6.2‑litre V8 with an electric motor that drives the front wheels to create an all‑wheel‑drive Corvette. More extreme hybrids include the ZR1X, which combines a twin‑turbo 5.5‑litre V8 with an electric motor for a quoted 1,250 horsepower combined output, and the Grand Sport X, which is due in 2027.
Roma said the bigger challenge for a Corvette EV will be ensuring it feels worthy of the badge; beyond instant torque and quick acceleration, weight, handling, driver engagement and the car's emotional appeal are all hurdles reported to be under consideration.
His comments leave room for gasoline and hybrid Corvettes to continue alongside an eventual EV. In Roma's words, electric cars are the 'end game', but the V8 still has 'plenty of life left' and GM has not signalled any immediate plan to abandon combustion across the Corvette family.
