GM Launches Hybrid Engine Corvette E-Ray with Four Wheel Drive

General Motors Co on Tuesday, January 17 launched a new Corvette hybrid sports car (photo: twitter @corvettemuseum)

JAKARTA - General Motors Co. on Tuesday, January 17  launched its new hybrid Corvette sports car that uses an electric motor and battery to increase acceleration and drive on snow.

The Corvette E-Ray - a play on the name Stingray used for the petrol-powered version of the sports car - was revealed on the 70th anniversary of the original Corvette's debut. GM executives have previously said a hybrid, petrol-electric, version of the supercar automaker was coming.

The Corvette E-Ray will use a 12-volt lithium-ion battery and a 160 horsepower electric motor to drive the front wheels. The 495 horsepower V-8 petrol engine will drive the rear wheels as in other Corvettes.

GM says the hybrid system will accelerate the E-Ray to 60 miles per hour in 2.5 seconds, making it the fastest production Corvette ever.

“The E-Ray will also be able to operate in battery-only “stealth mode” for short distances,” GM said, citing Reuters.

The E-Ray is the first Corvette to be equipped with all-wheel drive. Many rear-drive Corvettes spend the winter in their owners' garages immobilized in snowy tangles.

"The E-Ray is a derivative of the current Corvette and does not use GM's latest Ultium battery technology," GM executives told reporters in a press briefing. While a fully electric Corvette is coming, GM executives are not saying when.

The E-Ray is slated to go into production later this year with prices starting at $104.205 (IDR 1.5 billion).