Corvette E-Ray Fuel Economy Is Worse Than the Stingray, but We’re Still Impressed!

While the Corvette E-Ray gives up a smidge of efficiency to the base Stingray, it more than makes up for that in terms of performance.

The all-new Corvette E-Ray debuted as the very first hybrid Corvette in that model’s long and illustrious history. Whether you love the idea of an electrified Corvette or absolutely hate it, the fact remains, this is a historic machine, one that will seemingly pave the way for a pure EV at some point in the future. Regardless, the mere mention of the word “hybrid” typically conjures up thoughts of improved fuel economy figures and a more economical experience, but as it turns out, that isn’t the case with the Corvette E-Ray.

According to recently-released EPA estimates at fueleconomy.gov, the Corvette E-Ray returns

• 16 mpg city / 24 mpg highway /19 mpg combined

Comparatively speaking, the 2024 Corvette Stingray is rated at

• 16 mpg city / 25 mpg highway /19 mpg combined

At first glance, it might seem a bit disappointing to learn that the cheaper, non-hybrid Stingray is slightly more efficient on the highway, but when we dive into the details, we’re actually impressed. Here’s why…

The E-ray is heavy. The coupe version tips the scales at 3,890 pounds, while the convertible weighs 4,056 pounds – compared to the Stingray at 3,647 pounds. The E-Ray is also roughly 260 pounds heavier than the Z06, with which it shares bodywork.

Despite this disadvantage, the Corvette E-Ray is still the quickest-accelerating Corvette to date, with a 0-60 time of just 2.5 seconds thanks to its 160 horsepower advantage, which we would say negates the one measly mpg loss on the highway compared to the base Stingray, which does the same deed in around 2.9 seconds. We’ll have to wait and see how the two cars stack up against each other on the track to form a consensus opinion, but the E-Ray looks promising in that regard in spite of its added heft as well.

A Little More Context

This comparison also takes us back to 2015, when the C7 Z06 debuted with its supercharged LT4 V8, churning out a cool 650 horsepower compared to the Stingray’s 460, with the performance exhaust. The blower robbed the Z06 of around 6-8 mpg on the highway depending on transmission choice, which is a significant drop.

We’re sure the engineers could have made the E-Ray more of a fuel sipper, but as they said from the very beginning, this hybrid system isn’t about economy. It’s about performance. And the fact that GM was able to add copious amounts of power and performance via a heavy hybrid system in the E-Ray and only drop 1 mpg in the process makes it all the more impressive.

Photos: Chevrolet

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