Chevy C8 Corvette owner's manual may hint at hybrid model to come
Why would the pages even mention a few key items that lend themselves to an electrified model if one wasn't coming?
The mid-engine, Chevy C8 Corvette Stingray apparently houses a fuse block for some features often reserved for plug-in hybrid models. That's not according to some oddball rumor, but the sports car's owner's manual.
Corvette Blogger first reported the interesting bits of information this past Saturday. With the 2020 Corvette Stingray's owner's manual handy, the eyebrow-raising pieces of info come from page 244, home to a fuse block diagram. Fuse number 7 and fuse number 12 specifically name their functions as a "power sounder module" and "lithium-ion battery module."
The former is for a "pedestrian-friendly alert function," a function the federal government will soon mandate for all cars that operate on battery power under a certain speed. Basically, the car must emit a sound to alert pedestrians of the vehicle, since some hybrids make no noise. EVs are silent all the time, while plug-in hybrids emit no sound while the battery powers the wheels.
Today, the 2020 Corvette houses a raucous 6.2-liter V8 that powers the rear wheels all the time. Why on Earth would the car need this function if something electrified wasn't in the pipeline? I assure you, the V8 is loud.
The latter function relates to any sort of electric power heading to the Corvette's wheels. Of note, this component is not the same as a pure EV. In the Chevy Bolt, a similar diagram describes a rechargeable energy storage system.
This could provide evidence the Corvette's system won't offer any sort of long-range charge, but an electric motor and engine combination will instead focus on boosting performance. Rumors point to the possibility of an e-motor handling power delivery to the front wheels, while an engine powers the rear to create an AWD super Corvette of sorts.
Yet, we obviously can't say for certain what the Corvette team has up its sleeve. Chevy didn't immediately return our request for comment, but it's looking more likely than ever we'll have an electrified model in the future.
