VetteND

We now know the ERay will have a 1.9KW battery and produce 160hp however other then regen breaks how will the battery be charged?

MDawg

Alternator I'm sure. Probably will act like my Wrangler 4xe where even when the battery shows 0, the engine is attempting to keep 10% of the actual capacity on hand.

Red Mist Rulz

Larger alternator plus (probably) regen braking.

Atari_Prime

I haven't been overly interested in the E-Ray so the answer to my question is probably somewhere in the data, but it is along the same vein as what you post. But let me simplify, is it a mild hybrid like the Land Rover Defender V6...meaning no plug-in, or is it like a Volvo XC90 T8 where the battery portion requires you to plug it in.

If the former, great, if the latter, deal breaker. Nothing can give me back the time I sit waiting for the car to charge.

CamsC8

This video should help:

Atari_Prime

Ok, after reviewing the video (thank you for that) and reading some other data. This is a mild hybrid, meaning you do not plug it in. Which is great!

The E-Ray recharges itself via several methods, one of which is regenerative braking. If you haven't experienced a car with regenerative braking, I highly recommend you do so before buying the E-Ray. Essentially, there are motors attached to the brakes that create energy and send it back to the battery. The consequence of this is that the car slows down in an unnatural manner. For me this results in getting car sick. Go test drive a Tesla and you will learn what this feels like and if you will be impacted the same way.

My other thought...the E-Ray weighs 4,056 lbs. Hey there chunky monkey. By contrast the Z06 weighs 3,637 lbs. Still a bit chunky but 4,000 is too much. There goes all your maneuverability. By contrast, a C4 ZR-1 weighed 3,203 lbs. and a 2022 Miata weighs 2,403 lbs. In short, take it out on twisty track and that fancy 655 HP E-Ray is going to lose to a lowly 181 HP Japanese convertible.

Kodiak Bear

I think the regenerative braking charging is via a driver control button. Don't punch it and no regen. The other means of charging are automatic, ie via a alternator on the IC engine.

undecided1965

The same motors that produce the power can also generate electricity. No need for additional generators.

JerryU

From and enginnering effiency point sure hope it's mostly regen. Article says it quick charges. Braking energy is very high. A 160 hp motor can became a very larger generator and quickly charge that small 1.9 kWh battery. A ~5 hp alternator not so much and a waste of gasoline.

Of interest, I first wrote and posted my many page PDF about the C8 Hybrid in December 2019 (been continually update will have to include this new data!) That was after the February 2019 leak by Andy Pilgrim and the November 2019 article with details close to what we have seen (including that 1.9kWh battery and huge tires.) I included this comment: An R&T article by Jason Cammisa had an interesting comment re the brake by-wire assist related to the C8 Hybrid:
"Once you start thinking about a hybrid Corvette (by-wire assist) really starts to pay dividends. Hybrids use blended brake systems that continually shift braking duties between regenerative braking and conventional friction braking. This leads to inconsistent and unusual pedal feel that a by-wire assist eliminates!"
I recall F1 drivers having to balance how much friction brake they used for an upcoming turn integrating “if” their KERS would be aggressively charging their small battery. Sounds like “by-wire assist” can help compensate for that variability.

m2man

45 grand for 300 pounds of battery and one motor. Biggest rip off ever. I suppose you get the wide body kit, but still.

EvanZR1

GM has had regenerative braking down for quite a while. My wife has had both a Volt and a Caddy ELR (which I drove daily for about 6 months, and drive often when we're going out). They both have two modes, one that behaves just like a normal car and one that is essentially one-pedal driving. In either mode, the brakes "feel" completely natural and you don't really notice the cutover from regen to mechanical brake force. In the "TheStraightPipes" video on the E-Ray, they specifically state that the GM team assured them the brakes feel natural, and I'd be very surprised if GM didn't get the brake feel right on the E-Ray. On both the Volt & ELR, if you leave it in normal "drive" mode on the transmission, it coasts and behaves just like a normal gas car when you lift off the throttle, with the "L" mode on the trans being one-pedal driving where it will actively gather energy when you lift the throttle (effectively braking, though it's all from the motors, not the mechanical brakes). If the person driving isn't familiar with one-pedal driving, this can absolutely cause some discomfort to passengers. I would guess that normal driving in the E-Ray will be like a normal "drive" mode that coasts just like normal when you lift, but that the Charge+ button on the E-Ray is going to perform something similar to one-pedal driving with active regen. Although from the description it may be even more aggressive as it's intended for track use, so I'd guess it goes to max regenerative braking as soon as you lift off the throttle to recuperate as much energy as possible and help with the mechanical braking going into a corner (it'll be interesting to see what the braking numbers look like in Charge+ mode if it's doing both max regen and mechanical braking together).

As to weight, your numbers are off. The lightest (1990) C4 ZR-1 was mid 3400lbs and went up from there. All the articles and videos I'm seeing are claiming 300lb gain for the E-Ray vs the Z06, which honestly isn't that bad to add electric FWD system, and GM has done a great job with mag ride of making heavy cars (Cadillac CT6-V Blackwing, Camaro, etc) handle incredibly well. And no, unless it's something like an autox course designed for a Miata, given equally competent drivers a Miata is not going to outrun an E-Ray on a road course. It may carry similar corner speeds (different ways to do it: light with smaller tire vs heavy with wide tires), but the E-Ray is going to put the power down out of the corner really well and just leave it behind on any straights.

Atari_Prime

Pulled up the numbers from the books...and yes, the Miata would win.

Kodiak Bear

IMO, the eAWD that is mentioned in the article may well be the key to all this. Apparently it does a LOT of things about "learning" and "doing" of the regen as well as controlling the wheel drive system."The 2024 Corvette E-Ray’s electrified propulsion system provides exhilarating acceleration to power out of corners and effortlessly complete passing maneuvers. It can also provide limited all-electric propulsion at the driver’s discretion upon startup.

E-Ray’s standard Active Fuel Management system uses the electric motor to extend 4-cylinder operation in various driving scenarios.

The amount of electric assist is tailored within each of the Corvette E-Ray’s six driver-selectable modes: Tour, Sport, Track, Weather, My Mode and Z-Mode. Drivers can also select the Charge+ feature which maximizes the battery’s state of charge."

oregonsharkman

If there's no way to externally charge the EV batteries, the Eray is going to be terrible for people who only drive the car periodically or store it for the winter.

I am interested in comments on whether or not a trickle charger/battery maintainer would be a potential way to keep the battery pack charged.

JerryU

Thanks for that detail! As you say they have experience and will get it right!

I'm also anxious to see how it feels coming out of an apex! Will let some pro's provide their reviews before trying. By the time I get one will be lots of reviews!

BlueDevlZ06

I see it comes standard with CCBs. I’m wondering if the regenerative braking has anything to do with that. That’s an $8k option on the Z06, has to be some sort of reason to make them standard equipment in the ERay. Any thoughts?

JerryU

I had thought that was a place the hybrid could help even the EPA mpg Highway Cycle. So some help even on an interstate. Rather than switch back to V8 for slight hills the hybrid can kick-in!

EasyLivin

That's how most Hybrids do it...

JABCAT

My BMW 330e uses regenerative braking and recharges while coasting. It took just a little bit to get used to, but now it's very predictable and in many driving situations I don't even have to use the brakes. When I do use the brakes the vehicle slows/stops no different than any of my other vehicles.

235265283...

The e-Ray has the simplest possible hybrid architecture. No plug-in charging. No direct charging of the batteries by the engine. But indirect charging through regenerative braking. Or, if you aren't doing much braking, you can manipulate a control so that (to put it bluntly) the regenerative front-wheels-only braking is on slightly as you are driving along. So this is sort of an indirect charging by the engine. That's how I understand it.

PS: Interesting sound bite from SAE Sherman article: e-Ray batteries have 1/7 the capacity as Prius batteries.