Chevy’s Decision to Radically Change the Corvette Remains in Limbo, but Should It?

“It can be done,” GM’s President, Mark Reuss, said when asked about an all-electric ‘Vette.

Front view of a silver Chevrolet Corvette with sharp headlights and black mesh grille on a concrete floor.

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Published October 23, 2025

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Updated October 24, 2025

It appears an all-electric Chevrolet Corvette isn’t entirely off the table. In a recent conference, GM’s president, Mark Reuss, admitted that it’s still on the table for consideration and that “it can be done.”

But the big question is: just because they can, should they?

Thankfully, to the relief of many loyal Corvette and sports car fans, an all-electric ‘Vette isn’t going to happen anytime soon. But Reuss also more or less said, never say never, after speaking exclusively with InsideEVs on their Plugged-In podcast.

The Corvette almost went all electric, to the protest of nearly everyone

Orange convertible sports car with large rear wing and silver coupe sports car on a racetrack. — The Chevrolet Corvette will stick to internal combustion power, for now.

It was only a couple of years ago that almost every car manufacturer was gung-ho about going all-in on electrification. This included everything from mainstream vehicles to iconic sports cars.

The latter was met with great protest. Especially when it came to some of the most iconic sports cars, where their entire experience is largely based around the thousands of explosions firing off in a controlled manner.

Orange Chevrolet Corvette convertible with black rear spoiler parked on a black and gray concrete surface. — An electric Corvette was on the brink of happening. But current technology doesn’t favor the idea.

Such controversy included some of the automotive world’s biggest brands, such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin, and even Chevrolet with the Corvette.

Taking away their signature internal combustion engines is like taking the sun away from a summer holiday. What’s the point?

Silver sports car with black roof and rear vents viewed from above on a concrete floor. — The Corvette is embracing electrification to a degree by gaining hybrid power.

But because the industry did a huge about-face on electrification — for a variety of reasons — many automakers are following the trend and keeping internal combustion around. Such is certainly the case with performance cars like the Corvette, and to many fans’ relief.

Silver mid-engine sports car with black roof and rear engine vents, shown from a high rear angle on a concrete floor. — GM President Mark Reuss said current EV technology doesn’t allow the Corvette to maintain its sports car chutzpah.

“I think it can be done,” Reuss told InsideEVs Editor-In-Chief, Patrick George. “We’ve shown a slew of concept cars that were electric-based. I wouldn’t say the propulsion system is something that was true to form on those concept cars, but [they were] very interesting and allowed us to do a lot of different things with form and design and the aesthetic piece.”

An electric Corvette is technically possible, but current technology doesn’t favor the idea

Interior of a modern sports car featuring a carbon fiber steering wheel with orange stitching and digital dashboard displays. — The Corvette continues blending modern technology with an old-school experience.

While Reuss said an electric Corvette is certainly possible, he still addressed the hugely lingering problem with nearly all EVs: weight.

Battery packs are still outrageously cumbersome and added weight isn’t something you want in a performance car. They’re not only supposed to be fast. But the less mass they have to motivate, the faster they are in a straight line and in curvy bits.

Silver and yellow Chevrolet Corvette sports cars on a race track near red and white curbs. — Current battery technology is too heavy and thermally inefficient to work in sports cars like the Corvette.

Reuss continued: “…an all-electric Corvette that can do what a Corvette is supposed to do is not easy right now. What I’m talking about is, when you get into mass, from a vehicle dynamics standpoint, when you get into thermal performance. You can make advances in those, which we have. But I’m not sure the character of the Corvette, and our buyer of the Corvette, is ready to be the recipient of that effort quite yet.”

If someone solves the weight problem, an electric Corvette could become a reality

Black convertible sports car with red racing stripes and red and black interior seats viewed from above. — The wicked Corvette ZR1X is incorporates a hyped-up version of the E-Ray’s hybrid system.

Although Reuss said that an electric Corvette isn’t entirely on the table for the immediate future, it’s not completely ruled out. And it’s down to whether engineers can make the technological advances necessary to solve an EV’s weight problem.

“But, if a day comes with technology changes, [more] lightness, things like that are more achievable, then it seems like it could it be more in line with those values potentially,” Reuss continued in his interview.

Close-up of a black Corvette wheel with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tire and orange brake caliper in sunlight. — Battery pack weigh is the biggest penalty that EVs currently pay.

“They could be, absolutely. But not yet. That’s why we’ve got to keep investing in technology and R&D.”

Weight isn’t the only problem, however. Heat management is also a problem when it comes to high-performance EV applications.

Similar to internal combustion engines, electric motors and battery packs can overheat and incur damaging wear. It’s even a stronger case for battery packs as extreme thermal cycles can also compromise long-term life.

Black sports car with red racing stripes and a large rear spoiler in a dimly lit garage. — A gas-electric hybrid Corvette is the closest it’ll currently get to getting electrified.

So, while the prospect of high-performance electric sports cars seems great in theory, there are still a lot of technological hurdles. As such, sports car and Corvette fans can sleep a little easier at night knowing the model’s signature V8 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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