The Corvette E-Ray name may disappear as Chevrolet shies away from the electric car shadow
The Corvette E-Ray may soon disappear, at least on the badge. According to several reports, Chevrolet is considering renaming its hybrid sports car the Grand Sport X, because the current name leaves some buyers confused. In the car market of 2026, that single letter E already sounds dangerously close to a warning label for a full electric car, not a helpful accomplice sitting alongside a V8.
The name that may have done the car no favours
According to leaked information, the change forms part of the planned C8 Corvette update. GM Authority reported that Chevrolet wants to drop the E from the name because some buyers mistakenly assume the E-Ray is a fully electric model, and that bit of marketing fog may be holding sales back. Chevrolet has not made any official announcement, so for now the story rests on sources rather than a stage managed reveal.
The hardware is not going anywhere
The current Corvette E-Ray is no quiet coupe clinging nervously to a charging cable. It pairs a 6.2 litre V8 with an electric motor on the front axle, creating an all wheel drive hybrid. Chevrolet unveiled the car in January 2023 as the first electrified, all wheel drive Corvette. Total output stands at 655 hp, or 481 kW, and the car can travel briefly on electric power alone at speeds of up to about 72 km/h. That is where the confusion begins. It is not an electric car, but the name clearly nudges some people towards exactly that conclusion.
Grand Sport X could bring a more sensible logic
If the plan goes ahead, the name change would arrive with a broader update for the 2027 model year. According to GM Authority, the Grand Sport X could gain a new 6.7 litre LS6 V8 and a hybrid system, lifting combined output to around 720 hp. Chevrolet already uses similar logic with the ZR1X, where the emphasis falls on performance and drivetrain rather than on any electrification label. The Grand Sport name itself already carries weight in Corvette history, having previously identified the version that sat between the Stingray and the Z06.
This says quite a lot about the twitchy vocabulary of the modern car market. Electrification has tangled names, meanings and expectations so thoroughly that a single letter can send a sports car to the wrong shelf. When a manufacturer feels the need to rename a hybrid just to save it from misunderstanding, the old truth returns with a smirk. Sometimes the badge sells just as much as the engine.
