Former Vice President and current Presidential candidate Joe Biden is an unrepentant fan of the Chevrolet Corvette. In fact, he personally owns a green 1967 Corvette convertible, which just so happens to have a starring role in a recent video he tweeted out in support of his presidential campaign.
As much as we love hearing the sound of a V-8 spinning toward redline, we know this clip ultimately serves as a prop toward Biden’s political ambitions. We’re not taking a stance one way or the other on the race—this is MotorTrend, not PoliticTrend—other than to point out that it truly seems as though the former Vice President of the United States holds a special place in his heart for the two-seat Chevrolet sports car. His campaign also enjoys puns, as the tweet reads “There’s been a lot of talk about my vetting process lately”—an apparent reference to his own search for a running mate.
Moving beyond the political, Biden might have let slip a couple of details about the Corvette’s future in the video. The Democratic candidate claims a battery-electric powertrain will motivate an upcoming variant of the fiberglass-bodied Chevy. Biden also notes the Corvette EV will “go 200 mph. ”
We know what you’re thinking—is this real or just a whole bunch of malarkey? Well, Biden does precede the information he shares by stating, “they tell me, and I’m looking forward, if it’s true, to driving one[.]” Admittedly, “they” could be anyone, from General Motors executives to internet forum users, while “if it’s true” implies Biden’s merely repeating a rumor he’s heard.
Nevertheless, GM’s decision to apply for the “E-Ray” trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office late last month only supports Biden’s assertion that a Corvette EV is forthcoming. The American automaker previously applied for both the “E-Ray” and “Corvette E-Ray” trademarks with the USPTO more than five years ago.
Much like Joe Biden’s future in the White House, the Corvette trading its V-8 engine for an electric motor (or motors) is hardly settled. That said, there is strong evidence the eight-generation Corvette will adopt a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain in the coming years. Only time will tell, though, if the E-Ray name ultimately finds its way to a production Corvette, be it on a battery-electric or a hybrid variant of the almost 70-year-old nameplate.
