Chevrolet’s want to construct an electrical Corvette is dissipating. It has been three years since Normal Motors President Mark Reuss teased a “totally electrical, Ultium-based Corvette,” however Chevy is not in a rush to make that dream a actuality. Because the Corvette’s boss, Tony Roma, places it bluntly in a latest interview: “No person desires that.”

Roma advised Autocar that he wouldn’t construct an electrical Corvette that didn’t dwell as much as the mannequin’s heritage. “The badge means one thing to individuals,” he advised the publication. Roma mentioned that when individuals purchase a Corvette, they do it as a result of they need “one thing particular”—they wish to be “engaged within the artwork of driving.” He continued:

‘I am not gonna make an EV and put a Corvette badge [that isn’t worthy] of the model’s 70-plus years of historical past. No person desires that. Sorry, I’ll stand agency on that. The badge means one thing to individuals.’ — Tony Roma, Govt Chief Engineer of the Corvette

And there are many engineering challenges that might hinder the Bowtie model from making one thing that Corvette patrons need. Based on Roma, an electrical Corvette would want the right power-to-weight ratio with the electrical elements, the suitable worth, and the suitable vary; and even then, there are different challenges past that.

Roma admits that quickly, each automotive might be “extremely quick,” and that the Corvette would have to be “partaking” in new methods as a result of pace and 0-60 mph occasions have gotten “meaningless” metrics with electrical automobiles. As soon as Chevy can “work out” the way to make an electrical ‘Vette stand out, “we are going to,” he says, “however we’re not going to do an electrical model of the automotive simply to do it.”

He mentioned the Corvette will grow to be electrical when an “all-electric automotive is healthier than what we now have proper now. And till then, we’ll proceed to do what we’re doing proper now.” He added that Chevy must get “that visceral connection, that character that you just wish to interact with, in an electrical automotive.”

Picture by: DW Burnett / Motor1

It is not an outright no, even when it gained’t occur quickly. Roma advised Autocar that “we’ll get there when it is time,” which echoes earlier statements he made after turning into the Corvette’s new boss final 12 months. He mentioned simply months after taking on that Chevy wasn’t “going to use electrification only for the sake of it.”

GM CEO Mary Barra supported Roma, including that the corporate could be “guided by the patron,” and an electrical Corvette isn’t one thing individuals need proper now. Which may change down the street, so one ought to “by no means say by no means,” like Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder.