Electric ‘Vette: Chevrolet Corvette to abandon V8 engine

The Chevrolet Corvette will be fully-electric by 2035, dropping the petrol V8 engine which has powered the sports car since 1955.

The revelation comes as parent company General Motors announced overnight its entire passenger car fleet would be battery-powered by the mid-2030s.

While GM's all-electric push will exclude 'medium-' and 'heavy-duty' models within the Chevrolet and GMC pick-up range, it's understood the announcement includes future generations of the Corvette sports car.

The news comes just days after Ford attempted to downplay rumours of its Mustang moving to an electric powertrain by the end of this decade.

Earlier this month, company insiders revealed a Corvette sub-brand was currently in development by the American car giant, and will launch a number of sporty SUV models wearing the iconic 'Crossed Flags' badge.

"What I can tell you is that 'Corvette' is an extremely strong sub-brand, capable of being carefully expanded," former GM executive Bob Lutz told CarAdvice at the time.

MORE: Corvette sub-brand could launch electric SUV to fight Mustang Mach-E

Above: GM CEO Mary Barry showing then-Vice President Joe Biden a Chevrolet Corvette.

While Mr Lutz's comments related to the development of an electric SUV, it's clear General Motors shares a similar level of faith in the Corvette name.

Only two years ago, General Motors CEO Mary Barra revealed the company was exploring all options.

"We look at a variety of things as we go forward and we recognize the strength of the Corvette brand," Ms Barra told an analyst during an earning call in November 2019.

"Today we announced our plans to become carbon neutral by 2040, in our products and operations, globally," Barra said in a statement posted to LinkedIn overnight.

"As one of the world’s largest automakers, we hope to set an example of responsible leadership in a world that is faced with climate change."

MORE: GM to drop petrol and diesel engines by 2035, but rules out bigger pick-ups
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