New Corvette is Already an Antique in the EV Era

General Motors, specifically the Chevrolet division, has again shown why it doesn’t stand a chance with the new wave of the automotive industry. While the automotive world was falling over itself to report on the new Corvette reveal, Tesla shares were skyrocketing. Make no mistake, these two are indeed related and demonstrate why the disrupter to the industry, Tesla, is still very much in the driver’s seat.

The car companies trying not to be the Blockbuster in this Netflix story are rightfully rushing to catch up to Tesla through development and grandiose commitments to be more environmentally friendly. There are numerous announcements every week about innovations in how cars are made and what they are made of. Going against the grain, Chevrolet launched its new signature sports car, which isn’t available until 2023 but is already an antique.

Chevrolet started spamming inboxes to mark an important date for the public reveal of the Corvette. It rolled out short teaser videos and maybe let out a few strategic leaks months prior. All this promotion led to an announcement that Chevrolet is still making vehicles no longer in demand. The company had a perfect pitchman – the President of the United States. Yes, Joe Biden has been teasing, if not promoting, a new electric Corvette for more than a year.

Electric Corvette Get Presidential Treatment

During the campaign, he released a video called Joe Biden Gets Vetted. The 90-second clip was Biden showing us his Corvette and talking cars. It was to make him seem more personable, like a regular car guy. First, he said, “This is iconic industry; how can American-made vehicles no longer be out there? I believe we can own the 21-century market again by moving to electric vehicles.”

That’s not too dangerous, but it’s the following line that must’ve made the GM offices in Detroit erupt. “And by the way, they tell me, and I’m looking forward to driving one if it’s true, they are making an electric corvette that goes 200 miles an hour .. you think I’m kidding, I’m not kidding. So I’m excited about it,” said Biden.

The President doubled down on the electric Corvette while announcing that he signed an Executive Order targeting 50 percent of all new vehicles sold in 2030 are zero-emissions vehicles. He repeated, “I’ve got a commitment from [GM CEO Mary Barra], when they make the first electric Corvette, I get to drive it. You think I’m kidding, I’m not kidding.”

The joke was on him and the consumers expecting Chevrolet to use that Presidential promotion to unveil the new Corvette. I know some gearheads who are cringing while reading this and likely disagree. Several countries, including the United States, are making anything that consumes fossil fuels, like the combustible engine, a thing of the past. Which companies will adapt the fastest is the new race.