Can't build Z06s- why introduce Eray?

[chevyrules]

Agree...What will happen when the next variant is ready to roll out?..Where will the 4 door Corvette ,or the SUV Corvette be built? A separate production facility?...And what about the Grand Sport ot the ZR-1 and the Zora?...

The 4 door 'Vette and SUV will be built in LGR most likely. Most definitely not BGA. Two entirely separate architectures and platforms not compatible with the C8's platform.

There are no indications of a Grand Sport happening. ZR1 will likely be 3000 or less a year. Zora maybe 1000 at most. That is if Zora and or ZR1 don't get combined or Zora eliminated due to the delays. The 4,000 for ZR1/Zora will be taking can easily be taken from SR capacity as well. I think GM will be fine with keeping SR's backlog around a year.

[Gen8Ynot]

What you're saying is correct, however, the issue is building them. Lets use round numbers... If GM can only make 10 Z06s a day and have 1000s of people in line, what is the point of starting ERay production? Eray will only cut into Z06 production because they come down the same line. So now what? GM builds 5 Erays and 5 Z06s? That does not equal more money. Even if GM gets Z06 production up, they still won't be able to keep up with demand for a couple of years. THERE IS NO DROP IN CORVETTE DEMAND so why introduce a new model??? The same number of Corvettes built a week will still remain the same! They are rushing Eray production and something tells me that Z06 production will be very very limited or seize in the next year.

Agree...What will happen when the next variant is ready to roll out?..Where will the 4 door Corvette ,or the SUV Corvette be built? A separate production facility?...And what about the Grand Sport ot the ZR-1 and the Zora?...

[Michael]

I do not think E Ray will harm Z06 production that much. E Ray will eat into Stingray production much like Z06 is. It would be great if GM could in theory do 80 Z06's a day while they do 100 Stingrays a day, but I don't think they can even if the supply chain is 100% restored and no constraints. I think the best we can hope for with Z06 is ~50 a day which is roughly the peak that C7 Z06 hit. But who knows if GM can get C8 Z06 to that level. I think we will be lucky if C8 Z06 peaks at 40 a day. E Ray can then take another 40-60 slots leaving Stingray at 80-100 a day.

That's true. From a financial standpoint, it would be better to cut into $60K Stingray production to create $100K Z06s and E-Rays.

[JB]

$$$$$$. GM will get massive tax credits for the Eray. I mentioned this in a prior post but everyone kept thinking I was referring to the $7,500 tax credit. I am referring to the billions of dollars in EV credits that GM gets on GM's corporate tax return, even gets costs of retooling paid for, credits for labor, .r & d credits and more.

I think you might be right. Hopefully the eray helps their corporate fuel economy more than the Z06 hurts it. It is possible something lime government regulations such as cafe numbers could be at play.

none of us know yet Im willing to go eray instead of z06 to do my part.

both upmarket models do seem exciting and well worth the anticipated or recently announced pricing.

[Phil1098]

As a guy who will be daily driving a C8, that is terrifying to hear.

Parts availability is why I would never own a Tesla at this point.

It crosses my mind almost every drive out. Deer are everywhere around here, and often zig when they should zag. Parts is one thing, if it has any structural damage, it has to go to a GM aluminum chassis repair approved shop. There aren't that many of those and if you aren't, GM will not sell you the structural pieces required for the repair.

[mozart]

$$$$$$. GM will get massive tax credits for the Eray. I mentioned this in a prior post but everyone kept thinking I was referring to the $7,500 tax credit. I am referring to the billions of dollars in EV credits that GM gets on GM's corporate tax return, even gets costs of retooling paid for, credits for labor, .r & d credits and more.

[richardsperry]

My answer is simple. General Motors is a VERY large company and it has inertia. Things are planned at a corporate level YEARS ahead of time, with almost no flexibility for unseen events. Engineering, marketing, logistics, design, all move, pulling or pushing all the other ones. When one (logistics) stalls, they get run over. The C8 cycle was planned years ago, along with the timing of the Z06, the E ray, the Zr1, the Zora... (if they do in fact decide to go that route.) But the E-Ray? It's really just a minor thing. Part Z06, part SR, with a battery and front electric drive, and the SR was actually humming along..

[RiptideC8]

Maybe it's not publicized, but certain SMC body parts for the C8 can be scarce. No problem replacing the rear bumper, but it took 7 months (May to Dec 2022) to obtain a left quarter panel.

As a guy who will be daily driving a C8, that is terrifying to hear.

Parts availability is why I would never own a Tesla at this point.

[RiptideC8]

For the same reason ERAY was created in the first place.
To maximize profit.

[sawdust]

That assume body parts are the constraint, which I think is unlikely.

Maybe it's not publicized, but certain SMC body parts for the C8 can be scarce. No problem replacing the rear bumper, but it took 7 months (May to Dec 2022) to obtain a left quarter panel.

[meyerweb]

The production equation will have to take into account how many people are walking away to another manufacturer due to the delays. Anyway, there is no perfect decision in business, only a best one given the trade offs.

Just wondering: what cars that actually compete with the Corvette are easier to come by? Certainly not Porsche.

Because the eray shares a lot more exterior parts with the z06 and the constraints would be shared between the two most likely.

That assume body parts are the constraint, which I think is unlikely. The same vendor, using the same processes and materials, makes the body parts for the Stingray and Z06. Since there are no apparent constraints on Stingray body parts, I don't see why there would be issues with the Z06 parts. It seems far more likely that if Z0 6production is constrained by supply issues, they're related to the completely different engine in the Z.

[bartruff]

By introducing as many models as practical priced above the bargain priced Stingray, Chevrolet gives buyers the opportunity to pay over six figures for a Corvette. Presumably, these higher priced models have more profit than the Stingray.

The greater the proportion of customers opt for a non Stingray, the more revenue, and presumably more profit, accrue to the overall Corvette brand.

Really, that is the only answer that makes sense....and that doesn't make any sense. They must know something we don't....and can't guess.....IMHO of course....

[cregar]

They all come down the same line. SR, Z06, E Ray. Why do you think E Ray will cut Z06, but not SR?

Because the eray shares a lot more exterior parts with the z06 and the constraints would be shared between the two most likely.

[brad66]

In a perfect world, no Covid, no supply chain issues, no bad weather including a tornado, they would be much closer to meeting the demand for all variants of the C8.

Also, would you rather they go back to the line speed of prior generations and sacrifice quality?

Back in 2019 before production of the C8 began, they announced the addition of a second shift. They knew what they had with the car and that demand would be high. Then Covid hit and their plans were turned upside down.

[DBurnett]

Lots at variables that would impact daily production. The Stingray has 3 years of production and you would think it’s almost routine now….the Z06 is more complex and while production is ramping up, it’s still slow….and remember the Z07 cars only have one at a time on the line. The Eray shares the bodywork from the Z and the ICE from the stingray with a complex electrical system, an additional battery, motor, drive system, wiring, etc. I’m guessing ramp up for these cars will be equally as slow as the Z06.