Corvette E-Ray banned from competition by NCCC
The Corvette E-Ray is a hybrid, with a drivetrain that powers the front axle via an on-board battery and single electric drive motor. That has put it on the wrong side of the National Council of Corvette Clubs competition rulebook, rendering the E-Ray unwelcome at future track events organized by NCCC. The ban even extends to those who just want to spectate.
This news, reported on CorvetteForum.com, highlights the quickly-evolving landscape that the push for more battery-electric and hybrid powertrain vehicles has created. The specific rule that was amended in the 2022–23 competition rulebook is in section 1.8.1 number 14, and it outlines that any vehicles that possess a “lithium-type battery pack” are to be excluded from competition.
The NCCC’s Michigan website says there are “234 Clubs, in 16 regions, both east and west of the Mississippi … comprised of approximately 17,500 members. The Council’s competition database for 2023 includes mostly low-speed autocross events, but also various types of concours, rallies, cruises, and a handful of time trials.
The second part of this amendment even goes so far as to require that if these vehicles are driven to events, they can’t park with the other Corvettes:
NCCC’s rulebook may strike some as overly cautious or even a little extreme. As CorvetteForum.com points out, however, they’re not operating in a vacuum. Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia recently put a “tactical pause” on hybrid and electric vehicles, “purely based on ensuring we establish an EMS response policy and procedure based on technical knowledge provided by the electric and hybrid electric vehicle industry community,” said the track’s Director of Motorsports Operations.
Many Corvette owners are also keenly aware of Chevrolet’s recent recall efforts regarding Bolt EV fires. Like the Bolt, the E-Ray uses lithium-ion pouch-type batteries sourced from LG Chem. Two years ago the National Transportation Safety Board released a statement regarding the risk posed to first responders handling an incident involving high-voltage lithium-ion batteries. The statement outlined not only the shock risk but also the thermal runaway potential that can lead to re-ignition of what was thought to be a controlled or extinguished fire.
Statistics confirm that gasoline cars actually experience a higher incident rate of fire than pure battery-electric vehicles, but hybrids fare the worst. Perhaps the bigger concern is that our present ability to control and extinguish a gasoline-fueled fire considerably exceeds that of battery fires; until the technology and equipment readily available to first responders catches up, organizers may further amend rules and regulations to fill the gap. We expect hybrid and EV proponents, not to mention E-Ray owners, may in the meantime feel that such policies represent a disproportionate reaction to the degree of risk.
The conditions of track use may subject the electric portion of the Corvette E-Ray’s drivetrain to rapid charging and discharging. Of course, it would be hard to believe that Chevrolet engineers did not account for this when crafting a 655-horsepower supercar that they expect some drivers to bring to the track. How the E-Ray behaves long-term and in the real world will become clearer when the first production examples reach customer hands later this year.
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What a foolish decision. The E ray is faster than the Z06 at the proving grounds. Its not that EV will replace the ICE , its not an either or but as in this case it enhances an already great car. Just more clickbait for the anti EV crowd. I love my Stable of gas powered beasts but look at the popularity of Hybrids in F1, IMSA new GTP class & other endurance series . get over it , people complained about the Audi diesels @ lemans before they saw them dominate. Progress can be fun
I agree completely with PDMRACING. Maybe it makes sense for a small track like Summit Point (where I have participated several times with my Z06 on track days) until they get the response plan right. But this isn’t the first hybrid for street or track. Can’t even park a E-Ray next to other Corvettes in a show? Ridiculous! I would gladly park my ’63 Split Window next to one.
Why? What did your split-window ever do to you?
Good one!
I think that’s what people said when the horseless carrriage made it’s debut.
Left up to parties in charge,horses and cattle are next!They fart too much!
This can not be the the Great racer with the 1940 Stove Bolt from Baldwinville, NY. ??????
It is about safety folks. A mechanic has a very special suit and wires to hook up to a car with lithium batteries( very high voltage) so he does not get electricuted and die. You need your safety teams at these tracks to be certified to handle an electrified car, that has ran off the track or crashed and may have damage. Wearing the proper gear, knowing how to disconnect electric power to get the driver out safely and move the car. Safety
That’s why they can’t park in Walmart parking lots, either. Oh, wait….
If you can’t beat them then you ban them. This is just babies crying their precious cars will be less competitive. Remember nascar banning the daytona and superbird? Same thing.
And MotoGp banning the rotary motorcycles also.
I agree,the 2024 is not a Corvette,it’s something shoved up your rear end!
Yeah, I haven’t decided if this is paranoia or jealousy/fear of being upstaged. Either way, there are treatments for those ailments! 😁
Watch this video. 2 battery explosions under 19 seconds, no one near the ebike.
It will show why they are concerned
https://www.facebook.com/GDroneSolutions/videos/with-recent-house-fires-which-have-been-caused-by-lithium-batteries-on-electric-/363987635385101/
That is unreal. I can’t imagin what a real battery pack (suitable for a full size car) could do in whatever disaster mode this charging scooter was in. I’m relatively confident in vehicles made by large companys that subject their products to safety testing by thirdpart agencies but how do you keep a car guy from screwing with his car to make go faster, charge quicker or dump more power into the motor? I wouldn’t trust even an electical engineer to modify an electric car that has passed proper third party safety certification.
Why is the term “BEAST” used so much today to describe a car. Seems so childish and foolish to me every time I hear an adult say it. To each there on but aren’t we all adults ???
Ahhhh, car discrimination! Get a lawyer and file a lawsuit!
Good riddance! I am not a fan of any electric car,
That’s really silly. Have they also banned the McLaren P1, the LaFerrari, Porsche 918…
Ironically, Lithium is used to treat anxiety.
Where’s the thumbs up button?
Sounds like a bunch of hand-wringing. Ironic, isn’t it, that such fears seem to permeate the population that would have done anything at all to go faster in the 50s and 60s…
Takes some really great GM engineering to design a car you can’t work on. Maybe, just maybe, someone could take that electric stuff out of it and convert it to a real Corvette.
Even better, put a Ford engine in it!
like your EMustang
I’ll give the car & GM credit for it being a hybrid instead of the current “total EV at all costs” mentality most companies have. However slight the risk of spontaneous fire is for this car, I don’t blame the NCCC people for not wanting them parked with the rest of the cars. Would you want your classic or current Corvette burnt to the ground because it was parked next to this car?!!
Here’s the answer tor both GM and NCCC. Just Google –First Tellurium CEO Comments on Tellurium Extending
I think my phone’s battery poses more of a fire risk than the Vette’s. Doesn’t the eRay have something like a 1.9kw/h with 10 miles of range?
Your phone will only burn you and would be a small fire that can easily be isolated, moved to a safe location, or smothered with a coffee can. Little different than a 200lb battery in a car that’s on fire.
Look here is what is going on. This is a new deal and many racing events are just not trained or set to deal with EV models yet.
Often safety groups at these events are volunteers and they may never have gotten the training to deal with these models yet.
When Ford was showing off the Mustang EV the car not that min van. They were testing ideas with the NHRA. One was to have a light that if the body was shorted the light would come on as a warning.
There is much to learn and that is not just the safety people but the public in general.
The web has clouded much on this topic for both sides of the argument.
The real truth is many ice mid engine cars burn every year but the twist here is how to deal with the new tech.
I agree. Having been in a burning car on track, it was amazing how the fire was extinguished in seconds with a clear liquid chemical from a spray bottle.
That’s a huge difference from a battery fire, where the current safety protocol is to douse the batteries for 30 minutes after the fire is extinguished. The lack of technology to quickly suppress battery fires, limit collateral damage, and to get an event back to green flag outweighs the environmental optics.
There are two issues here. The immediate issue is that lithium-ion batteries have a history of starting fires. This has brought planes down, burned up cars and created a level of hazard that needs to be addressed. I agree very much that we are in a learning curve on how to deal with this. Until we do, it is very wise to take precautions. The second issue is the use of EVs. It is a false issue initiated by EU banning the sale of ICEs, in the future. The pollution factor just moves from the vehicle to the source of the electricity. There is still pollution only its at the place where the electricity is generated and the level of pollution varies depending on the fuel used to generate it. The best solution to date is hydrogen powered vehicles. Only emission is H2O. Meanwhile, there is a ton of profit to be made.
Cancel it
Corvette owners in general are a pretentious bunch. Always have to exclude anything different. Happens at every cruise or show I go to. This ain’t NASCAR… Enjoy the tech! None of us would have half of what we own without it!
Who really cares? Seriously, this is just ridiculous.
Who cares what’s under the hood? I don’t care if it has Briggs and Stratton in it. If it says Corvette, it counts. Now for competition, there needs to be updated safety for new tech., but that should be temporary and not matter to those who are just parking in the lot. Bunch of pretentious b-tards.
No doubt a huge disappointment to seventy year old men and automotive YouTubers.
They are following a great racing tradition. If it is faster than your car, ban it!
I totally get it that on the track, not having a fire safety protocol in place makes sense. It’s like if there were a new gasoline out that stayed burning after coating it in standard extinguishing chemicals.
What is not being addressed or clarified is: Are we no longer allowed to park our Tesla, Taycan, Prius, Lightning 150, etc. etc. at an event as a spectator? What exactly makes a race event parking lot different from WalMart’s parking lot? I think this is where there will be genuine questions and feelings of “EV Social Exclusion.”