2019 Genovation GXE Put to the Test by Motor Trend
Corvette swaps its big block for big batteries in this performance EV reated by Genovation. Meet the GXE, paving the way for the next generation of electric vehicles.
'Evette'
If you haven't heard of it, Genovation Cars is a company based out of Maryland working on the development of green electric vehicles. They are pushing the state of the art boundaries of performance EVs in an effort to accelerate production of sustainable EV technology. What you see above may look like a regular Chevrolet Corvette C7, but what you're actually looking at is the 2019 Genovation GXE Corvette. According to Genovation, the GXE reimagines the American icon as an all-electric supercar that can achieve speeds in excess of 220 mph. Motor Trend recently got behind the wheel of this 'Evette'.
Franken-Vette
To create this badass EV machine, Genovation starts with a new or lightly used Corvette Grand Sport, removes front/rear fascia, hood, side-view mirrors, engine, suspension, wheels, gas tank, and interior. From there, the Victor Frankenstein-like scientists at Genovation do a complete rebuild of the car inside and out to convert it into the electric supercar you see before you.
Batteries Required
The GXE trades Chevy's beloved 6.2-liter V8 for a set of five separate packs of nickel-cobalt-aluminum/nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries (optimized for power delivery rather than density) strategically placed throughout the chassis. According to Motor Trend, the 800-volt system uses F1 supplier Rinehart Motion Systems inverters. Under the direction of powertrain control designed by Stafl Systems, the system feeds a pair of 300-kW/475-Nm AMRacing electric motors. The GXE throws down a whopping 800 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque to a single output shaft. The batteries, inverter, and motors are all liquid cooled, and the stock transaxle and beefed-up rear differential send power to the rear wheels with Genovation's traction control, which is apparently 100 times quicker to react than the stock system.
Eight-Speed Automatic
Yes, you read that correctly. The Genovation GXE uses an eight-speed automatic transmission to get it up to speed. Motor Trend stated that from 6,500 rpm and on, the electric motors enter a constant-power regime, thereby the need for the gears. When they got behind the wheel, Motor Trend noted it was disorienting to not have engine revs to cue shifts amongst other expected sensory experiences you expect from a car.
Motor Trend's Thoughts
Motor Trend testers made several interesting notes during their test of the Genovation GXE. First, there noticed little motor whine, and acceleration was very linear. In addition, there was no squat, dive, or roll thanks to the replacement coil-over dampers which are active. Motor Trend also noted very little regenerative braking, which is typical of most EV's; being a performance EV, regenerative braking doesn't seem like much of a priority.
Final Word
If you have $750,000 lying around somewhere and you're passionate about fast cars that are fossil-fuel free, then you're looking at the right car. It's 1,000 pounds more than the gas-powered Grand Sport it's derived from. It can go over 200 mph, and the on-going adjustments to the driving dynamics are bound to make it one of the best performance EVs available as we continue to move towards an electric future. While the price tag may be out of most buyers price range, Genovation is setting the stage nicely for what's to come in the realm of mass-market performance EVs.
