It was all a simple misunderstanding. At least that’s what Deb Murphy, the president of the National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC) said in her latest “President’s Message” following a wave of concern surrounding a rule that appeared to ban the 2024 Corvette E-Ray from participating in its events.
Last month, the media, including Carscoops, picked up on an amendment in the NCCC’s rule book from November 2022 (section 1.8.14) that prohibited “Electric Vehicles / Hybrids using lithium type battery packs” at its competitive events. An apparent reaction to the difficulty of putting out EV battery fires, the club went so far as to mandate that any such vehicles that were even driven to its events park 30 feet away from structures and other vehicles.
But on Friday, April 28, the NCCC sent out a statement via email announcing that it had adjusted the rule to allow for the inclusion of hybrid cars while still banning pure EVs:
“National Council of Corvette Clubs has adjusted section 1.8.14 of our event rules to allow for the inclusion of hybrid vehicles in NCCC events. The rule was originally intended to only apply to fully electric vehicles. The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will be allowed to compete. I believe the quickest Corvette in history will be a great addition to our future events.“
In her President’s Message posted on May 1, 2023, Murphy explicitly stated that hybrids and Corvette E-Rays are welcome at NCCC events adding that she “can’t wait to see E-Rays competing at our events!”
Murphy went on to say that the Corvette E-Ray “has been extensively tested in rigorous track environments,” quoting Corvette marketing manager Harlan Charles. Interestingly, last month, Corvette Blogger reported that Charles was looking to get in touch with the club. He added at the time that the furor over the amendment was the result of a misunderstanding.
Despite this victory for buyers of the 2024 Corvette E-Ray, the quickest production vehicle ever to bear the nameplate, fully electric vehicles are still banned from participating in NCCC competition events. While that’s an academic issue at this moment, since there are no electric production Corvettes, it may become a bigger problem in the future, as GM looks to electrify its entire lineup by the end of the decade.
