(By Tom Lohnes) – The day has come. Yesterday morning, General Motors posted a video of a prototype Chevrolet Corvette launching itself and drifting on snow pretty much silently. Yes, that’s right, an electric Corvette is confirmed. And, that is actually not a terrible thing. Here’s why.

Yeah, quite a big bombshell was dropped on us this morning, and quite a few Corvette people are mad. But, the addition of a hybridized Corvette and even a full electric model in the near-ish future is a positive impact on the world, and even the Corvette community. Starting with the hybrid, this model will likely use the Grand Sport name and slot between the base Stingray and racy ZO6. It will feature the same LT2 6.2-liter V8 as in the stingray, and with a solid electric boost it will likely make somewhere in the neighborhood of 600-650 horsepower. Think of this as an indirect replacement for the dearly departed Acura NSX. This will be the first electrically assisted Corvette ever, as well as the first all-wheel-drive one. This Corvette will likely be the best all-around choice for buyers, with the best fuel economy and daily drivability in the lineup. Expect prices to start in the mid $70,000 range for the base 1LT model.

Now, moving on to by far the more interesting vehicle in question here, the E-Ray. That’s right, General Motors is going to build a fully electric super/hypercar on the Corvette platform. Now, many believe that this is going to be the top dog in terms of performance, but the E-Ray is expected to be a standalone model in the Corvette lineup, so it doesn’t really compare. Using GM’s new Ultium battery technology, the second-ever electrified/AWD Corvette will use two massive electric motors that are expected to produce over 800 combined ponies. There should also be multiple E-Ray trim levels, so buyers can likely choose if they want their silent Corvette to be mild or wild. I would love to see a full-electric Corvette with the ZO7 performance package.

With these things considered, people are massively overreacting to this. In the past 12 or so hours since the debut happened, I have seen many frantic Corvette people acting like the Earth stopped spinning. Regardless of electrification, there are still three fully-gas models in the Corvette lineup: Stingray, ZO6, and the upcoming ZR1. Also, an absolutely bonkers version of the C8 Corvette is rumored to be coming along with a boosted version of the ZO6 motor with electric assist that could make 4-figure power numbers. If this thing does prevail, all of the “enthusiasts” rejecting electrification will eat their words.

The Corvette Grand Sport is expected to make a debut this year, with sales starting in early 2023. The E-Ray, however, should be pushed back to 2024 or even 2025. Perfection takes time, people.