The 2026 Corvette ZR1X may represent the most extreme performance benchmark in the model’s history, but its cutting-edge hybrid system does not exempt it from federal fuel economy penalties. Chevrolet’s range-topping Corvette will carry a $2,600 gas-guzzler tax, underscoring how firmly the model prioritizes speed and output over efficiency.
The federal gas-guzzler tax applies to passenger vehicles that fail to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s minimum fuel economy threshold of 22.5 miles per gallon. With a combined system output of 1,250 horsepower, the ZR1X easily falls below that benchmark. Despite pairing electrification with a twin-turbocharged internal combustion engine, the ZR1X remains focused on performance, resulting in fuel consumption figures that trigger the additional charge.
Notably, the $2,600 tax applies uniformly across the ZR1X lineup. Buyers will pay the same amount regardless of configuration, including models equipped with either of the available Carbon Aero packages. Those aerodynamic upgrades are designed to increase downforce but also add drag, yet they do not alter the tax assessment.
Within the broader C8 Corvette family, the ZR1X does not carry the highest gas-guzzler penalty. The standard C8 Corvette ZR1 is assessed a higher $3,000 tax. That model uses the same twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 LT7 engine found in the ZR1X, though it lacks the front-mounted electric motor that defines the hybrid variant.
The C8 Corvette Z06 is subject to a $2,600 gas-guzzler tax in base form, with that figure rising to $3,000 when Carbon Aero packages are added. In contrast, the C8 Corvette Stingray and the C8 Corvette E-Ray avoid the gas-guzzler tax entirely.
Fuel economy data further explains the penalty. Natural Resources Canada lists the 2026 Corvette ZR1X at 19.2 liters per 100 kilometers in city driving, 12.7 on the highway, and 16.2 combined. Converted to U.S. measurements, those figures translate to approximately 12 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined. The non-hybrid 2026 Corvette ZR1 posts similar numbers, with EPA ratings of 12 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 14 mpg combined.
All C8 Corvette variants, including the ZR1X, are built on GM’s Y2 platform and assembled at the Bowling Green plant in Kentucky, where Chevrolet’s most advanced performance cars continue to take shape.