The internal combustion engine is on the way out, and automakers know that. Chevrolet in particular knows it, and rumor is that one of its next moves will be to electrify the ailing Camaro brand as a four-door performance sedan (via Automotive News)
That makes total sense, when you think about it: Chevy's biggest rivals, Ford and Dodge, are increasingly pushing towards electrification. And with the auto industry slowly making similar EV changes, it’s likely a case of do or die.
- Every electric car coming this year and beyond
- Here are the best electric cars you can buy right now
- Plus: Biden executive order demands 50% electric cars by 2030
By and large Camaro hasn’t been having a good time of it the past few years, having fallen behind it’s two biggest competitors: the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger. In fact, according to Automotive News, 2018 saw the Mustang outsell Camaro by two to one.
Car and Driver also reported that Chevrolet only sold 30,000 Camaros in 2020, which is a 38.3% decrease compared to 2019. The coronavirus pandemic may have influenced that drop, but it’s clear things are not looking good for the brand.
Previous leaks and rumors have speculated that the Camaro was set to be killed off at the end of its current generation, which is expected to be around 2024. However, it seems the plan may be to reinvent the brand via the medium of electrification, and as a four-door sedan at that.
After all, Camaros have only ever been available in two-door variants, meaning this would be a very big change for the brand — assuming the rumors are actually true.
You could argue that a big change like electrification is also the perfect opportunity to offer other big design changes. Plus, if Camaros really are struggling to sell in big numbers, changing up the design might be one of the things the Camaro needs to reinvigorate its sales.
While Chevrolet reportedly declined to comment on the rumors, parent company General Motors has already announced grand plans for electrification, with 30 new electric vehicles set to arrive before 2025 — one of which has an awfully Camaro-looking silhouette, too.
GM has also announced that it intends to be completely electric by 2035, with no gas or diesel-powered vehicles on sale. However, the automaker emphasised that this target was wholly dependent on the market and consumer support for EVs.
We’ll have to see what happens to the Camaro going forward, though that is completely down to Chevrolet making some announcements. For now we don’t even know what’s happening to the current not-electric model.
Rumors have claimed that GM was extending the end of its life from 2024 to 2026, though the automaker said it hasn’t made any announcements about when production on the car will cease. So watch this space.
