While not completely convinced this is a news item we’ll go along with it for now. Mainly we go along because we don’t want to see the Camaro go away. Up to this point that was the way things seemed because there supposedly was no development underway for a next-gen Camaro. So, it was to go away after 2023. With sales lagging so much since the redesign in 2016 it seemed inevitable. Now, with GM’s lavish secret reveal this week of its EV products over the next several years there are hints of possibly an all-electric Camaro. Could the Camaro be back as an EV?

The EV Camaro rumors started with an image flashed this week

What has spurred this line of thought is an image flashed during the presentation. In showing the versatility of GM’s EV platform, something that looked oddly similar to another EV platform it showed off a decade ago, different body styles were silhouetted over the platform. One was definitely Camaro-looking. First, we were struck by how much GM has shot itself in the foot with its on-again, off-again electric pursuits until it found religion and became all-in. 

But the sporty car silhouette was definitely interesting. Again, the point of the presentation was to show how almost anything could be bonked onto the EV platform. So showing a sporty car in that context was just like “see, anything will work it’s so versatile and adaptable.” 

The Mustang Mach-E might have something to do with the Camaro EV rumors

However, with the pseudo-Mustang called the Mach-E barrelling toward production Ford’s Mustang EV could be giving Chevy some thought. Could the Camaro work as an electric vehicle? This isn’t the first time an all-electric Camaro rumor has surfaced.

Some point out that longtime Camaro head Al Oppenheiser moved over to lead the EV division in 2018. With 23 new EVs set to show up between now and 2023 the fact that 2023 was the end of the line for Camaro makes it coincidental. But Oppenheiser’s move was just a way to find a valued brand head his next gig since the Camaro was walking dead. 

Having seamless Camaro generations has never been a GM priority

And having seamless Camaro generations has never been an issue for the General. Remember that the fourth-gen Camaro was done by 2002. The fifth-gen didn’t appear until Mustang sales were unavoidable to not compete against so a new Camaro was introduced in 2010. That was a seven-year gap. 

Before that production issues kept the all-new 1970 Camaro from seeing the light until the middle of 1970. What did Chevy do? It just kept cranking out 1969 Camaros. If you’ve ever wondered why there are so many 1969 Camaros at shows this has something to do with that. 

The eCOPO Camaro from last year is an example of an EV Camaro

What is interesting is that Chevy has recently dabbled a bit with electrification specific to the Camaro. The eCOPO Camaro drag car concept is a low-profile exercise combining Camaro and electric synergies. Chevy said it was an exercise in possibly offering electric crate packages. Seen at last year’s SEMA Show, an older Chevy pickup with similar justification was also shown. But, Chevy doesn’t always admit what’s behind its oft-time flailing. 

The response the Mach-E received has got to have caught GM’s attention. With the EV platform already paid for after the first year or two of other offerings, it wouldn’t take a lot of development capital to stab a Camaro body onto it. Chevy could shove it out into the mean streets and see how it fares. It has done it many times before costing a lot more, and returning what was a lot less.