Camaro muscle car to drop V8 in favour of EV: report

July 28, 2021August 23, 2021 Toby Hagon 3070 Views

The Chevrolet Camaro is set to go electric, according to an overseas report.

It would mean the end of V8 muscle for one of the cars that has defined American muscle.

Respected publication Automotive News says that the legendary muscle car that has been a key performance pillar for the Chevrolet brand will do without petrol propulsion for its next generation.

Instead, the iconic muscle car known for its raucous V8 engines will reportedly adopt an electric drivetrain, albeit with big changes.

The same report suggests the new Chevrolet performance car will do without its traditional two-door shape, instead switching to a sedan layout.

GM is yet to comment on the report, so there are still many details to come out before the car arrives around 2025.

While some may be envisaging an EV spiritual successor to the locally-made V8-powered Holden Commodore SS, if we were guessing we’d have money on the Camaro replacement adopting more of a coupe silhouette, albeit with the bulges and low-slung muscle befitting an American performance car.

An EV layout that positions an electric motor near the axles and batteries in the floor would allow more design freedoms while still retaining respectable interior space.

And current GM design chief Mike Simcoe – a former Holden designer responsible for the 2001 Monaro and multiple Commodores – knows how to take advantage of such freedoms. Simcoe has long valued proportion, clean lines and clever packaging.

Underneath, expect to see GM’s Ultium batteries and EV architecture. Given most high-performance EVs employ a dual-motor setup we’d also expect to see at least the option of two e-motors.

Also expect to see a performance boost.

Chrvrolet Camaro ZL1 could be the end of an era; overseas reports suggest the 2025 Camaro will be a four-door EV

EVs are fast becoming the preferred layout for performance cars – the Tesla Model S Plaid takes it to the next level while the Porsche Taycan shows what can be achieved with an EV – albeit with challenges around the weight of the battery packs.

American rival Dodge recently announced its next muscle car would be an EV, while Ford now sells more Mustang Mach-e EVs than it does Mustang two-door coupes, many of which are powered by a V8.

We’ve said previously it’s only a matter of time until the Corvette goes electric as General Motors works towards a mostly EV range by 2035.

And GM has demonstrated it is not afraid of making some big EV moves.

The Hummer brand once known for dust and diesel is being relaunched as a tech-focused EV off-road brand, while Cadillac is set to go all-electric.

And the Chevrolet Silverado will soon have an EV option capable of 650km range.