General Motors has announced it will be retiring the Chevrolet Camaro by the end of 2024, but a successor may be in the works as the company begins switching its lineup to electric vehicles.
A press release published earlier this year by Chevrolet confirmed the sunset of sixth-generation Camaros. The final lineup will leave the assembly line in Lansing, Michigan, in January 2024.
Reasons for the discontinuation reportedly had to do with tightening fuel economy regulations on the part of the federal government, which require manufacturers to produce vehicles that average 49 miles per gallon by 2026, according to CNBC. The Camaro also saw demand decline, and more consumers showed a preference for crossovers and sport utility vehicles.
Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet, said the organization was grateful for everything that the Camaro brought it.
“As we prepare to say goodbye to the current generation Camaro, it is difficult to overstate our gratitude to every Camaro customer, Camaro assembly line employee and race fan,” Bell said in the press release. “While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro’s story.”
The Camaro’s retirement followed the announcement that Chevy is discontinuing production of its top-selling EV model, the Chevy Bolt, by the end of 2023, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. The Detroit-based automaker moved over 20,000 EVs in the first quarter of 2023, leading to an 8% gain in EV market share, placing it in the number two spot behind Tesla.
Sales have been down in recent years for the sixth-generation Camaro released in 2016.
During its first year of sales, a total of 72,705 Camaros were sold, but that number dropped to just 21,893 by 2021, a drop-off of nearly 70%, according to NPR. In 2022, 24,652 models of the vehicle were sold.
In comparison to muscle cars from other companies, the Camaro was outsold by both the Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang in the first quarter of 2023. The Challenger sold 14,711 units, and the Mustang sold 11,371 units, compared to just 7,780 units of the Chevrolet Camaro, per GM Authority.
Jim Campbell, the vice president of Chevrolet U.S. Performance and Motorsports, said that motorsports are a major aspect of Chevrolet and that the company would continue to pursue its goals in the industry.
“Chevrolet’s products and our relationship with our customers benefit from motorsports,” said Campbell, per the press release. “Our plan is to continue to compete and win at the highest levels of auto racing.”
Although some fans of the series may be upset by the announcement, Harlan Charles, the product manager for Corvette and Camaro, said there will be a return.
“Just like we’ve done in the past, it had a little bit of a hiatus,” said Charles, per CNBC. “And when we have the right technology, we’ll come forward and bring it back.”
