What do the Ford Mustang, Volkswagen Kombi and Renault 5 have in common? All of these famous models have been re-born as electric cars.
Ford Australia recently confirmed the Mustang Mach-E is headed our way by the end of the year, the VW ID.Buzz is a modern take on the Kombi and Renault has revealed the new, battery-powered 5 is coming in 2024.
But as Easter is a time for renewal and re-birth, we’ve looked at some other nameplates we’d love to see not only make a comeback, but do so with an electric powertrain for a long-term future. Some of these may have an element of optimism to them, but there’s actually genuine hope that several of these could be in showrooms in the not-too-distant future.
Chevrolet Camaro
Sure, the Camaro coupe isn’t quite dead yet with production scheduled to stop in January 2024, but Chevrolet has already said the nameplate will return in some form. Exactly what form that is remains a secret to those of us outside General Motors, but the expectation is that the Camaro name will carry on as Chevy’s answer to the Mustang.
While in the past that has meant a muscular coupe and convertible, the success of the Mustang Mach-E means an all-electric future for the Camaro badge is actually a more viable path. There has been speculation that Chevrolet will build either a sports sedan or SUV to carry on the name – or potentially even both.
A Camaro sports sedan would make a long-awaited, future-proofed alternative for those Holden Commodore fans, while an SUV would arguably have more widespread appeal. Whatever decision GM takes, let’s hope this famous name carries on.
Toyota FJ Cruiser
This is another one that’s more reality than fantasy, with Toyota having already given us a glimpse of what could be. Back in December 2021, former Toyota president Akio Toyoda unveiled a fleet of 16 new EVs that are likely headed our way.
One of them was called the Compact Cruiser EV, and its name and boxy lines hinted at a revival of the FJ Cruiser from years gone by. While the petrol-powered FJ Cruiser only had a short life in Australia (on sale between 2011 and ’17), the Japanese brand could certainly do with more EV models and something with pizzazz.
An all-electric FJ Cruiser would certainly fit that bill, sitting alongside the RAV4, Kluger and Prado in Toyota’s expansive SUV line-up.
Nissan Skyline
One of the unexpected side effects of the rise of electric cars is the renewed popularity of the sedan body shape. After more than a decade of SUVs replacing the conventional four-door sedan, the need for EVs to slip through the air as efficiently as possible has seen the pendulum swing back the other way with cars like the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT.
Recently there have been reports that Nissan is preparing to replace its petrol-powered Skyline with an electric SUV by 2025. Our hope is that Nissan reconsiders and instead retains the sedan style for the famous Skyline badge.
A reimagined Skyline, packing the same 300kW electric powertrain rumoured for the SUV, would give Nissan a new hero EV and something to rival what Tesla, Audi and Porsche are offering.
Alfa Romeo GTV
The famed Italian brand’s current CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato, has made two things clear about his tenure – firstly, he’s taking it all-electric and secondly, he’d love to revive the iconic GTV name.
The switch to an electric future is already well underway, but there are no official plans for a new GTV… yet. There have been reports Imparato has commissioned several studies for what format the new GTV could take, but the short-term focus is on introducing more mainstream electric sedans and SUVs.
But with the modular nature of EVs there’s reason to hope that Imparato – and Alfisti – will get his way and bring back the GTV as an electric rival to the likes of the BMW M4 and Audi RS5 Coupe.
Hyundai Excel
Just in case you thought we were too focused on sporty EVs, this is at the other end of the spectrum. While there’s probably a less-than-zero chance Hyundai would ever bring back the Excel name, what we really want is what the Excel represented – an affordable and reliable small car. Or, in this instance, an affordable and reliable small electric car.
While Hyundai is expanding its EV offerings with the just-arrived Ioniq 6 and the upcoming Ioniq 7, these are big, expensive models. What Australian customers seemingly want (if the success of the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV are any indication) is an EV for less than $45k.
Hyundai’s current cheapest EV is the $54,500 (plus on-road costs) Kona Elite Electric, so adding a smaller, i30-sized option would be a welcome return to roots for the brand.
Keyword: Recharge? Toyota FJ Cruiser, Nissan Skyline, Chevrolet Camaro and other famous models that need to be re-born as electric cars