Although the news had been known for months, it became a crushing reality this past November. After an uninterrupted 28-year run, you will soon no longer be able to find a new Chevy Malibu for sale as Chevrolet has officially ended production of the Malibu for the second time. The vehicle initially ran from 1964 to 1983—first as a trim of the Chevelle before becoming its own model—then returned in 1997, establishing itself as Chevy’s primary family car. Throughout its run, more than 10 million Chevy Malibus have hit the road.
The move to discontinue the Chevy Malibu made some sense for multiple reasons. General Motors is open about its desire for an all-electric future with a stated goal of its cars and light-duty trucks becoming 100% EV by 2035. Furthermore, the midsize sedan segment as a whole is in decline, making up just 5.7% of new vehicles in 2023. In its official statement, GM flat-out said it was discontinuing the Malibu (and putting the Cadillac XT4 on hiatus) so it could rework the manufacturing plant for the return of the Chevy Bolt EV in late 2025. For car history buffs and midsize sedan loyalists, though, the news was a kick in the teeth.
It got me thinking, though: given the Malibu’s rich heritage, is there any chance we could eventually see it return (again) as an electric vehicle? After all, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time a legendary nameplate got the EV treatment. I decided to explore the idea and see where the breadcrumbs are leading.
Is There Still a Market for the Malibu?
Putting aside sentiment, any decision by an automaker usually comes down to dollars and cents. If a company thinks a vehicle will do well for them financially in a certain market, they’ll sell it there. This is why Chevrolet has doubled down with an SUV line that’s nine vehicles deep—after all, SUVs account for more than 55% of all vehicle sales. It’s also why GM is bringing PHEVs back to the United States after EV sales from 2022 to 2024 were far lower than its goals.
However, market trends actually make the decision to discontinue the Malibu more surprising than it initially seems. After a rough early 2020s, the Malibu rebounded well, selling more than 130,000 units in 2023 and nearly 120,000 in 2024. This was the most Malibus to leave dealerships since 2018. The numbers indicate there is still a healthy market for this reliable and affordable car—one that could potentially be seized again with an EV version.a
Furthermore, the move leaves Chevrolet without a single sedan in the American market. The appetite for sedans may not be as big as it used to be, but it’s still plenty sizable; more than three million new passenger cars were sold or leased in 2023. It hardly seems like completely abandoning the car market is a good idea—and the new Bolt EV isn’t replacing the Malibu either, as Chevy has upsized its smallest EV from a hatchback to a crossover. If Chevy finds itself struggling to capture those Malibu buyers with other vehicles, an EV version could help jump-start things, combining the company’s all-electric goals with the cache of the Malibu nameplate.
Classic Vehicles With an EV Makeover
Continuing on that last point, introducing a Malibu EV would also be in line with the current direction of the automotive market. After all, Chevy is now offering or planning to offer EV versions for many of its most famous models, including the Silverado, Blazer, and Equinox. Other automakers have done the same, such as Dodge creating the Charger Daytona EV and Ford introducing the F-150 Lightning. And ever since the 2023 announcement of the Camaro’s discontinuation came with the provision that “this is not the end of Camaro’s story,” speculation has run rampant that it’s only a matter of time before we see a Camaro EV.
There’s no rule saying a Malibu EV has to be another midsize sedan, either. Consider the case of the Ford Mustang. When Ford decided to bring this iconic name to EVs in 2021, it did so with the Mustang Mach-E compact crossover rather than giving the pony car electric power (though we could still eventually see such a vehicle). Remember, the Malibu has already been reinvented multiple times. The original Chevelle Malibu was a full-size, top-of-the-line, rear-wheel drive muscle car available in several body styles, including a two-door coupe, four-door sedan, hardtop, ragtop, and even station wagon. It was repositioned as a mid-line vehicle in 1973, then downsized in 1978 when it became a standalone model. Finally, the 1997 revival established the Malibu as the front-wheel drive midsize family sedan modern audiences know.
What I’m saying is that there are a lot of possibilities for GM to consider with a Malibu EV. It could stick close to the 1997-2025 template and position it as a budget-friendly daily driver. It could design something inspired by a classic Malibu, like the second-gen sport coupe with its fastback roof. Or GM could go in a different direction, as Ford did with the Mustang. Regardless, as I noted before, the brand could benefit from the Malibu’s name recognition. The EV market gets more crowded every year, with over 100 nameplates already available and more coming. Automakers need a way to attract buyers, and a familiar name like “Malibu” could do so no matter what vehicle it’s attached to.
The Chevy FNR-XE: A Possible Malibu Replacement?
A late December 2022 story may shed more light on the Malibu’s future—or it may not. At GM Investor Day, GM President Mark Reuss confirmed they were developing a low-roof EV midsize sedan based on the Ultium platform (which the new Bolt EV also utilizes). The concept car was said to be in the early stages but to have a “dramatic” design. Reuss also said the vehicle was only confirmed for China but added, “… we’ll see the desirability as we clinic this,” leaving the possibility for other markets down the line.
Although Reuss didn’t name the vehicle in question, internet sleuths quickly determined he was likely referring to the Chevy NFR-XE concept car, which GM had debuted a few weeks before at the annual GM China Tech Day. However, opinions are split on what it all means. Some outlets like Car and Driver and GM Authority immediately started speculating it could be an eventual EV successor to the Malibu. However, when official images were released later that month, some believed it looked more like a four-door Camaro.
From what I can tell, no more information has been released about the Chevy NFR-XE since its unveiling, leaving the car community to speculate for two years and counting. While researching this, I did find rumors that Chevy is already working on a Malibu EV for release as early as 2026, but I was unable to substantiate them. At this point, all anyone can do is wait until GM finally emerges with another update.
Hoping the Malibu Returns
To answer the original question, yes, I do think it’s time for a Malibu EV. Despite the popularity of the Malibu name, the consensus was that it needed an update (though not necessarily a discontinuation), having gone without a major redesign since 2016. An all-electric Malibu in any form would be a way to relaunch the name in the future and keep its legacy alive. If it’s a different design than the final gas-powered Malibu—whether a pony car, sports sedan, or crossover—that too would be in the spirit of the Malibu’s storied history. For now, though, I just have to hope, like everyone else who wants the Malibu to remain a part of car culture.
