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Exclusive: Nissan's Most Affordable EV Just Got Delayed Indefinitely

Nissan was supposed to launch an even cheaper version of its affordable Leaf EV for the 2026 model year. That isn't happening.

InsideEVs' 2026 Breakthrough EV Of The Year: The Nissan Leaf

Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

Mack Hogan

By: Mack Hogan

Feb 20, at 4:36pm ET

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The Nissan Leaf is already one of the best EV values on sale, with a starting price of $29,990 for a model with 303 miles of range.
But it was supposed to get an even cheaper variant, with a significantly smaller battery during this model year.
Now, Nissan is delaying the Leaf S until at least 2027.

The Nissan Leaf is already an excellent affordable EV. With a starting price of $29,990 before destination fees and up to 303 miles of range in that configuration, it was a good enough value to win our 2026 Breakthrough EV Of The Year award. But things were supposed to get even better this year, with the launch of a cheaper, smaller-battery version. That ain't happening.

Nissan confirmed to InsideEVs on Friday that the entry level Leaf S, with its tidier 52-kilowatt battery and less potent 174-horsepower drivetrain, isn't coming this year. Nissan never shared pricing for the trim, but it likely would have undercut the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt (at $28,995) to become America's cheapest new EV. Now, thanks to the "evolving EV landscape," it faces an uncertain future.

Gallery: 2026 InsideEVs Breakthrough EV Of The Year: The 2026 Nissan Leaf

InsideEVs' 2026 Breakthrough EV Of The Year: The Nissan Leaf

Source: InsideEVs

“Nissan continually evaluates market trends, customer preferences, and the evolving EV landscape to ensure we are focusing our resources where they create the most value. As part of that process, we have decided not to introduce the smaller‑battery variant of the 2026 Nissan LEAF in the U.S. this model year," Dominic Vizor, the company's director of product communications for the U.S., told me in an emailed statement. "We remain committed to delivering the right products at the right time, and we will continue to assess future battery configurations based on customer demand and segment needs."

The company has not committed to a timeline for its introduction, confirming only that it won't arrive for the 2026 model year. If it arrives for the '27 model year, we can expect it on lots in late fall, but even that remains a question mark. It hasn't been canceled, Vizor confirmed, but with such a vague timeline, that could still happen before it arrives.

InsideEVs' 2026 Breakthrough EV Of The Year: The Nissan Leaf

Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

It's a shame to hear, as the Leaf is already my favorite affordable EV on sale. But with a redesigned Chevy Bolt on the market and a new Kia EV3 on the way, competition is heating up. Driving down pricing further would give Nissan a stronger edge, in theory.

In practice, I do get what's happening here. Firstly, given that the Leaf is built in Japan and therefore subject to import tariffs, I struggle to imagine the company is making a profit on a $30,000 car with a 75 kWh battery as it sits. Second, reducing the battery capacity by 25% would likely result in a range figure somewhere in the low 200s. We've seen a lot of cars launch with ranges below 250 miles, and few if any have been successful. Americans are obsessed with range, which is part of why the Leaf S+ is such a good fit for this market.

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Still, cheaper options are needed, and you have to sacrifice something if you want lower base prices. Anecdotally, I'd also say that I have seen maybe one customer Leaf on the road, despite living in San Diego, a market that is saturated with EVs of every type. The sales data itself is murky; last year's numbers are clouded by plenty of remaining previous-generation cars, and by the Leaf arriving right as the tax credit died. But for the new model's first full quarter on sale, Q4 of 2025, Leaf sales actually fell 86% over Q4 of 2024.

It's unclear how much of that was production constrained, how much was a result of consumers rushing to take advantage of the tax credit in Q3 and therefore suppressing Q4 demand, and how much was driven by Nissan's decision to prioritize its most profitable models. Blame whatever you'd like, but the fact is the new Leaf isn't off to a blazing start.

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Now, with the cheaper version indefinitely delayed, and the world once again thrown into tariff uncertainty, it's not going to get any easier. But with the Ariya crossover "skipping" the 2026 model year in the U.S., the Leaf is now Nissan's only electric option. If it wants to secure its place as a serious EV player, it had better hope this thing catches on.

Contact the author: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com

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