Nissan unveiled on Tuesday the 2026 version of its Leaf model, with deliveries expected to begin in the final quarter of the year in the United States.
It features a 75 kWh battery, with a 53 kWh option available as well, and two charging ports on each side of the vehicle. According to the brand, the model has a range of up to 488 km, equivalent to up to 303 miles.
The fully electric vehicle, which the brand calls “the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle,” was launched nearly 15 years ago, in December 2010.
The new iteration will be available in four trims in the country — the S, S+, SV+ and Platinum+.
It was the world’s best selling electric vehicle from 2011 to 2014 — outperformed by Tesla’s Model S in 2015 — and 2016.
When it was first launched, the hatchback came with a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery that provided a fully charged driving range of 200 km (124 miles). As of 2025, the model has transitioned into a crossover SUV.
From 2010 to 2024, Nissan sold nearly 700,000 units of the Leaf model across its home market, North America and Europe.
The third-generation Leaf does not yet include self-driving technology. The model is equipped with the brand’s hands-on driver-assistance system, which includes Nissan Safety Shield (a 360-degree camera view) and the ProPilot Assist (with Intelligent Cruise Control and Steering Assist).
It will feature dual 14.3″ high-resolution displays, which blends the driver’s display with the touch screen, and a head-up display projected onto the windshield.
The Platinum+ trim will also include an electrically dimming panoramic roof, the first to be included in a Nissan model.
The company’s electric lineup in the U.S. features the 2025 Leaf, priced from $28,140, and the Ariya crossover SUV, which starts at $39,770.
The brand’s portfolio includes six crossover SUVs and three sedans, with prices ranging from $17,000 to $57,000. The Frontier truck is priced from $32,050.
Despite increasing demand for hybrid models in the U.S., Nissan does not offer any.
According to Reuters, the vehicles to be delivered in the U.S. will be produced at Nissan’s Tochigi factory in Japan, meaning that the vehicles may be subject to tariffs.
A spokesperson for the brand told the media outlet that “even with the tariffs, the U.S. price will be competitive.”
Nissan is currently facing financial difficulties, as it reported a net loss of 670 billion yen ($4.5 billion) for the fiscal year ended March — one of its biggest losses to date.
Local media outlet Nikkei reported last month that Nissan was considering selling its headquarters in Yokohama, where it has been located since 2009.
The report came weeks after the company announced a 15% cut to its workforce and that it is closing seven out of its 17 production facilities.
The company may incur an additional 60 billion yen ($420 million) in restructuring costs this fiscal year due to the new strategy introduced by recently appointed CEO Ivan Espinosa.
Espinosa stated that these costs will be covered “through asset sales.” According to the executive, the period from April 2025 to March 2026 will be “a year of transition” for the company.
