Nissan’s Leaf will be Substituted for a More Modern Electric Vehicle

Photo Source: NISSAN

Nissan is bidding farewell to its pioneering, small electric vehicle (EV) that kickstarted its electric car journey. While the Leaf electric car is being phased out, Nissan plans to introduce its successor in 2026. At one point, the Nissan Leaf held the title of being a top-selling electric vehicle. When the electric compact car was launched in 2010, it rapidly gained popularity as the first mass-market electric vehicle in the United States, beating the Tesla Model S by 18 months. With its decent range, attractive price, and comfortable interior, the Leaf became a favorite among customers. 

However, over the past decade, almost every automotive company, from startups to established brands, has debuted their own electric cars with improved designs, more advanced features, and longer ranges. To illustrate, the Leaf has had a challenging time keeping up with the influx of electric vehicles from the likes of Tesla, General Motors, and more in recent years. As a result, the Leaf has encountered a decline in sales over the years. Reports suggest that the automaker will not be presenting a next-generation Leaf trim.

Although the Leaf has struggled, competitors are not invulnerable to waning sales figures. According to editors at Yahoo News, “While Tesla is the industry leader at the moment and had a market share of 72 percent at the start of 2022, a share that big is unlikely to last forever and has already leveled off to a less eye-popping 54 percent.”

The New Nissan Electric Vehicle

Rather than redesigning the Leaf, Nissan is gearing up to produce a more modern electric vehicle that caters to buyers’ preferences in the 2023 model year. It is worth noting that, even though Nissan has unveiled another mass-market electric vehicle, the Ariya, it was never intended to be a direct replacement for the Leaf. There are speculations that the Japanese manufacturer might replace the Leaf with a coupe-like crossover, similar to the “Chill-Out” concept revealed by Nissan in 2021. This concept depicted a modern and sleek design. Still, the production variant is expected to be less futuristic.

Regarding the name of the successor, Nissan executives are divided. After all, the Leaf nameplate holds little significance for electric vehicle shoppers in 2023. That said, Nissan is not the only company substituting its electric vehicles for more contemporary, less affordable trims. In a similar move, Chevrolet plans to discontinue the reigning most affordable electric vehicle on the market, the Chevy Bolt, and replace it with a more expensive car, as well as several more electric pickup trucks.

The Battery for the Unnamed Electric Vehicle

In its submission to the United Kingdom’s government committee on battery manufacturing, Nissan announced that the Leaf successor is scheduled for production in 2026. The starting point for the automaker’s latest car will be in Sunderland, as Nissan has a factory in the United Kingdom that can commence production. At the same time, the manufacturer continues to aim for the majority of its output to be electric vehicles by 2028. Moreover, Nissan is expected to partner with Envision AESC for the supply of batteries from their upcoming battery factory.

Structure of Nissan’s Future EV

The Leaf successor will likely be based on the CMF-EV platform, part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. This platform is already used for the Nissan Ariya. With the Ariya being an SUV, it appears that Nissan intends to go larger with the Leaf successor. After all, with the growing popularity of larger electric SUVs and crossovers, automakers are in a race to introduce larger-sized electric vehicles. Interestingly, with the Leaf soon facing discontinuation, it will create a noticeable void in the market for affordable, compact electric vehicles.

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