Topic / Subject

Nissan has delayed its planned sub-$30,000 Leaf S base trim indefinitely, shelving the smaller-battery “budget Leaf” plan for the 2026 model year.

TL;DR

The affordable-EV squeeze is real: Nissan hit pause on the cheapest Leaf idea, signaling that ultra-low-price trims are harder to justify when batteries, demand, and margins don’t cooperate.

Key Details

Car and Driver reports Nissan delayed the planned 2026 Leaf S base trim that was expected to start under $30,000. Nissan cited an “evolving EV landscape,” and said it will keep evaluating battery configurations based on demand. The delayed Leaf S was expected to use a smaller 52-kWh battery and a less powerful 174-hp motor. KBB and Edmunds echo that the cheaper trim is postponed with no clear timeline, meaning the “cheapest new Leaf” picture changes for now.

Breakdown

This is the harsh truth of “cheap EV” dreams: getting under a psychological price line usually means giving up range, power, or features, and even then, the math can stop working.

Nissan isn’t saying “never.” It’s saying “not now,” which is basically corporate speak for “we can’t make this make sense in this market.”

For shoppers, the practical effect is simple: if you were waiting for a brand-new Leaf that starts under $30K, that plan just got pushed out of the calendar and maybe off the board entirely unless market conditions change.

What to Watch Next

Whether Nissan revives Leaf S (or a different low-cost configuration) for 2027. Any pricing/incentive moves on remaining Leaf trims to fill the “entry” gap. Signals from other automakers about whether sub-$30K EV trims are returning or fading.

Sources

Car and Driver — The Sub-$30,000 Base Nissan Leaf S Has Been Delayed Indefinitely

Edmunds — The Sub-$30,000 Nissan Leaf S Is Dead Before It Even Shows Up

Kelley Blue Book — Nissan Delays Plan for Cheaper Leaf

Comment

Would you buy a cheaper EV with shorter range if it meant getting under $30K, yes or no?