Nissan finally introduced its third-generation Leaf electric car this year, and we’ve been impressed with what the company has shared. It offers more range, faster charging, and, on the entry-level model, more power. It also has both NACS and J1772 charging ports as standard, plus a liquid-cooled battery that should improve cold-weather range and battery longevity. Being an entry-level EV, though, we knew that it could live or die based on the price. Now, Nissan has given the pricing, and it might not just live, but maybe even thrive.
The Long-Range Leaf Is Nearly As Cheap As The Old Short-Range One
When the 2026 Leaf goes on sale this fall, it will only be available with the larger 75-kWh battery pack. The smaller 52-kWh version will launch a little later. The base trim until the shorter-range version launches will be the S+, and it will have an MSRP of just $29,990. With the destination charge of $1,495, the total cost comes to $31,485. That means it will be the cheapest EV on sale in the US, beating out both the Fiat 500e and the Chevrolet Equinox EV. We’ll be very curious to see how Chevy ends up pricing its revised Bolt when it’s revealed sometime this year.
The new Leaf compares extremely well with its predecessor, too. The outgoing short-range Leaf S had an MSRP of $28,140 and a destination of $1,140 for a total base price of $29,280. That’s a difference of just $2,205 for nearly twice the battery capacity as that old base model. That’s just comparing the old short-range model to the new long-range one. Compared to the outgoing SV+ with its 60-kWh pack and base price of $37,330 (including destination), the new S+ is nearly $6,000 less. Keep things even and compare old and new SV+ models, and the new car is still cheaper. You can see all the trims and their starting prices below.
|
Trim |
Price |
|
S+ |
$31,485 |
|
SV+ |
$35,725 |
|
Platinum+ |
$40,485 |
Remember, this is just pricing for the Leaf with the larger battery. The smaller-battery model, with the trim level of S, sans “+”, will have an even cheaper price, which should put it comfortably under the $30,000 mark. Of course, it also won’t go as far as the long-range versions.
It Has Plenty Of Range And Loads Of Safety Features
As an extra bonus, the Leaf S+ will go farther than any of the other Leaf models. It has an official range of 303 miles. The SV+ comes just behind it at 288, and the Platinum+ brings up the rear at 259. They all have the same battery and motor, with the latter producing 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque. Charging speeds have been upped to a maximum of 150-kW. For owners in colder climates, you’ll likely want to look seriously at the SV+ and Platinum+ models, which are the only trims with a standard heat pump and are available with an optional battery heater. When the outside temperatures drop, the heat pump will be more efficient at heating the cabin, saving some range, and the battery heater should help with charging speeds.
Powertrain aside, all Leafs come with dual screens for infotainment and instruments (12.3-in ones on the S+, 14.3 for higher trims) as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. They also come with a generous number of safety features. They include automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning and intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, surround-view cameras, and adaptive cruise control with lane centering.