Nissan Cancels Ariya in the United States as It Refocuses on New Leaf

Nissan will discontinue the Ariya electric SUV in the U.S. starting with the 2026 model year, redirecting resources to the next-generation Leaf. While the Ariya’s sales had shown slight growth, the automaker confirmed production for the U.S. will be paused indefinitely. 

The move comes as Nissan seeks to stay competitive in a shifting EV market with a lower-cost model aimed at broader adoption.

Ariya production to halt despite modest sales growth

The Ariya, currently priced from $41,265, will remain on dealer lots while inventory lasts, but no additional U.S.-bound models will be built after 2025. Nissan confirmed the change to Car and Driver, pointing to market dynamics and the increasing challenge of competing without EV tax credits. Import tariffs of 15 percent on Japanese-built models further limited the Ariya’s competitiveness in the U.S.

The Nissan Ariya also had to compete against longtime players in the segment, such as the ever-present and ubiquitous Model Y, which is still dominating the United States EV market despite Tesla’s shrinking market share.

All in on the Nissan Leaf

By reallocating its resources, Nissan is aiming to strengthen the upcoming Leaf EV, which is expected to debut with a starting price well under $30,000. The move follows broader industry cutbacks and comes after the resignation of Nissan U.S. sales chief Vinay Shahani, who will be succeeded by Michael Soutter.

The Leaf, however, is already facing some challenges. According autoevolution, the Japanese automaker is cutting the production output of the Leaf at the Tochigi plant in Japan from September 2025 to November 2025. This was reportedly due to difficulties in securing battery packs for the redesigned Leaf.

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