Can the Nissan LEAF Shoot to the High of EV Gross sales Charts?

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The Nissan LEAF was as soon as the gold customary for the EV market and EV gross sales. Sure, that was the very early days, and it was very early adopters who had been shopping for it, however there’s little doubt the LEAF is without doubt one of the most notable vehicles within the trendy electrical car period. Alas, shortsighted selections on EV battery administration and an more and more aggressive EV market knocked the LEAF off its perch, however the car is coming again with a bang in 2026 — mainly as a completely new mannequin.

The brand new LEAF is getting some actual nods from the normal auto world, too. It was a prime 3 finalist for the North American Utility Automobile of the Yr award. In the meantime, the Day by day Mail, a really massive (and extensively criticized) right-wing media outlet within the UK, revealed an article this week titled “I drove Nissan’s absolutely up to date Leaf… it may save the corporate from disaster.”

When the brand new LEAF was launched, I used to be shocked by its worth, specs, and new kind issue. It instantly turned top-of-the-line choices within the US in my eyes. Kyle Subject’s check drives of the car put it in good mild, too. And word that it’s the highest choice in the marketplace for $ per mile of vary.

So, there’s been a query tingling my thoughts for some time now — can the LEAF grow to be one of many prime canine within the EV market once more, a minimum of within the US if not globally? (Chinese language manufacturers are going to proceed to dominate the worldwide EV gross sales charts.)

A number of years in the past, the Nissan LEAF was logging 3,000–4,000+ gross sales 1 / 4 within the USA. In more moderen years, it’s been extra like 1,000–2,000+. Within the meantime, even some luxurious EVs now see 5,000+ gross sales, the Chevy Blazer EV has been between about 6,000 and eight,000 gross sales 1 / 4, the Equinox EV has been between 10,000 and 20,000 (even hitting 25,085 within the third quarter EV gross sales rush), the Ford F-150 Lightning 7,000–10,000+, the Ford Mustang Mach-E 10,000–20,000, the Honda Prologue 10,000–20,000, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 7,000–20,000, the Kia EV6 4,000–6,000, and Tesla’s Mannequin 3 and Mannequin Y 30,000–100,000+. So, the LEAF may do significantly better.

It looks as if Nissan ought to be capable to promote 10,000 to twenty,000 items of the brand new LEAF per quarter, and even 30,000 if it pushed! Frankly, I really feel like that doesn’t even do it justice, however Nissan doesn’t have as massive of a model as most of those firms within the US, and I believe that’s a bit a lot for the model and mannequin. Nevertheless, even modest success depends on Nissan placing numerous effort into producing the LEAF at excessive volumes, advertising and marketing it effectively, and promoting so many items of it — and I can’t say I’m assured of Nissans plans or efforts there.

However … may we be reporting on the LEAF reaching 10,000+ gross sales 1 / 4 subsequent yr? We higher be! In any other case, I’m going to see that as Nissan’s advertising and marketing and planning staff actually dropping the ball after being handed a present by the design and manufacturing groups.

Ought to the Nissan LEAF a minimum of be aggressive with the Chevy Equinox EV, Honda Prologue, Hyundai IONIQ 5, and Ford Mustang Mach-E. It really has specs-for-price numbers that ought to put it on the prime of this group!