Nissan LEAF

The Nissan Leaf is, in its own way, a big part of modern automotive history. It’s the first affordable EV. And this all-new 2026 model keeps that groundbreaking premise, but updates it to relevance in today’s more saturated market.

When Nissan first introduced the LEAF in 2011, many saw it as a fairly straightforward, compact hatchback aimed at early EV adopters. This year it evolved into a crossover SUV, and now we know when the third-generation model is coming.

Nissan has formally revealed its upcoming 2026 Leaf EV, and it's quite a step up from the current model year. We're talking all-new styling, longer range, and a refreshed cabin with improved creature comforts. Oh, and it's no longer a hatchback.

For several years, the Nissan Leaf hatchback led the charge in global EV sales after it hit the road in 2010. Next year, it's getting more than a facelift: it's being reimagined as a compact SUV with loads more range for the freeway.

Nissan has taken the original sub-100-mile-range Leaf and put it into the post-200-mile genre. Still the lowest-cost production EV on the market, the Leaf’s base price has actually been lowered for 2022.

When battery packs in EVs reach the end of their useful lives, they can still retain enough charge for other applications. Nissan is replacing lead acid batteries in emergency power supplies at railroad crossings in Japan with second-life Leaf cells.

Nissan began producing the first generation Leaf battery electric car at its Oppama plant in 2010, and has now giving old battery packs from those vehicles a second life in automated guided vehicles at the factory.

Toyota and Honda recently started testing a fuel-cell bus designed as a mobile power source for disaster relief. Now Nissan has driven out an emergency response vehicle based on its Leaf electric car that will also provide emergency power.

Nissan has officially launched a Nismo version of its hugely popular all-electric Leaf, with the world's best-selling electric car given a sporty makeover that includes new exterior styling and systems tuned for improved performance.

Nissan has debuted the Sylphy Zero Emission electric car at Auto China 2018 in Beijing as the first Nissan EV made in China for Chinese consumers. The new model is based on the Nissan Leaf and has a range of about 388 km (241 miles) per the Chinese range testing standard.

Nissan has finally stopped teasing and unveiled the new Leaf at an event in Tokyo. With a higher-capacity battery, more power and a higher-quality interior, it represents a huge step up from the current model.

​Life should be a bit easier for buyers of the upcoming new Leaf, as Nissan has confirmed that the car will feature ProPILOT Assist technology. Although it should eventually offer advanced functionality, for now the system reportedly "reduces the hassle of stop-and-go single-lane highway driving."