No more Nissan Leaf under $30,000: Base S Trim postponed indefinitely

• The Nissan Leaf S, a new base version that would be added to the range this year, has been postponed.
• Nissan said the decision was due to an “evolving EV landscape” but will only affect the 2026 model year; the company will continue to evaluate customer demand.
• The Leaf S was expected to start under $30,000 and are equipped with a smaller battery of 52 kWh and a less powerful electric motor of 174 hp.

The Nissan Leaf is already one of the most affordable electric cars on the market, starting at just $31,485. Nissan planned to lower the price even further later this year with an entry-level Leaf S trim. But now those plans have been put on hold, with Nissan delaying the Leaf S and its smaller battery pack due to an “evolving EV landscape,” as first reported by InsideEVs.

Nissan confirmed the news Car and driverwith a spokesperson stating that “we have decided not to introduce the smaller battery variant of the 2026 Nissan LEAF in the US this model year.” The representative said Nissan will “continue to assess future battery configurations based on customer demand and segment needs,” with plans for the 2027 model year not yet officially set.

Nissan had announced details for the base S variant when it unveiled the third-generation Leaf last summer. It originally said the Leaf S would arrive sometime in 2026. While no price was given at the time, the Leaf S was expected to start below the $30,000 threshold. The base Leaf would get a smaller 52 kWh battery; all other versions have a 75 kWh package. Nissan hasn’t provided a range estimate for the S trim, but it would have been significantly less than other Leaf variants, which have between 250 and 300 miles of estimated range depending on trim level.

The Leaf S would also introduce a different, less powerful powertrain. While all Leafs use a single electric motor connected to the front wheels, the Leaf S was rated at 174 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque, compared to other versions with 214 horsepower and 261 pound-feet.

While Nissan says the Leaf S isn’t necessarily dead, just simply delayed, we’re not holding our breath. The elimination of the federal EV tax credit last fall has had a dramatic effect on EV sales, and a simpler setup with higher advertised range figures could make more sense in these challenging circumstances.

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Caleb Miller started blogging about cars at the age of 13, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and driver team. He enjoys quirky and obscure cars, with a goal of one day owning something as bizarre as a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsport fan.