Nissan is turning over a new Leaf. (Sorry, I had to do it.) The 2026 version is unrecognizable from its predecessor, and it hits US dealers this fall.
The 15-year-old hatchback is now more “SUV-like,” as Nissan describes it. It has a solid 303-mile range, a Tesla-backed NACS port for Supercharging, dual 14.3-inch displays, and an available panoramic roof.
“We have completely reconstructed the values of the next-generation Leaf,” says Tase Nobutaka, program design director at Nissan. “We made it simple and clean, yet with a more energetic feeling. We ensured the all-new Leaf has a dynamic shape, testing it time and time again to reach our ambitious aerodynamic targets.”
2026 Nissan Leaf (Credit: Nissan)
2026 Nissan Leaf (Credit: Nissan)
2 Charge Ports? Tesla Negotiations Come Down to the Wire
It has not one but two charge ports, a unique strategy that gives drivers more options. It has a Level 2 port (J1772) on the driver’s side for home charging. A second port on the passenger’s side will work at Tesla Superchargers, which are only found in public and charge at a much faster rate.
“The combination of J1772 for AC charging and NACS for DC charging provides our customers with access to the largest number of chargers,” a Nissan spokesperson tells us. “Because there was not much time between signing Nissan’s agreement with [Tesla for] NACS and when Leaf production began, we chose to move forward with dual ports in order to deliver the most abundant charging options possible (within that rather tight timeframe). We will, of course, continue to adjust for future models.”
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The 2026 Leaf is the first Nissan to have sleek, “motorized flush front door handles” and is the first in its class to have a dimmable panoramic roof, Nissan says, though that one will almost certainly require an upgrade. The car comes in a range of “bold color choices” to complete its transformation from an old standby to a fashion-forward option. It’s compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, and has four USB-C ports sprinkled throughout.
2026 Nissan Leaf (Credit: Nissan)
2026 Nissan Leaf (Credit: Nissan)
We’re Glad the Leaf is Still With Us, But Is Losing an Affordable Model Worth It?
We’ve been speculating about the death of the Leaf as we know it since 2023, and it’s great to see that Nissan revived it instead. The beloved car may have been among the first to popularize EVs, but hasn’t kept up with modern design or technology trends. Case in point: It still has an outdated CHAdeMO charge port. But importantly, it’s been the only electric car on the market below $30,000.
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We don’t know the price of the new Leaf, but all signs point to it being above $30,000. The goal is to bring it up to modern standards, which includes pricey upgrades like sensors and cameras to enable self-driving assistive software.
The new Leaf “represents the best of Nissan EV technology,” Nissan says. It’ll be hard to upstage the Nissan Ariya, however, which has all the modern technology—even an optional camera feed rear-view mirror. Nissan may have decided that deeper-pocketed customers are more likely to buy an EV, but we’ll see how the final price looks in a few months.
One nugget in Nissan’s announcement hints that a cheaper version is on the way. A smaller battery pack option (52kWh compared to 75kWh) arrives in spring 2026. That’s slightly larger than the 40kWh pack on the Leaf today. It will also have less horsepower (175hp compared to 214), giving “EV drivers a choice in the amount of driving range and value they desire,” Nissan says.
2026 Nissan Leaf (Credit: Nissan)
2026 Nissan Leaf (Credit: Nissan)
About Emily Forlini
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