How long will this electric car pioneer be without an EV? No more Nissan Leaf production and Ariya hold-up may see Japanese brand without a rival for Tesla Model Y or MG4 in Australia for a while

Having pioneered the mass-market electric car in late 2010 with the introduction of the Leaf, Nissan could be left without any EVs to sell in Australia for a period of 2025.

Several factors are at play: the first being the end of Leaf production at Nissan’s Sunderland, UK plant and the second the held-up Ariya electric SUV. 

The Ariya story has developed further with Motoring NZ reporting that the Tesla Model Y rival has been ‘withheld’ from sale in New Zealand. It is a repeat of what happened to the Renault Megane E-Tech in NZ, though that car is still on-sale in Australia. 

A Nissan spokesperson said this latest development had “no impact on Ariya for Australia” and advised CarsGuide that local launch timing for the SUV would be announced soon. 

It sounds like Nissan NZ made the decision to pull the Ariya at the 11th hour, after television marketing campaigns, dealer roadshows and motoring press reviews had all occurred for the new model.

No compliance issues are stopping play for the Ariya in NZ (which is what’s causing the hold up locally), rather unpredictable demand for EVs. The sales share of battery-electric vehicles in the country has fallen from 27 per cent this time last year to just 8.0 per cent. 

2024 Nissan Ariya

The change comes down to government policy, with a new political party ending the country's sizeable clean car discount at the end of 2023. 

“Due to the volatility in the New Zealand electric vehicle market, Nissan has decided to withhold the launch of Ariya in New Zealand,” Nissan's GM Corporate Communications Emily Fadeyev told Motoring NZ. 

Unveiled in July 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the Ariya’s launch with first examples not rolling out of factories until January 2022. Since then, it has been promised for Australia but is currently facing issues with Australian Design Rules compliance. 

2023 Nissan Leaf (Image: Glen Sullivan)

It is understood that ADR 34 – Child Restraint Anchorages is the specific issue. It was priced from NZ$76,990 (A$69,400) for the 404km driving range single motor, with the flagship dual-motor 87kWh variant retailing at a steep NZ$109,990 (A$99,200).

As for the Nissan Leaf, it has been on sale in second-generation form since 2017 with Australian production from the UK ceasing in March 2024. A Nissan Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide that there is ‘strong stock’ of the small electric car in the country. 

Nissan Australia would not be drawn on the exact number of Leafs it has, or how long the stock will last. It is currently on offer with $16,000 savings on drive-away pricing increasing sales from 11 units in April to 38 in May and 63 last month bringing it close to the MG4 hatch. 

Nissan Leaf production at Sunderland

The increased popularity of the discounted model could see the brand sell out of electric cars before the end of the year. 

The Sunderland facility is gearing up to go all-electric and produce a second-generation Leaf that will be a compact SUV inspired by the 2021 Chill-Out concept. “We’ll be producing new Leaf from August,” said Production Director for Nissan’s Sunderland facility Jennifer Bolton.

If all goes to plan in the UK we may see the new Leaf in Australia by early 2025 but typically Australian launch timing is at least six months behind European markets. There have been no spy shots published of the new Leaf testing yet.

2021 Nissan Chill-Out concept

Nissan has not given guidance on the new Leaf’s release timing beyond promising start of production next month. As for the Ariya, it currently remains off limits for Australians with no updated release schedule.