Nissan Leaf electric hatch facing the axe

A pioneer of the modern electric vehicle landscape could be nearing its end.

The current-generation Nissan Leaf electric hatchback will be phased out by ‘mid-decade’, industry journal Automotive News claims.

According to the publication, the Japanese marque will replace the Leaf with a “new model more tuned to the needs of the modern EV buyer.”

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Nissan has a number of fresh EVs in development, starting with the Ariya crossover. Local launch timing for the Ariya, revealed in 2020, is yet to be confirmed.

The news follows similar reports out of Europe in late 2021, with the brand’s European boss speaking to Autocar about a new Leaf-replacing electric small SUV to be built in the United Kingdom from 2024.

However, it now seems highly unlikely that the nameplate will be retained beyond 2025.

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A spokesperson for Nissan Australia declined to comment on the future of the Leaf, however, the company recently celebrated 10 years since the electric hatchback went on sale locally.

Available here since June 2012, the Nissan Leaf has recorded more than 2000 sales. Globally, around 600,000 units have been sold since the model debuted in 2010.

VFACTS data indicates that Nissan sold 226 Leaf models in the first six months of 2022 – a 5.4 per cent drop from the same period in 2021.

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The facelifted 2023 Nissan Leaf will launch in Australia next month, bringing revised looks, a digital rear-view mirror, and a $1000 price increase.

Priced from $50,990 before on-road costs, the Nissan Leaf competes against the popular Tesla Model 3, as well as electric small SUVs, including; the Hyundai Kona Electric, MG ZS EV and BYD Atto 3.

There have been two generations of the Nissan Leaf, with the current model available locally from 2019. A more powerful, long-range Leaf e+ joined the range last year.

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Much like the iPhone for smartphones, Tesla has become a household name for electric vehicles; however, the first-generation Nissan Leaf beat the Model S to market by two years.

“When the Nissan Leaf arrived in 2010 there were many sceptics; fast forward to today and almost every automaker around the world has followed suit,” said Guillaume Cartier, chairperson of Nissan in the AMIEO (Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania) region.

The first-generation Leaf offered a single electric motor producing 80kW of power and 280Nm of torque.

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An electric hatchback will remain in the Nissan lineup in the future, with development work continuing on the next-generation 2024 Micra for Europe.

The all-electric Micra will ride on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-B EV platform, which will also underpin the resurrected Renault 5.

In addition, Nissan showcased a series of electric vehicle concepts in November 2021, including; two SUVs, a convertible sports car, and a pick-up.