- Nissan announced pricing for the 2026 Leaf.
- The S+ model starts at $29,990 before fees and offers 303 miles of estimated range.
- That's some of the best range for your buck on America's EV market.
Nissan has given the stalwart Leaf a big redesign and way more range for the 2026 model year. And the keeps the bargain-bin price tag, the automaker announced on Tuesday.
Nissan said that the 2026 Leaf crossover will start at $29,990 for the S+ trim before destination fees—about half the going price for a new electric vehicle these days. Since that model is the lineup's range leader, with a healthy range estimate of 303 miles, it means America's electric market is finally getting what experts say is sorely needed to take EV adoption to the next level: another long-range option that doesn't break the bank.
Pricing and details for the base S model will be announced at a later date—and we presume that will cost even less than the S+—but Nissan did announce how much the fancier trims will cost you. Here's what we know about the Leaf lineup so far:
| 2026 Nissan Leaf trim | MSRP | Estimated Range | Battery Size |
| S | TBD | TBD | 52 kWh |
| S+ | $29,990 | 303 miles | 75 kWh |
| SV+ | $34,230 | 288 miles | 75 kWh |
| Platinum+ | $38,990 | 259 miles | 75 kWh |
As the market stands now, the 2026 Nissan Leaf will keep its title as the cheapest EV in America when it goes on sale this fall. And the fact that the country's lowest-priced electric car now offers over 300 miles of range shows just how much the EV market has grown up in recent years. When the Leaf launched in 2011, it had an EPA-estimated range of just 73 miles and a price tag of around $33,000. The outgoing 2025 model delivers up to 212 miles.
The new Leaf is better than ever in other ways, too. It's now a compact crossover instead of a hatchback. And it comes from the factory with the Tesla-designed charging plug, known as the North American Charging Standard. That should provide for adapter-free charging sessions at thousands of Tesla Supercharger stations.
The need for cheaper options that can fuel America's EV market has been apparent for years, and especially as sales have tapered off in recent months. There's really only one other serious competitor to the 2026 Leaf out right now, the Chevrolet Equinox EV. Chevy's new small crossover costs under $35,000, offers 319 miles of range and has been a runaway hit for General Motors. Through the first half of 2025, it was the best-selling non-Tesla EV in the U.S.
But more affordable options are on the way. Ford announced this month that it is working on a $30,000 electric pickup truck set to launch in 2027. Slate Auto, the EV startup backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, plans to start production of its own low-cost, bare-bones truck in 2026. The Kia EV3 is another to watch. And, much like Nissan, Chevrolet plans to reboot its long-running Bolt EV later this year.
Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
Updated 10:30 AM EST with information on the Leaf's competition and future inexpensive EVs.
