Nissan has a good track record of selling affordable cars globally and in the U.S. Every iteration of the Nissan Leaf has been among the most affordable electric vehicles on sale, while the Japanese Domestic Market Nissan Sakura – an ultra-compact Kei car – has been the best-selling EV there since its launch last year. But the current Leaf is on the way out, and nobody outside Japan should count on Kei cars coming their way.
The Nissan Leaf is still attainable for many families, with prices starting just under $30,000. But the larger and more capable Ariya SUV asks in the mid $40,000 range for the small battery , front-drive version and moves up to $60,000-plus for top trims. To that point, Uchida maintained that “Household incomes are getting higher and customers are willing to pay more.” Yet higher incomes don’t tell the full story. After all, rising interest rates in the U.S.