According to Japan’s Kyodo News, Nissan Motor Co. plans to halt exports of the Ariya electric vehicle (EV) to the U.S. market. The Ariya, produced at Nissan’s Tochigi plant in Japan, will no longer be exported to the United States due to high tariffs under the Trump administration’s trade policy and weak demand for EVs. Once local inventory in the U.S. is sold out, sales of the Ariya will also end. The suspension affects the 2026 model year, while exports of the 2027 model year remain uncertain. Production for the Japanese domestic market, however, will continue.
The Ariya was positioned as a flagship model in Nissan’s EV transformation, symbolizing the brand’s electrification strategy. It was also the first model to feature Nissan’s new corporate logo. Built on the CMF-EV platform, the Ariya is a compact all-electric SUV. In the U.S., the Ariya was exported from Tochigi, Japan. Although it achieved 19,798 units sold in 2024 — up 47% year on year — the figure remained modest compared with overall market competition, making it difficult to anchor Nissan’s EV ambitions. In the first half of 2025, Nissan delivered 11,619 Ariya units in the U.S., up 24.3% year on year, making it Nissan’s best-selling EV in the country. However, growth momentum has been slowing amid intensifying market competition.
Outside the U.S., the Ariya has also struggled in China. Sales figures for the model have effectively disappeared from public records. As Dongfeng Nissan’s first all-electric crossover SUV, the Ariya was launched on September 27, 2022, with a price range of 272,800–342,800 yuan. Data shows that Ariya’s total sales in 2024 were only 2,115 units. Meanwhile, Dongfeng Nissan’s N7 has become the company’s new sales driver, with monthly sales surpassing 10,000 units in August for the first time.
A Nissan spokesperson stated that the company is pausing production of the MY26 Ariya for the U.S. market and reallocating resources to support the launch of the new 2026 Leaf, which will have the lowest starting price among all new EVs sold in the U.S.
On June 17, Nissan officially unveiled the next-generation Leaf, the third generation of the series. Built on the CMF-EV platform, the new model is a compact all-electric crossover, abandoning the traditional hatchback design for a sleeker fastback style. It will be available in two single-motor variants:
Low-power version: 130 kW motor, 345 Nm torque, 52.9 kWh battery
High-power version: 160 kW motor, 355 Nm torque, 75.1 kWh battery, and about 488 km range
In the first half of 2025, Nissan delivered 3,925 Leaf units in the U.S., up 28% year on year. Although Ariya production will end in the U.S. after 2025, its future remains uncertain — Nissan has not ruled out the possibility of reintroducing the model later, but no concrete plans have been announced.
