Nissan Leaf being pruned before replacement is ready - report

The replacement for the electric Nissan Leaf hatchback isn’t due until 2026, but UK production of the current model is set to end much sooner.

Autocar reports Leaf production will end at Nissan’s Sunderland plant this month.

Australian-market Leafs are sourced from this plant, rather than Japan or the US where it’s also built. We’ve contacted Nissan Australia for comment.

If Nissan Australia is unable to source the Leaf from the other factories building it, it will be left without an electric vehicle (EV) here despite being a pioneering brand in this space.

The launch of the larger Ariya crossover still has yet to be locked in for our market.

With the Leaf gone, Nissan will reportedly begin retooling the Sunderland plant to build not only its replacement – which will reportedly be revealed this year ahead of start of production in 2026 – but also electric Juke and Qashqai replacements.

Nissan plans to sell only EVs in the UK from 2030 onwards.

“The current generation of Nissan Leaf, the world’s first mass-market 100% electric vehicle, is approaching the end of its life cycle in Europe,” reads a statement from Nissan UK.

“Depending on the market’s inventory, European customers will be able to place their orders until vehicle stocks run out.

“Nissan has already announced a new line-up of 100% electric vehicles for the European market to be produced in Sunderland plant as part of our commitment to sustainability and electrification.”

The current, second-generation Leaf entered production in 2017, arriving here in 2019. An updated model arrived here in 2022, with various cosmetic tweaks and a digital rear-view mirror.

The small hatch has been swamped by both flashier and more affordable electric vehicles (EVs) alike in Australia.

Nissan sold just 484 Leafs here last year, making it the 24th best-selling EV in Australia – far below the likes of similarly sized or priced models like the Hyundai Kona Electric (836 sales), Cupra Born (887), MG 4 (3134) and Tesla Model 3 (17,347).

MORE: Everything Nissan Leaf MORE: Nissan locks in three new electric cars for expanded UK factory