The 2026 Nissan Leaf is exactly the electric car it needs to be. In 2011, the Leaf was the OG mass-market EV , launched with 73 miles of range for $33,600. Fifteen years later, it’s been reimagined as an SUV-styled tall hatch—with 300 miles of range and a price starting at $31,485.

The new Leaf competes with the Hyundai Kona Electric, the Kia Niro EV, and the upcoming and rebooted 2027 Chevrolet Bolt. All are compact hatchbacks with front-wheel drive, rated at 250 miles or more, priced at $35,000 or less. Even as national purchase incentives in the US end on September 30, these models promise to make EVs far more affordable at a time when the average US sale price of a new vehicle nears $50,000.

In early September, another reporter and I put 160 miles on a 2026 Nissan Leaf Platinum+

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