Nissan Leaf S 52 kWh Trim Discontinued in North America
Nissan cancels 52 kWh Leaf S trim in US, Canada, keeps 75 kWh model
Nissan just killed the cheapest Leaf. The S trim is gone in the US and Canada. Poof.
With it vanishes the most accessible version of a car that helped start this whole electric revolution, leaving only its pricier siblings. It’s a blunt confirmation of a worrying trend.
Nissan said it was canceling the affordable, 52kWh entry-level S trim of Leaf in the US and Canada, leaving only the higher trim, 75kWh models available. None of these vehicles were perfect, but they seem to represent a pattern of automakers doing away with lower priced, lower margin EVs in favor of big, expensive ones. GM couldn't throw a life preserver to the Chevy Bolt, but it'll still happily steer you toward the Cadillac Escalade IQ, which starts at around $127,000 and weighs about as much as a small moon.
None of these vehicles were perfect, but they seem to represent a pattern of automakers doing away with lower priced, lower margin EVs in favor of big, expensive ones Consider the Cybertruck, widely considered to be the most hated car in the world. Cybertruck sales fell 48 percent in 2025, compared to the previous year, according to Kelley Blue Book's annual electric vehicle sales reports.
The retreat is accelerating. First the Chevy Bolt. Now the Leaf S.
That difficult work of building a decent, cheap electric car is being sidelined. The arithmetic is brutal. Thin margins.
So the industry flees to the extremes. You’ll find $127,000 electric tanks and meme trucks with sales down 48 percent. What you won’t find is a simple, unremarkable electric hatchback.
The door is swinging shut. The cold calculation? Sell a few colossal machines instead of mastering the accessible mass-market EV.
It’s a strategy. It’s also a profound failure of ambition for what this transition was supposed to be.
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Common Questions Answered
Why is Nissan discontinuing the 52 kWh Leaf S trim in the US and Canada?
Nissan is pulling the entry-level Leaf variant as part of a broader trend of automakers reducing lower-margin electric vehicle offerings. The decision reflects challenges in the EV market, including slowing demand and a shift towards higher-priced electric vehicle models.
What battery options remain available for the Nissan Leaf after this change?
After canceling the 52 kWh trim, Nissan will continue to offer only the 75 kWh version of the Leaf in the United States and Canada. This move effectively eliminates the most affordable Leaf option from the market.
How does Nissan's decision impact the affordable electric vehicle market?
The removal of the entry-level Leaf trim contributes to a broader industry trend of reducing lower-priced electric vehicle options. This change potentially makes electric vehicles less accessible to budget-conscious consumers, as manufacturers increasingly focus on higher-margin, more expensive EV models.
