Nissan’s next-gen LEAF EV is due out next year – Here’s what we know so far
A new all-electric Nissan LEAF is due out next year. The compact EV that started it all is getting a makeover to compete with new rivals. Here’s what we know about the next-gen Nissan LEAF so far.
Nissan is gearing up for a major transition as it gears up to go all-electric in the UK. The automaker announced it would stop building ICE vehicles in Europe in September.
After announcing sweeping plans for an electric future, Nissan is doubling down on EVs. Last week, the company revealed that it would invest up to £3bn ($3.8B) to build three new EVs at its Sunderland factory.
Two electric models are new, while the third, the Nissan next-gen LEAF, is due for a significant upgrade.
Nissan is converting two top-selling SUVs, the Juke and the Qashqai, into all-electric models. The Qashqai was the top-selling car in the UK last year, while over 1M Juke’s have been sold.
The new EVs will be based on the concepts Nissan revealed at the Japan Mobility Show. The Qashqai will likely be inspired by the Hyper Urban concept as the largest model with a comfortable interior.
Nissan’s Hyper Punk concept seems like a good inspiration for the Juke EV, with an edgy design tailored for content creators, influencers, and artists.
So, where does that leave the next-gen Nissan LEAF? After over a decade on the market and more than a quarter million units built at Sunderland, the LEAF is due for a major design overhaul.
Nissan’s next-gen LEAF will kick off new EVs in 2024
The new Nissan LEAF will be the first of the three built for European markets. A source at Nissan told Automotive News Europe that the next-gen Nissan LEAF will launch at the end of next year.
Nissan’s LEAF was a trailblazer, launched in 2010 as one of the first mass-market EVs. However, over the past 13 years, new competitors have released more advanced electric models with longer ranges and better features.
Research from Dataforce shows LEAF sales fell 31% to 11,568 through October in Europe. Meanwhile, Chinese rivals like BYD and SAIC’s MG are gaining ground.
For example, SAIC sold 52,520 MG4 electric models in Europe during the same time. BYD also launched its SEAL electric sedan and SEAL U, which are designed for European buyers. The SEAL starts at 45,000 euros (around $48,000) with a range of up to 354 mi (570 km).
Nissan will launch the next-gen LEAF as a crossover coupe SUV to compete better. The LEAF will receive a sleeker, lower style to avoid competition with the electric Juke or Qashqai.
According to a Nissan source, its design will be closer to the Ariya, the brand’s first electric SUV. Nissan has said that the next-generation LEAF is being previewed in its Chill-Out concept.
Nissan’s Chill-Out EV is a “mobile haven” with a productive and comfortable interior design. The concept is based on the CMF-EV platform used for the Ariya. It’s also equipped with Nissan’s e-4ORCE electric 4WD control system.
The new LEAF will be completely redesigned, avoiding similar design features of the first two generations.
Its batteries will come from Nissan’s cell plant, which is currently under construction. The new batteries (Gen5) will offer 30% more energy density than the current LEAF’s 62 kWh pack. It will help boost range to 239 miles (385 km), putting it on par with VW’s ID.3 (343 miles from a 77 kWh battery).
The electric Juke EV is expected to follow the new LEAF, launching the following year, in 2025. Nissan’s Qashqai EV will debut around 2027.
Electrek’s Take
Nissan will kick off its EV campaign next year with the next-gen LEAF. The automaker plans to launch 19 new EVs by 2030.
It’s no surprise Nissan is updating the LEAF with a complete redesign. For a long time, the LEAF was the best-selling EV (cumulatively).
With new, more advanced models from Tesla and Chinese EV makers taking market share, Nissan is shaking things up. Nissan dealers were shown the new EVs over the summer, with one describing the new LEAF as a “mini Ariya.”
Although the report notes the next-gen LEAF is debuting in Europe, Nissan is expected to launch it in the US. The Ariya is already outpacing the LEAF by a wide margin in US sales. Nissan sold 9,699 Ariya models in the US through September while only selling 5,804 LEAFs. A smaller, more compact electric crossover with more range at a similar price would likely improve EV sales further.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Signage is seen at the United States Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., August 29, 2020.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have charged the founder of a U.S.-based cryptocurrency payments firm with operating what they allege was a sophisticated international money laundering scheme that moved over half a billion dollars on behalf of sanctioned Russian banks and other entities.
Iurii Gugnin, a 38-year-old Russian national living in Manhattan, was arrested and arraigned Monday and ordered held without bail pending trial.
Gugnin faces a 22-count indictment accusing him of wire and bank fraud, violating U.S. sanctions and export controls, money laundering, and failing to implement legally required anti-money laundering protocols.
“The defendant is charged with turning a cryptocurrency company into a covert pipeline for dirty money, moving over half a billion dollars through the U.S. financial system to aid sanctioned Russian banks and help Russian end-users acquire sensitive U.S. technology,” Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg said in a statement.
Prosecutors said Gugnin used his companies — Evita Investments and Evita Pay — to process about $530 million in payments while concealing the origins and purposes of the funds. Between June 2023 and January 2025, he allegedly funneled the money through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, primarily using tether, a widely used, dollar-pegged stablecoin.
Clients included individuals and businesses linked to sanctioned Russian institutions such as Sberbank, VTB Bank, Sovcombank, Tinkoff, and the state-owned nuclear energy firm Rosatom.
To carry out the scheme, Gugnin allegedly misrepresented the scope of his business, falsified compliance documentation, and lied to banks and digital asset platforms about his ties to Russia. Prosecutors say he masked the source of funds through shell accounts and doctored more than 80 invoices, digitally erasing the identities of Russian counterparties.
Investigators also cite internet searches indicating he knew he was under scrutiny, including queries like “how to know if there is an investigation against you” and “money laundering penalties US.”
The Justice Department said Gugnin maintained direct ties to members of Russia’s intelligence service and officials in Iran — countries that do not extradite to the U.S.
He is also accused of helping the export of sensitive U.S. technology to Russian clients, including an anti-terrorism-controlled server.
Gugnin was profiled last fall in a Wall Street Journal article about high-net-worth renters in Manhattan, where he reportedly paid $19,000 per month for an apartment.
If convicted on bank fraud charges, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, but if convicted on all counts, Gugnin could be given a consecutive maximum sentence significantly longer than his lifetime.
Despite China’s recent warning, BYD is ramping up the pressure on rivals with another ultra-affordable electric vehicle. BYD launched the Seal 06 EV, starting at just over $15,000, as the price war in China appears to be getting out of hand.
Meet the BYD Seal 06 EV
The new Seal 06 EV arrives after the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) issued a warning last week, stating an automaker’s recent price cuts are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”
Although the statement didn’t single out BYD, it’s pretty obvious who they are referring to. BYD cut prices (again) on May 23 by up to 34% across 22 of its most popular models. Its cheapest electric car, the Seagull EV, now starts at just 55,800 yuan ($7,800).
BYD is now turning up the heat with another low-cost EV rolling out. The Seal 06 EV officially launched in China, starting at just 109,800 yuan, or about $15,300.
It’s available in three trims with two BYD Blade LFP battery pack options: 46.08 kWh or 56.64 kWh, providing a CLTC range of 470 km (292 miles) and 545 km (339 miles).
The electric sedan measures 4,720 mm in length, 1,880 mm in width, and 1,495 mm in height, approximately the same size as the Tesla Model 3 (4,720 mm in length, 1,850 mm in width, and 1,443 mm in height).
Like most new BYD vehicles we’ve seen, the new Seal 06 EV is equipped with its God’s Eye ADAS and DiPilot 100 smart cockpit system. However, unlike some of the more premium models, the Seal 06 uses a camera system rather than LiDAR.
The new EV joins BYD’s Seal lineup of vehicles, which includes the hybrid Seal 06 DM-i and the popular electric Seal sedan models.
Inside features a similar setup to BYD’s other new vehicles with a 15.6″ rotating center infotainment and a smaller driver display screen.
Although the Seal 06 EV starts at 109,800 yuan ($15,300), BYD promises “with over 33 hard-core standard features, the entry-level version is high-end.”
It features a few added amenities not typically found in entry-level cars, including heated and ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, and a surround sound stereo system. It even has a built-in refrigerator that can heat and cool.
Will it compete with Tesla’s Model 3 in the Chinese market? Although it features less range, the Seal 06 EV is half the cost. The base Model 3 RWD starts at 235,500 yuan ($32,800) in China with a CLTC range of 634 km (394 miles). Which one would you buy? Let us know in the comments.
After slashing prices again last month, another low-cost, but well-equipped BYD EV is arriving in China. Will the Seal 06 EV pressure others, like Tesla, to follow suit? We will find out shortly.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
The US solar industry is still booming, but looming policy threats could pull the plug on that momentum.
According to the new US Solar Market Insight report from SEIA and Wood Mackenzie, the industry installed 10.8 gigawatts (GW) of new electricity-generating solar in Q1 2025, with solar and storage making up a whopping 82% of all new capacity added to the grid.
And US solar manufacturing is also on a roll: The first quarter saw 8.6 GW of new module manufacturing capacity come online, the third-largest quarterly increase on record.
That growth came from eight new or expanded factories in Texas, Ohio, and Arizona. Meanwhile, US solar cell production doubled to 2 GW, thanks to a new factory in South Carolina.
But the industry’s rapid expansion is under threat. New tariffs and the “Big, Beautiful Bill” passed by the House that would gut clean energy tax incentives are injecting serious uncertainty into the market. SEIA warns that if the Senate doesn’t act to fix the legislation, the consequences will be severe: factory closures, energy shortages, job losses, and higher electricity bills.
“Solar and storage continue to dominate America’s energy economy, adding more new capacity to the grid than any technology using increasingly American-made equipment,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “But our success is at risk.”
According to SEIA, if Congress doesn’t change course, 330,000 jobs could disappear, along with 331 planned or operating factories and $286 billion in local investment. Americans could also see $51 billion in higher power bills.
Tariff uncertainty is already rattling the industry. Anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) on Southeast Asian solar cells and modules, plus other tariff shifts, are adding to the instability. Meanwhile, proposed changes to clean energy tax credits would undercut long-term planning for manufacturers and developers alike.
“The 10.8 GW of solar capacity installed in Q1 2025 represents a significant portion of new US electricity generation,” said Zoë Gaston, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “However, our analysis suggests that the US solar market has yet to reach its full potential.”
And it’s not just analysts raising red flags. SEIA and Wood Mackenzie have downgraded their five-year outlook for every solar segment except community solar. Residential solar is expected to drop 14% compared to previous projections, and utility-scale solar is down 6%. If the clean energy tax credits are rolled back, that outlook could fall even further.
One major point of tension is politics. Texas led the nation in new solar capacity in Q1 2025, and Florida overtook California to land in second place. Eight of the top 10 states for solar installations in the quarter voted for Donald Trump in 2024.
That means the places most at risk if the House bill isn’t fixed are represented by Republicans.
SEIA says that if clean energy tax incentives are gutted, US energy production will drop by 173 terawatt-hours (TWh), and the country will not be able to compete with China in the global race to power AI.
The bottom line: The US solar industry is scaling up fast, but policy missteps could slam on the brakes just when momentum is peaking.
Read more: Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ bill will cause a US energy shortage – SEIA
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway