Mitsubishi will finally launch its first EV in the US in 2026 and it may twin with the Nissan LEAF
Mitsubishi confirmed plans to finally launch its first EV in the US in 2026. The new electric car is expected to look similar to Nissan’s next-generation LEAF, which will debut later this year.
Mitsubishi plans to launch its first EV in the US in 2026
After notching its highest sales in the US since 2019 last year, Mitsubishi intends to keep the momentum going with a revamped lineup, including its first electric vehicle.
Mitsubishi told US dealers during a meeting earlier this week (via Automotive News) that the brand’s first EV will arrive in the US in 2026 alongside a new Outlander model.
According to sources, it will be a small electric crossover, similar to what the next-gen Nissan LEAF is expected to look like. Nissan is updating the iconic hatch with a new style closer to the Ariya, its electric SUV.
The new LEAF will use the same CMF-EV platform that underpins the Nissan Ariya. Nissan said its Chill-out concept from 2021 previewed the next-gen LEAF model. It will be more of a crossover coupe rather than the hatchback we are used to seeing.
Nissan is expected to unveil the new model later this year. Earlier this month, the new LEAF was spotted testing in the US, giving us our best look at the new EV so far.
Although RC Hill, chairman of the Mitsubishi National Advisory Board, said US dealers would “embrace” the brand’s first EV, it’s not expected to replace the Mirage. “It’s probably a solution to the OEM problem, but not a solution to move volume,” he explained.
The Mirage was the brand’s second-best-selling model in the US last year, behind the Outlander, but Mitsubishi ended production in December. To make up for it, Mitsubishi may cut Outlander Sport prices and introduce a new lower-priced trim ahead of its first EV arriving.
Although Mitsubishi was initially included in Nissan and Honda’s EV merger plans, the automaker is reportedly considering backing out.
With a wave of new electric crossovers and SUVs arriving in the US from Hyundai, GM, Volvo, Rivian, and several others, will Mitsubishi be able to stand out? Would you buy a Mitsubishi EV? Let us know in the comments below.
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Tesla has wiped off the 26,000 miles on the odometer of a Cybertruck in service, scratched the vehicle, and then returned it to the owner like nothing happened.
A Tesla Cybertruck owner in Oregon was quite surprised when he went to pick up his Cybertruck, which was in service to install a new lightbar, fix some panel gaps, and figure out an ABS alert that wouldn’t go away.
According to a thread on the Cybertruck Owners Club, Tesla had wiped the odometer clean on the Foundation Series ‘Cyberbeast’, which had over 26,000 miles on it.
The owner shared a video of the Cybertruck’s odometer going from 0 to 1 mile for the second time:
The odometer on the vehicle was wiped and both the app and service many also showed the same mileage.
The owner shared a screenshot of the app after 15 miles:
He went to the online forum for advice:
Anyone else have their odometer Thanos-snapped after a controller swap? Can Tesla unsnap it or am I forever “True Mileage Unknown”?
Interestingly, Tesla is currently being sued for allegedly messing with the odometers of its vehicles. However, the lawsuit is for accelerating the mileage, not reducing it, like in this case.
It was not the only surprise from this service visit for this Cybertruck owner.
The owner was not satisfied with the lightbar installation, which he claims has a half-inch gap on the passenger side while it is flush on the driver side. He wrote:
It’s basically smiling sideways at everyone.
It’s also unclear why Tesla was messing with the vehicle’s tailgate, but it ended up having a bolt moving around it, causing scratches and Tesla left a bolt unbolted:
At this point, the truck was returned with more problems than it had when it entered service.
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Nissan is on the brink of collapsing. After the Honda deal fell through, it looks like another Japanese automaker is tossing it a lifeline. As Nissan struggles to stay afloat, Toyota is emerging as a potential “backer” in a new tie-up.
Are Toyota and Nissan partnering?
“If we don’t take action now, the situation will only get worse,” Nissan’s President, Ivan Espinosa, said during a press conference on May 13.
Facing falling sales, ballooning debt, and slumping profits, Nissan introduced a new recovery plan last week, “Re:Nissan.” The struggling automaker aims to cut costs by 250 billion yen to return to profitability by FY 2026.
As part of its efforts to turn the business around, Nissan will cut 20,000 jobs by FY2027. It’s also abandoning plans to build a new EV battery facility in Japan. Seven other plants will be closed, including one in Thailand and two in Japan.
After its planned EV merger with Honda fell through in February, rumours surfaced that Nissan was scrambling to find another partner.
According to a new report from Japan’s MainiChi, a Toyota executive recently reached out to Nissan about a potential partnership. The tie-up could involve Toyota acting as Nissan’s “backer” to support it while it restructures.
Nissan and Toyota both unveiled a wave of new electric vehicles set to roll out over the next few years. The upgraded Nissan LEAF EV will arrive in the US and Canada later this year with more range, an NACS port, and a new crossover style. It will be one of ten new Nissan or Infiniti models to arrive by 2027.
In Europe, Nissan will launch the next-gen LEAF later this year, followed by the new Micra EV and Qashqai electric crossover. In 2026, the new Nissan Juke EV will join the lineup.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s upgraded bZ electric SUV (formerly the “bZ4X”) will arrive at US dealerships in the second half of 2025.
In 2026, the smaller C-HR electric SUV and rugged bZ Woodland EV will follow. By the end of the year, Europe will see three new Toyota electric SUVs: the C-HR+, Urban Cruiser, and upgraded bZ4X.
Electrek’s Take
Toyota already has a stake in several Japanese automakers, including Subaru (20%), Mazda (5.1%), Suzuki (4.6%), and Isuzu (5.9%), so backing Nissan wouldn’t come as a shock.
Espinosa said Nissan was open to new partnerships. Nissan’s chief said the company will continue collaborating with others, including Mitsubishi, which will use the upcoming LEAF as the basis for its new EV for North America.
Japanese carmakers have been notoriously slow in shifting to all-electric vehicles, which is now costing them in key overseas markets like Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and others.
Chinese EV leaders, like BYD, are quickly expanding overseas to drive growth this year. Next year, it will launch its first kei car (see the first spy shots), or mini EV, which is already being called “a huge threat” to Japan.
Pooling resources and teaming up may be the best (or only) option at this point. Can Toyota help Nissan turn things around? Or will it be too little, too late? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Check back soon for details. This is a developing story. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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