Nissan Leaf — model-year timeline & key facts
Published · Researched 2026-09-21
Compiled from the Nissan Leaf deep-research dossier; researched 2026-09-21. UNVERIFIED flags from the source research are preserved verbatim.
Key facts
| Powertrain | EV |
|---|---|
| Power | 214 (2026 gen 3); 147–214 (gen 2) |
| Range | 488 (2026; gen 2: 240–363) |
| Battery | 75 (2026); 40/62 (gen 2) |
| 0–100 km/h | UNVERIFIED |
| Fast charge | 150 |
| New price US | 29990–38990 MSRP (+1495 dest); S+ $29990 / SV+ $34230 / Platinum+ $38990 |
| New price EU | sold Europe; exact 2026 pricing UNVERIFIED |
| New price CN | not sold in China |
| Used price signal | CarGurus Sep 2026: 2022 avg ~$15800; 2023 ~$17200–18100; 2024 ~$19955–20955; 2025 ~$17700–20900 |
| Value call | BUY NEW 2026 S+ — cheapest new EV in US with NACS; budget alt: used 2024 SV Plus < $21k WITH LeafSpy battery check |
| Sweet-spot year | 2026 |
| Years to avoid | 2021, 2022 (fire-risk recall: Level 3 charging banned until 2026 software fix; + camera-harness and acceleration recalls); 2018–2020 (worst degradation era) |
| Reliability flag | gen 2 below average: endemic battery degradation, 4 recalls; gen 3 (2026) too early for data |
| Biggest risk | old-gen battery health is a lottery; new-gen is first-year hardware with zero field data |
| Community verdict | beloved cheap commuter sabotaged by its own battery design; the 2026 reboot fixes everything structurally |
Model-year timeline 2021–2026
| Year | Generation / changes / reliability / used prices |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Gen 2 (ZE1), late cycle · 40 kWh 147 hp / 62 kWh Plus 214 hp; FWD; CHAdeMO; air-cooled · NHTSA 5-star overall (2021 tested); degradation risk in heat · Camera harness (announced 2024); battery fire-risk recall (announced Oct 2025 — avoid Level 3 charging until fix) · UNVERIFIED (US avg) |
| 2022 | Gen 2, very mild facelift · Same powertrains · Owners rate 5/5 (CarGurus) — as a commuter it's loved · 4 recalls: unintentional acceleration, defroster, camera harness, battery fire-risk · $9.8k–28.8k, avg ~$15.8k (CarGurus, Sep 2026) |
| 2023 | Gen 2, unchanged · Same · Same degradation pattern · Camera harness (covers 2018–22) · $17.2k–18.1k avg (CarGurus, Sep 2026) |
| 2024 | Gen 2, unchanged · Same · Same · Camera harness · $20k–21k avg (CarGurus, Sep 2026) |
| 2025 | Gen 2, final year · Same · Last of the line; fire recall announced Oct 2025 hits 2021–22 builds, not this one · None new for 2025 builds · $17.7k–20.9k avg (CarGurus, Sep 2026) |
| 2026 | GEN 3: crossover body, liquid-cooled 75 kWh, NACS + Plug & Charge, 303 mi, Google built-in · 214 hp, 261 lb-ft, 7.2 kW onboard AC, 150 kW DC (10–80% in 35 min) · No recalls; too early for data · None · New: $29,990–38,990 MSRP (+$1,495 dest); CA$44,998–52,798 |
Sweet-spot year: 2026
Years to skip: 2021, 2022 (fire-risk recall: Level 3 charging banned until 2026 software fix; + camera-harness and acceleration recalls); 2018–2020 (worst degradation era)