After a couple of false starts, Nissan said it planned to get its second EV into the hands of the public in March, but chip shortages forced the company to push that date back until May.
The car was supposed to hit dealers in Japan in late March, but the new target is now May 12, reports Reuters. The March target was after a previous setback, when the vehicle was supposed to be available in Japan last summer.
The delay is a setback for Nissan which launched the world’s first mainstream battery-car, the Leaf, more than a decade ago. Ariya is meant to help it catch up with competitors such as Tesla, that have raced ahead with multiple BEVs of their own.
Europe will be next to get the Ariya sometime this summer with U.S. buyers finally get a crack at it this fall — at least six months later than its expected debut.
Second time’s the charm
The Ariya is Nissan’s second battery-electric model following the Leaf, which debuted in 2010. While it was the early leader in EVs with the Leaf, it’s since fallen behind several other automakers, including Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia and, most notably, Tesla.
One of the big shortcomings of the Leaf was its limited range — a problem the now 2023 Ariya resolves with its 300 miles of range.
“Ariya leverages our decade of expertise selling mass-market EVs,” said Michael Colleran, senior vice president, Nissan U.S. and Marketing and Sales.
Getting one in the U.S.
It will be available through the brand’s 890 U.S. dealers, he added, though the automaker has also set up an internet-focused buying program that comes as close to what EV startups are offering considering strict state franchise laws. Potential customers can find out more and make a reservation atNissanUSA.com/ariya/reserve.
Pronounced like the song an opera diva sings, a concept version of theAriya made its first appearance at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. Though there were some design details unique to exotic concepts, like the oversized wheels, the show car will go into production with surprisingly few changes.
The 2023 Ariya rides on a flexible new architecture, Espinosa explained, that eventually will be used for a variety of battery-electric cars to be produced not only by Nissan but also its two alliance partners, Japan’s Mitsubishi and France’s Renault.
Four different versions of Ariya will be offered, with a starting price of $45,950 for the Venture+, $48,950 for the Evolve+, $53,450 for the Premiere, and $58,950 for the Platinum+. Prices do not include a $1,175 destination charge. Ariya deliveries will begin in fall 2022, with front-wheel drive models arriving first, followed by all-wheel drive models later that fall.
The Venture, Evolve and Premiere models are all front-wheel drive with a single battery pack making 238 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, while delivering up to 300 miles of range. The Platinum model will add a second motor on the rear axle and feature Nissan’s e-4orce all-wheel-drive system. It’s rated at 389 hp and 442 lb-ft, with range cut to 265 miles.
All four feature 87 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery packs. There is a second battery pack, at 66 kWh, but Nissan has not said whether it will bring that shorter-range option to the U.S. market.
From the looks of it, another delay would be a blessing.