When my colleague Myriam Joire got a sneak preview of the new Nissan Leaf, she was so impressed and said that it’s an “affordable EV that’s light years ahead of its predecessor.” I can attest to that sentiment after driving the 2026 Nissan Leaf Platinum+ for a week, proving how this budget EV is stirring things up in a big way.
First of all, you should know that the base trim, the Leaf S+ FWD, has an entry price of $29,990, which is about half the cost for an average EV today. What’s also important to know is that it shares the same 75 kWh battery and 214 hp performance as the more expensive Platinum+ trim — and it even gets nearly 40 miles more on a charge.
