Nissan is pulling its Ariya electric SUV from the US lineup for the 2026 model year, a move that industry observers say was pushed over the edge by President Donald Trump’s 15% tariff on Japanese-built electric vehicles.
The Japanese automaker told dealers it would halt Ariya imports next year, explaining in a memo that the decision would “reallocate resources and optimize its EV portfolio as the automotive landscape continues to evolve.”
In a separate statement, Nissan said it is “pausing production of the MY26 Ariya for the US market and reallocating resources to support the launch of the all-new 2026 Leaf, which will have the lowest starting MSRP out of all new EVs currently on sale in the US.”
The company added that the Ariya will remain available through existing dealer inventory and that current owners will continue to receive service, parts, and warranty coverage.
Nissan also said no decision has been made on whether the Ariya will return for model year 2027.
A White House official disputed the claim that tariffs were the reason Nissan pulled the 2026 Ariya, saying that the company sold fewer than 20,000 units in all of 2024.
While Nissan did sell fewer than 20,000 units of the Ariya, it did represent a 47% increase from the year prior, when it sold slightly more than 13,000.
The White House official told The Post that it wasn’t enough of an increase to warrant keeping it on the market.
The Ariya is assembled at Nissan’s Tochigi plant in Japan, which means every US-bound unit is now subject to the new 15% tariff under the US–Japan trade framework implemented this month.
Analysts say the tariff, layered on top of cooling EV demand and Nissan’s strained finances made the program harder to justify.
Meanwhile, Nissan has cut back production of the new Leaf at Tochigi because of battery procurement issues.
Over the summer, the company trimmed its broader Leaf output plans after Beijing tightened exports of rare-earth materials critical to EV batteries.
In the US, Nissan also delayed two electric crossovers planned for its Canton, Miss., plant by about 10 months.
The Ariya only arrived in the US in 2023 as Nissan’s first modern electric SUV, following more than a decade of reliance on the smaller, cheaper Leaf.
Whether it comes back in 2027 may hinge not only on Nissan’s balance sheet but also on whether tariffs stay in place.
In July, Washington and Tokyo struck a major agreement under which Japan pledged to invest $550 billion in the US and increase purchases of American goods — from Boeing jets to farm and energy products.
The US set a baseline 15% tariff on nearly all Japanese imports.
Items previously above 15% dropped to 15%, while many below 15% rose to that level.
Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 4 implementing the cuts, which took effect Sept. 16.
Automobiles like the Ariya remain subject to the 15% rate.
The deal allows Washington to raise tariffs again if Japan fails to meet its commitments.
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