14:34 16-09-2025

Nissan cuts Leaf production amid battery shortage as launch stays on track

Nissan has hit a rough patch rolling out the new-generation Leaf. According to Nikkei, the company has cut production plans for September through November by more than half because of a shortage of batteries. The bottleneck stems from low manufacturing efficiency at the group’s battery subsidiary. As a result, output at the Tochigi plant—which assembles EVs for Japan and the U.S.—is down by several thousand cars each month.

Nissan declined to comment on reports of revised plans but emphasized that the launch remains slated for year-end. Even so, the reduced volumes have already unsettled investors: Nissan shares edged down 0.4%, lagging the main Nikkei index.

For a brand once viewed as a pioneer of the mass-market electric car, the setback stings. The Leaf, first launched in 2010, was supposed to restore the company’s edge in the segment, yet that prospect is again under strain. And this isn’t the first misstep: in 2023, production of the Ariya crossover was delayed by issues tied to an innovative assembly line.

Now the hope is that the new Leaf can steady the course. But the battery shortfall serves as a pointed reminder that the pace of the electric transition is defined as much by supply chains and the efficiency of cell technology as by the cars themselves.