08:19 19-09-2025

Why Nissan is halting Ariya EV sales in the U.S. for now

Nissan is pausing sales of its Ariya electric crossover in the United States. The company cites a combination of interrelated factors behind the move. While the overall EV market is still expanding—albeit more slowly than before—Ariya’s U.S. demand has been slipping.

In 2024, Nissan sold just 15,527 Ariyas in the U.S., falling short of its early projections. By mid-2025, sales were already down nearly 24 percent year over year, a trajectory that points to fading shopper interest.

A practical hurdle has been the cost burden of import duties. Because the Ariya is built in Japan, it faces a 15 percent import tax when sold in the American market. That kind of surcharge makes it difficult to set a price that feels compelling to buyers.

Another drag is the model’s recent crash-test showing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Ariya a mid-tier result in the moderate overlap front crash test—hardly the kind of headline that helps in a segment where safety ranks high on the checklist.

IIHS paid special attention to a partial-overlap collision scenario at 64 km/h, and the Ariya didn’t shine there. The rating was only acceptable, indicating that in such a crash, rear passengers could face an elevated risk of injury. In a crowded field, that sort of score tends to weigh on purchase decisions.

Even so, Nissan’s decision to halt U.S. sales shouldn’t be read as a global retreat from the Ariya. Production will continue for other regions, suggesting a regional recalibration rather than a verdict on the model itself.