U.S. supplies of the all-electric Nissan Ariya will be limited this year despite the car having already been delayed from its initial planned launch of mid-2021.
During a recent National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) meeting, the company told dealers that Ariya supplies would be limited due to high battery material costs. Auto News notes that many of the retailers who attended the meeting were eager to know why they aren’t receiving more units this year.
Nissan has not said how many Ariya models will be allocated to the U.S. this year, although an unnamed source claims that some 6,000 units were allocated for fiscal 2022 which ends on March 31, 2023.
Nissan Dealer Advisory Board chairman Tyler Slade, who is also an operating partner at Tim Dahle Nissan Southtowne in Salt Lake City, says his store has received interest from 100 customers for the Ariya and noted that it has started accepting deposits.
“Every dealer was saying how many customers they have waiting or wanting to order one,” Slade told Auto News.
The vice president of sales and regional operations for Nissan’s U.S. division, Judy Wheeler, noted that the cost and availability of battery components are contributing to lower production numbers. She added that the costs of some commodities have “tripled and quadrupled.”
Read: 2023 Nissan Ariya Gets Cheaper $43,190 Base Model, Rest Of The Lineup Is Now More Expensive
One dealer that didn’t want to be named said he was “shocked” by the lack of Ariya supply.
“Why can’t we produce the Ariya in any acceptable volume?” he asked. “Customers are walking in saying, ‘I’m sold, let me buy one’ but we can’t tell them when it’s coming.”
U.S. pricing for the electric Ariya starts at $43,190 for the Engage FWD 63 kWh and also includes the Venture+ FWD 87 kWh ($47,190), Evolve+ FWD 87 kWh ($50,190), Empower+ FWD 87 kWh ($53,690), Premiere FWD 87 kWh ($54,690), Engage e-4ORCE 63 kWh ($47,190), Engage+ e-4ORCE 87 kWh ($51,190), Evolve+ e-4ORCE 87 kWh ($54,190), and tops out with the Platinum+ e-4ORCE 87 kWh ($60,190).
