Nissan is having serious problems ramping up production of its Ariya crossover. The Japanese marque planned on launching the Ariya in 2021 however the global semiconductor shortage led to a number of delays. Customer deliveries of the Ariya finally commenced a few months ago, albeit in very small numbers.
Originally Nissan aimed to build 400 Ariyas per day, which correlates to 146,000 per year. However, the firm has since encountered several production issues at its 'Intelligence Factory' in Tochigi, Japan.
Although specific problems have not been revealed, insiders have described the situation as an "extremely high challenge". In general, Nissan has been plagued with supply chain issues meanwhile paint line problems at the 'Intelligence Factory' have also been reported.
Nissan has not released an updated Ariya production forecast, however analysts expect a figure significantly below 100,000 units this year. This comes as sales of Nissan's other globally available EV, the Leaf, continue to fall. On sale since 2009, the Leaf has only received one major update (in 2018). The Leaf was surpassed by the Tesla Model 3 as the best-selling EV of all time in 2020.
The Nissan Ariya starts at $43,190 in the US. Given production takes place in Japan, it is not eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit. The Ariya is available in either FWD or AWD guise. A 63 kWh battery pack comes standard, however an 87 kWh unit can also be optioned. Pairing that 87 kWh battery with FWD ($50,190) will result in a 304-mile EPA range. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line AWD Ariya gets 389 hp and a 4.8 second 0-60 mph time. The AWD 87 kWh variant comes in at $54,190 however it's possible to spec it to over $60k.
