Nissan U.S. Dealers Told To Stop Taking Ariya Orders

In a surprise development, Nissan has told its dealers in the U.S. to stop taking new orders for the company’s 2023 battery electric Ariya SUV due to supply chain issues affecting production at home in Japan. A quick check of its website confirms that ‘reservations are now closed’ (indefinitely).

Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta said that it is better to limit orders to what can realistically be delivered this year. He went onto to add that the company is dealing with high demand for the Ariya SUV from the U.S., Europe and Japan. This is not the first time the Ariya plant has experienced disruptions. Production was delayed in 2020 when the plant ran into semiconductor supply issues and the pandemic.

Deliveries of the front-wheel-drive model started in Japan in May after initially being scheduled to begin in March. The flagship 4WD model is slated for a late 2022 launch.

It is not yet clear just how long Nissan proposes to keep Ariya EV orders closed. With prices for the US-spec base-grade front-wheel drive model starting at $45,950, one U.S. dealer said that Nissan has allotted around 6,000 vehicles to the Unites States market but could not guarantee a clear delivery schedule. According to one report, some dealers congratulated the company’s decision not to overpromise and underdeliver on the Ariya.

The Ariya is Nissan’s second mass-produced electric vehicle after the award-winning Leaf was launched over a decade ago. When that car was launched in 2011, disgraced ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn famously predicted that he believed 10% of the world would be driving EVs within 10 years. That did not happen with electric cars currently holding an 8.5% share.

The Ariya is built in a dedicated new section of its Tochigi assembly plant north of Tokyo. The plant’s production was affected by Covid-related travel restrictions with Japan being ostensibly closed to foreign engineers until recently. Just when Ariya orders will reopen is anyone’s guess. Stay tuned.