Nissan North America has confirmed that the Ariya electric crossover won’t arrive in the U.S. until early 2022. 

The confirmation arrived Thursday night, shortly after the company confirmed the start of pre-orders for the Nissan Ariya electric vehicle in its home market of Japan, along with some basics on features and specs for the limited-edition versions set to arrive there first.

A U.S. Nissan spokesperson issued the following statement to Green Car Reports: “Nissan is facing various industry challenges, including the semiconductor shortage. Our priority is to ensure that we deliver the all-new, all-electric Nissan Ariya to customers with the highest level of quality and care. To that end, we have delayed the start of sales of Ariya, which will now be available in the U.S. starting in 2022 with reservations beginning later this year.”

The first deliveries for the Ariya were originally due in Japan by mid-year 2021, so the EV, Nissan’s second mass-market fully electric vehicle after the Leaf, is clearly running behind schedule. 

Nissan Ariya

Nissan Ariya

Nissan has emphasized that the Ariya is being tuned differently for each global market, so we don’t dive into Japanese specs quite yet. But Nissan has assured us that the U.S. version will start around $40,000 for models with the smaller (63-kwh usable) battery pack. Models equipped with the larger (87-kwh usable) pack will be capable of up to 300 miles of range in some versions. 

That means for many U.S. households who can claim the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, the Ariya is likely to effectively start at less than $34,000.

Nissan Ariya

Nissan Ariya

Nissan Ariya

Nissan Ariya

Nissan Ariya

Nissan Ariya

Nissan wouldn’t confirm if the Ariya will arrive with the same limited-edition treatment it’s being given for Japan, or with the badging of Ariya B6 for the 63-kwh model and B9 for the 87-kwh version.

The 2022 Nissan Ariya, which was shown last July in production-bound form, will come in single-motor front-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive version. We’re especially looking forward to the AWD versions with the new e-4ORCE system we drove in a Leaf mule last year, which allows the dual-motor drive system to provide more than added traction. 

Nissan Ariya

Nissan Ariya

Seen as a tech flagship for Nissan, the Ariya will mark the debut of the most advanced version of the Pro Pilot 2 driver-assistance suite. The platform is a new global one for EVs, the battery packs are liquid-cooled, and fast-charging ranges up to about 137 kw. Nissan has announced a switch, starting with this vehicle, to the CCS charging standard

Other features to look forward to in the Ariya include a reconceived “magic-carpet” interior, with a completely flat floor throughout the cabin, and a single-piece interface that integrates two screens at different distances, allowing the driver’s eyes to smoothly pan from side to side. 

Expect more details about the the U.S. version of the Ariya around the time reservations start later in the year.