Nissan undercuts Kia to retake the crown as Canada’s most affordable EV

This is car news rather than home energy news, but here's what's happening for anyone cross-shopping an EV alongside home upgrades like a charger install.

Nissan has taken back the title of Canada's cheapest new EV. The 2027 Nissan Leaf S starts at CA$34,998 (CA$37,966 with fees), undercutting the Kia EV3 Light, which had just claimed the low-price spot at CA$36,995 (CA$39,744 with fees). The Leaf S also qualifies for Canada's Electric Vehicle Affordability Program (EVAP), a federal incentive that can knock the effective starting price under CA$30,000.

The two cars trade off on range and power. The base Leaf S uses a 53 kWh battery, a 174-horsepower motor, and gets up to 341 km of range. Stepping up to the Leaf S+ and higher trims brings a bigger 75 kWh battery, 214 horsepower, and up to 488 km of range, but at a noticeably higher price (starting around CA$45,198). The EV3 Light comes with a 58.3 kWh battery and up to 356 km of range, while its larger 81.4 kWh battery option reaches up to 517 km. Both cars use the NACS charging plug, the same connector standard used by Tesla's network, so charging compatibility should be similar either way.

In the US, pricing looks different: the Kia EV3 Light starts at $29,890, while Nissan only sells the Leaf with the larger 75 kWh battery, starting at $29,990. Anyone comparing these models for their own driveway may want to check current EV incentives in their province or state, since those can shift the real cost significantly.