Nov 25, 2018, 2:15pm ET

Nissan postpones launch of 2019 Leaf

The 200-horsepower, 200-mile EV is another victim of the Ghosn scandal.

A high-performance version of the Nissan Leaf was set to be unveiled on November 28. Thanks to the arrest of chairman Carlos Ghosn, that may not happen now.

According to Reuters, Nissan has "called off the launch of a high-performance Leaf electric car, cancelling Nov. 28 events in Yokohama and Amsterdam." The news outlet further reports that "A Nissan spokesman gave no reason for the postponement and said the company had yet to set a new date for the announcement."

This was likely a launch of the 2019 Leaf, which is set to have 200 horsepower and a longer range. With a new 60kWh battery the 2019 Leaf would increase output by 53 horsepower. Range is said to be over 200 miles; currently the 2018 models travels up to 151.

Ghosn was arrested Monday after a whistleblower revealed he been under-reporting his income to Japan's securities commission and had been misusing company funds. Among the accusations levied at Ghosn, he had used Nissan funds to establish an R&D office in the Amsterdam which did little more than apparently buy luxury homes for the head of the Renault-Nissan alliance. He is also alleged to have employed his sister as a consultant to the tune of $1.7 million, though she seems to have done little more than advise him on said houses.







Nissan's push towards electrification was one of its biggest achievements of Ghosn's regime.