TOKYO: Nissan Motor Co is pushing back the release date of the electric Ariya B6 SUV again due to a global shortage of semiconductors and other supply chain disruptions, the Japanese automaker said in a statement late on Monday.

The Ariya, Nissan’s second EV-only model after the Leaf hatchback, will now go on sale on May 12 in Japan.

The company had most recently flagged a late-March launch.

The Ariya was originally slated for a mid-2021 launch but was delayed by COVID-related chip shortages. Sales in Europe are due to start this summer and the United States in the autumn, Nissan has said.

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A limited-edition version of the SUV went on sale in Japan as planned in January. Nissan pioneered mass-market electric vehicles with the Leaf in 2010.