2015 Nissan Altima 2.5 S on 2040-cars

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World's cheapest Nissan Leaf costs just $9,460

If you thought electric vehicles were expensive, head on over to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. There, you can buy a Nissan Leaf for the amazingly low price of just 7,450 euros ($9,460 US). Or, if a practical delivery van is more your style, check out the Nissan e-NV200 Visia Flex, which is absurdly priced at 4,950 euros ($6,400). Now, you might be thinking, those prices don't seem right, and this isn't a case of Nissan slashing the price like someone in I Know What You Did Last Summer. Instead, these deals are already and unsurprisingly being called the "world's best EV incentives." The great deals - available to businesses only – are due to generous national and local government incentives that are designed to take dirty vehicles off the road. Things like scrappage incentives (worth 2,500 euros, or $3,240) and free parking for EVs as well as home charger incentives stack up until they bring the price of a new EV down to the levels listed above. Jordi Vila, the managing director for Nissan Netherlands, told Automotive World that, "By scrapping older vehicles and incentivising buyers to replace them with zero-emission electric vehicles, Rotterdam is taking a huge step in improving air quality." As great as these deals are, it turns out that most car buyers are unaware of EV incentives. This is too bad, since there is a short but interesting history of tremendous deals on plug-in vehicles, like the $10,000 discount on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (or the $69/month lease on that thing). For pure "dollars off" value, though, nothing beats the $30,000 in total incentives that maybe be available in some Japanese prefectures for hydrogen vehicles, which might expand all the way to free H2 cars.

Renault's new Talisman smacks of Maxima [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Well, despite taking up virtually the same amount of space on the road, Nissan spokesperson Josh Clifton confirmed to Autoblog that there's "no linkage on the two vehicles," and that "they weren't developed in tandem." The story has been edited to reflect this information. While Renault and Nissan maintain a strong alliance, the amount of sharing between the two brands is generally pretty subtle. The two automakers haven't made a habit of rebadging the other's products, although we'd surely support rebadging the Renault Clio or Megane as the new Versa or Sentra, especially if the RenaultSport versions were rebadged as Nismo models. That's not likely to change with the new Renault Talisman The big four-door sedan is the latest vehicle to ride on Renault-Nissan's Common Module Family, which also underpins the current Espace MPV. While it may wear Renault's diamond logo and ride on the Espace's platform, the new Talisman sedan takes up almost exactly the same amount of space on the road as the new Nissan Maxima. There's less than two inches separating the two sedans' overall length and wheelbase, while differences in width and height are negligible. The similarities end with the size, though. While the Maxima is only offered with a 3.5-liter V6 and continuously variable transmission, the Talisman will be available with a range of four-cylinder engines. There will be three diesels, available in 110-horsepower, 130-hp, and 160-hp varieties, along with a pair of gas engines, delivering 150 and 200 hp, respectively. The diesels can only be mated to six-speed transmissions (manuals are available for the 110 and 130-hp models), while the petrol mills are limited to seven-speed dual-clutch units. The Renault will also offer four-wheel steering, in the form of the company's 4Control system, and active dampers. While not pictured here, the Talisman will also be offered as a five-door wagon. You can expect to see both the sedan and long-roof models when Renault shows its newest entries in September, at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Related Video: THE TALISMAN Renault's new saloon packs style and real driving enjoyment Renault is proud to reveal its new executive saloon. The evocatively named TALISMAN ticks all the boxes that D-segment customers have come to appreciate, while taking wellbeing and driving enjoyment to a new level. The Renault TALISMAN features a unique combination of: • Assertive styling: sleek, elegant lines.

West Coast labor dispute hampers Japanese automakers' US plants

The ongoing labor dispute between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and port owners along the West Coast is starting to affect more Japanese automakers building vehicles in the US. The issue already forced Honda and Subaru to take the expensive option of airlifting some parts into the US weeks ago, and according to USA Today, Toyota and Nissan have begun doing so, as well. The choice hasn't been cheap, though, and Subaru's chief financial officer estimated that the decision cost around $60 million more per month than sending components by cargo ship. The effects continue to radiate, according to USA Today, and shortages of some models are possible. Honda is slowing production at its factories in Ohio, Indiana and Canada because the automaker doesn't have enough transmissions and electronics for some vehicles. Toyota already cut back on overtime at some factories. Nissan has only seen a small effect from the issue, though, because of its local suppliers. Dock workers and port owners have been negotiating on a new contract since last year, and the union has organized work slowdowns in response. According to USA Today, the automakers could move shipments to Canada or Mexico, but it would take longer for parts to arrive. News Source: USA TodayImage Credit: Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images Earnings/Financials Plants/Manufacturing UAW/Unions Honda Nissan Subaru Toyota shipping port labor dispute