Daimler, Solaris, Tesla, Toyota, BMW, VDL.

Will Daimler electrify all commercial vans? According to Autocar, it is now certain that the new-generation Sprinter will be available as an all-electric version (we reported). But that is just the beginning. Thanks to an adaptable underpinning, all next-generation commercial vehicles will be offered as purely electric.
autocar.co.uk

Solaris expands hybrid bus portfolio: Solaris will unveil its New Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid at the IAA for commercial vehicles in September. It is powered by the “HybriDrive” from U.S. supplier BAE Systems. A diesel engine functions as generator for the motor and battery and shuts off when at bus stops.
busplaner.de, omnibusrevue.de (articles in German)

Is Tesla already building Model 3 prototypes? According to Electrek, the California EV maker has ordered enough parts to build 300 beta prototypes. Is this already a preproduction run? Meanwhile, CEO Elon Musk and other shareholders will boost their stake in the company after it takes over SolarCity. Musk will remain the single biggest shareholder, increasing his stake from 23.2 to 25 percent.
electrek.co (Model 3), reuters.com (shares)

Plug-in Prius has to wait: The new generation of Toyota’s PHEV was supposed to arrive in Japan this autumn, followed by the U.S. and Europe. But the launch has been pushed back to winter 2016. The only reason the manufacturer gave is that it wanted to take its “time and more care before starting mass manufacturing.”
electriccarsreport.com

BMW sales boom: The new BMW i3 with a bigger battery has been available since July and BMW received 7,000 orders since then – three times as many, as after market launch. Hybrids are also selling well. The Bavarians sold 23,675 electrified cars in the first half of 2016, 87 percent more than in the same time last year.
bmwgroup.com

Police on pedelecs: VDL is seemingly also looking to enter the world of e-bikes. First, it will focus on performance pedelecs for police and security personnel. The two-wheelers under the brand name Trefecta are said to hit 100 kph. Production is limited to 200 units.
bike-eu.com