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Recharge Wrap-up: Will.i.am's custom Tesla, Mahindra's Formula E livery

Take a look at Will.i.am's custom Tesla Model S caught on video in the wild in Beverly Hills. The over-the-top body kit comes from Black Eyed Peas member's own so-called car company, IAMAUTO. The deep-dish wheels appear to recede into nothingness, and the placement of the handles gives away the car's suicide rear doors, which a valet opens slightly at one point in the video. Overall, the custom job gives the EV a wide, low, and extremely chunky look. The man behind the camera gets a good view from a variety of angles, though whether there is actually a good angle for this particular Tesla is up for debate. Check it out in the video above, and read more at Teslarati. 1,635 Smart cars traveled in a parade through Hamburg, Germany as part of Smart Times 2016. At the 16th such gathering of Smart enthusiasts and their vehicles, the group beat the former world record of 1,427 parading cars at Smart Times 2014 in Cascais, Portugal. In addition to meeting with like-minded fans and showing off their fuel-sipping and electric runabouts, Smart Times attendees had the opportunity to test drive new models, talk to designers and tuners, enjoy live music, and meet beach volleyball players Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, who arrived in a golden Smart Fortwo Cabriolet. There will be yet another opportunity to set a new record next year, when the Smart community will descend upon Salou, Spain. Read more from Daimler. ChargePoint is offering 10 percent off its ChargePoint Home EV charger. In honor of National Drive Electric Week, the deal on the 32-amp charging station is good until September 18, 2016. ChargePoint Home comes in hardwired and plug-in versions with either an 18- or 25-foot cable, and is for sale on Amazon. Read more from ChargePoint. Mahindra Racing has new livery for the third season of Formula E. The livery for the team's M3Electro racecar debuted at Donington Park for the first round of preseason testing. Mahindra held an online contest called #DrivenByDesign to choose its new look, with the winning design created by Spanish artist Adria Haro Jorba. Pininfarina Chief Designer Fabio Filippini chose Haro Jorba's design, which visualizes the car's aerodynamics and makes use of India's national colors. Learn more in the press release from Mahindra Racing.

In-demand BMW i8 deliveries start in June, and it's more efficient than we thought

Memo to Elon Musk: objects in the rear-view mirror may be closer than they appear. In this case, it's a couple of plug-in BMWs. And they represent the closest thing to a true competitor for Musk and the Tesla Motors electric vehicles. The German automaker re-confirmed that demand for its upcoming i8 plug-in hybrid will exceed the initial supply batch, though BMW didn't release any specific numbers, Reuters says. BMW will start production next month with deliveries commencing in June for the 362-horsepower i8. The news is consistent with a November estimate from BMW that indicated that the first year of i8s were essentially spoken for in advance. We learned in late January that the number of i3 battery-electric vehicles imported to the US won't meet demand during that vehicle's first year of sales either. Here's the thing: all these people were interested in the i8 when BMW said the car got the equivalent of 94 miles per gallon. Turns out, those calculations were a bit off. Reuters also notes that the new numbers show the i8 gets 112 MPGe. That's on the lenient European cycle, but if anyone was holding out for an i8 with triple-figure fuel economy, your time (to get on the waiting list) has come.Motley Fool proposed late last month that BMW is positioned to be Tesla's only real competition when it comes to high-performance plug-in vehicles. The reasoning was that the BMW plug-ins, like the Teslas, are being built from scratch and don't just have EV powertrains dropped into existing vehicle platforms. Whether or not the competition is truly a two-team race is something we're not sure is completely decided yet, but we know it'll be fun to watch unfold either way. Want proof? Check out Autoblog's enjoyable First Drive of the i8 here.

Jay Leno burns rubber in Tesla Model S

Jay Leno has a pretty big soft spot for alternative-fuel vehicles. From his steam-powered relics to his beloved Chevrolet Volt, the comedian's automotive interests are nothing if not varied. In the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen stops by the Big Dog Garage to show off his company's new Model S. Jay gets a closer look at the five-door EV's interesting touchscreen controls, expansive moonroof and yes, even the third-row jump seats, before taking to the road. The clip explains why Tesla eschewed the chunky standardized EV charger for a more svelte unit and how the company managed to serve up impressive aerodynamics without sacrificing styling.
Leno takes the time to whir the Model S around the greater Los Angeles area before hopping on the freeway for a quick spin. This particular model features the largest battery pack available, which gives the Model S a total range of around 300 miles. Check out the clip below for a closer look.