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BMW i3 with range extender could arrive after HOV stickers run out in CA

We will weep for the BMW i3 REx owner with ticket #40,001 for California's green HOV stickers. While the standard-issue battery-electric i3 has been deemed eligible for the state's white stickers, which allow for owners to drive in HOV lanes solo, the proverbial jury of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is still out on the BMW i3 REx, which will have a little-bitty range-extender on board, Transport Evolved says. The issue is that, while there is an unlimited number of white stickers for pure EVs such as the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S, the state has limited the number of green stickers, which grant solo-HOV access to plug-in hybrids and extended-range plug-ins, to 40,000. And with almost 29,000 green stickers given out as of the end of last year to cars such as the Chevrolet Volt and the Toyota Prius Plug In, they may run out within two months. The other key point is that the waiting list for the i3 with a range extender is running at about six months as of January, that could cause a bit of hand-wringing among folks looking to buy the REx. BMW said earlier this year that the extended-range version of the i3 would qualify for white stickers because the car is a so-called BEVx, meaning that its range-extender's full-tank range is less than the electric motor's single-charge range. BMW designed the i3 with a small range-extender tank of just 2.4 gallons, but the automaker estimated that California's green stickers wouldn't run out until the end of 2014.

Recharge Wrap-up: drifting Nissan Leaf video, BMW i sponsors Formula E Berlin ePrix

Watch a Nissan Leaf drift. The folks at Autocar got their hands on Nissan's otherwise tame electric vehicle with a set of plastic rear tires, and got it sideways at the British Drift Championship. If that sounds ridiculous, well, it is, but it's also enormously entertaining. If it sounds particularly tricky to pull off in the front-drive EV, yeah, it's that, too. Check it out the drifting Leaf in the video above, and read more commentary at Hybrid Cars. BMW's i division is the title sponsor of the 2016 Formula E Berlin ePrix. The German automaker, which has already put the i8 and i3 to work as safety and medical cars for the electric racing series, is "delighted to be prominently represented with BMW i at the race weekend in the German capital," according to Joerg Reimann, BMW's Vice President of Brand Experience. The 2016 FIA Formula E BMW i Berlin ePrix - as it is now officially titled - takes place on May 21. Read more from Formula E. A Hawaiian biodiesel plant is the first in the US to be certified as sustainable. Pacific Biodiesel's Big Island Biodiesel plant gets its certification from the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, covering both the plant's production and distribution of the alternative fuel. The facility uses waste oil, including used cooking oil, to produce its fuel. The certification system is designed to help worthy biofuel producers show that their processes and products are more than just greenwashing. Read more at Utility Dive, or from The New York Times. India's KPIT Technologies has earned the Promising Innovation in Transport Award at the 2016 Summit of the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany. KPIT earned the special recognition for its system to convert diesel buses to all-electric power. The company's retrofits can be applied to a wide variety of bus platforms. Read more at Green Car Congress.

Jeremy Clarkson chooses his top 10 cars for 2015 and 2016

Jeremy Clarkson is well-known for his role as co-host on the old Top Gear. But the frontman of the upcoming Amazon Prime Show, The Grand Tour, also has a standing column for The Sunday Times in the UK where he reviews the latest cars. With fall nearing, Clarkson put out a list of his top-10 cars from this year and 2015. Some on the list will surprise you, while others represent everything we've come to love about Clarkson. In order to make his list of star cars, the vehicles must offer what co-host James May calls "the fizz." The vehicles, Clarkson claims, have something that is out of the ordinary. Whether it's the car's looks, the way it gets up to speed, or its high-tech gadgets, Clarkson's top-10 list is made up of items that are more than just tools for getting from point A to B. So which ones made the list? Head over to the column in The Sunday Times. Mazda MX-5 Miata 2.0 Sport Recaro Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe Mercedes-AMG GT S Ford Focus RS Ford Mustang Fastback 5.0 V8 GT Volvo XC90 D5 AWD Vauxhall Zafira Tourer 1.6 CDTi Tech Line BMW M2 Ferrari 488 GTB Lamborghini Aventador Related Video: Featured Gallery Jeremy Clarkson's Star Cars For 2015 and 2016 View 11 Photos News Source: The Sunday TimesImage Credit: STEFAN HEUNIS / AFP / Getty Images Celebrities BMW Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Mazda Performance bmw m2 ferrari 488 gtb