edit: recharge as in having a net gain of energy. Even if you roll down a 3-mile mountain with the brakes pushed, you'd only be recovering energy spent on the way up, minus losses.
In contrast slower city driving speeds are more efficient and electric vehicles have a unique benefit in stop and go, low-speed driving due to regenerative braking
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/model-s-efficiency-and-range
But the big win is driving at city speeds. I had explained this the other day, but power usage depends approx. on the square of your velocity.
So averaging 30mph in the city would take about 1/4 as much power as averaging 60mph on the highway, all other things being equal.
Normally all other things are not equal, as idling at a city stoplight wastes energy in a gas-powered machine, and pressing the brakes wastes energy in a gas-powered machine.
With an EV idling uses very little energy, and you can reclaim some energy from braking. Braking is still a net loss, but not as much.
Combine the two effects with a 4x power efficiency and it's not at all impossible for a hybrid to get better mileage in city, especially in stop-and-go traffic where the average speed is even lower.
He says the Tesla seems more efficient on county highways than side roads because the losses from accelerating the vehicle's over 4500 pound weight exceed losses from air resistance at those speeds.