Regular hybrids get all their energy from the internal combustion engine which converts chemical energy to mechanical with huge losses. Their only advantage is regenerative braking.PHEVs are closer to BEVs, but the usage mode is hugely impactful on their average efficiency.
Toyota Prius peak thermal efficiency is 41% from the 2.0L engine, which is quite impressive but still a 59% engine loss with the chart above it would be in the middle. Prius is very efficient with low cost of ownership but not technically as energy efficient as a pure EV.
Prius Plugin Hybrid is the answer. Typical user spend most of the time in EV mode and on long trips use hybrid. Really good combination for countries without well developed charging infrastructure.
