With cars anything powered by gas and electricity is a hybrid. For me the hybrid seems the less effective between the plug in and non plug in hybrids but that is not always the case. Ultimately 2 energy sources = hybrid - 1 energy source = something else but not hybrid. I don't understand why they are not calling it a phev but a hybrid. I have read they thought the term phev would scare people away but for me it is the exact opposite. I feel I understand the phev more than the non plug in hybrid. I guess when the first gas hybrids came out in the late 90s the battery technology wasn't in place and would have probably required a lot more space overall.