A PHEV can certainly charge its own battery from the ICE as well as from regenerative braking.
FWIW, the lighter battery in a hybrid can be just as efficient as the one in an EV - at around 3 miles per KWh in the case of my i8 and a new BMW EV. Personally I prefer the dynamics of a hybrid weighing 1.5t than an EV SUV weighing over 2.5t.
Will
