The exception that I would like to point out is off throttle behavior. In a normal car, when you completely let off the throttle to cruise, you are met with a very small amount of engine braking. In the Tesla, to optimize range and efficiency, it feels like you’re lightly on the brakes. This is because off throttle, the Model S is regenerating power to charge the batteries. It takes a little while to get used to this behavior, but once you do, you pretty much never use the brake pedal in normal driving situations, and reprograms the driver to use a single pedal to control their speed. The Model S isn’t the only EV forcing drivers to relearn how to drive, the BMW i3 uses a similar system, and there is a good reason why EVs are moving towards this behavior.
Looking at the Toyota Prius, it handles regenerative braking slightly differently than the Model S and i3. Off the throttle, it simulates typical engine braking, and regenerates a small amount of energy. Press the brakes a little, and it activates more regenerative braking. Push hard on the brakes, and it will regenerate energy and use the mechanical brakes to slow you down quicker. There are pros and cons to this method of energy recovery. The obvious advantage is that it feels like driving a typical car. The disadvantage is that it requires a more complex braking system to manage the transition between regenerative braking and mechanical braking, something that Toyota has done an excellent job of, at a significant increase in engineering and control systems expenses. Another side effect is that drivers tend to use the brakes more, which means more brake wear, and less energy going back to the batteries.
Which system is better? For efficiency sake, the single pedal speed control model is definitely the way to go.