Yes, this, EV's have a more efficient powertrain than gas engines, which are ~30-40% efficient. EV's are around 90% efficient.
The difference of course is that gasoline is massively more energy dense than a battery.
- 1 gallon of gasoline has 120,286 BTU
- 1 kWh is 3,412 BTU
- 1 gallon of gasoline weighs 6.073lbs
- The Tesla Model 3 Long Range battery weighs 1,060lbs and has a capacity of 75kWh; 14.13lbs per kWh, 255,900 BTU
So:
- 20lbs of gasoline is 3.29 gallons and contains 396,134 BTU
- 20lbs of Tesla battery contains 1.415kWh; 4,829 BTU
That's a massive difference in energy density.
However, an EV that gets let's say 400 miles on a 75kWh battery is getting 5.33 miles per kWh. We've already noted that 1kWh is 3,412 BTU and 1 gallon of gasoline is 120,286 BTU, so there are 35.25kWh available per gallon of gasoline. If that gasoline powertrain was as efficient as the EV one, it would get 188 miles out of that gallon of gas.
As
@JeffKeryk noted, EV's are best suited to in-town use where aero doesn't have an impact on power consumption. Unlike a gasoline engine where start/stop and changing gears and going all over the RPM range puts it in its least efficient mode of operation, this is where the BEV excels. You put it out on the open road and throw in some long hills and the laws that govern friction and overcoming it to obtain a given road speed are not circumvented, so the electric motor draws more power and range decreases. While the powertrain itself is more efficient, the available "fuel" is so low density in comparison to an ICE that this is where the weakness of a battery when compared to a liquid fuel are really highlighted.