Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles Emit Almost as Much as Petrol Cars, Report Reveals
Plug-in hybrid cars produce nearly 5x greater global warming pollution than official figures show, according to a recent report.
Growing Discrepancy Between Lab and Actual Emissions
Statistics shows that PHEVs emit just one-fifth lower CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel cars, according to research carried out by a advocacy group. That contrasts sharply with laboratory tests, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution.
Researchers examined data from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles sold in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than official figures, up from 3.5 times in 2021.
“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while official emissions are falling,” said a senior analyst participating in the study. “That discrepancy is growing and poses a serious problem. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”
Key Factors Driving the Emissions Gap
Researchers attributed most of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles travelled in electric power compared to total distance. The team found that just a quarter of driving was done in EV mode, whereas lab estimates assumed over four-fifths.
Additionally, when running in electric mode, emission levels were significantly higher than lab projections. That occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate alone, leading to combustion motors burning gasoline for almost a third of the travel completed in EV mode.
Regulatory and Economic Implications
Based on calculations, the lowballing of PHEV emissions enabled several large carmaker companies to escape more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing adherence with EU fleet-average CO2 standards.
Additionally, drivers of PHEVs could pay about €500 extra per year in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory tests.
“The bold claims that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously way off the truth,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being misled into thinking that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly improved than regular gas and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO2 emissions, and running expenses.”
Political Debate and Industry Pressure
Plug-in hybrid cars have recently been brought again into political debates as automakers have lobbied the European Union to relax CO2 targets. A planned ban on new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the automotive sector and resistance from member states with significant car manufacturing.
Some senior officials have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” option to introduce in the regulation.
An external energy policy expert, who was not involved with the study, described the analysis a “highly valuable contribution” after a long period in which segments of the automotive industry argued there was too little data to accurately evaluate actual CO2 output.
“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the gap in official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is much, much greater than for petrol or conventional vehicles,” they said. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and considering that evidence.”
