Plug-in Hybrid electric Vehicles Emit Nearly as Heavily as Gasoline Vehicles, Report Reveals

Plug-in hybrid cars emit nearly five times greater global warming pollution than official data indicate, as per a new analysis.

Growing Gap In Official and Real-World Emissions

Data reveals that PHEVs emit only 19% lower CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel cars, based on research conducted by a advocacy group. That differs significantly with lab estimates, which suggested a three-quarters decrease in pollution.

Analysts studied data from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of eight hundred thousand cars sold in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that real-world CO₂ emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times greater than lab figures, up from three and a half times in 2021.

“Real-world emissions are rising, while lab-reported emissions are falling,” said a senior analyst participating in the study. “This gap is widening and creates a serious issue. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as petrol vehicles.”

Key Factors Behind the Discrepancy

Researchers linked the majority of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of miles travelled in electric mode compared to overall distance. The team found that only a quarter of driving was completed in electric mode, while lab assumptions assumed 84%.

Even, when running in EV mode, emission amounts were well above official projections. This happened because EV motors were not strong enough to function independently, leading to combustion motors using fossil fuels for nearly a third of the travel completed in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed several large automaker groups to escape over €5bn in fines between 2021 and 2023, by falsely simplifying compliance with EU average fleet CO₂ standards.

Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs could pay approximately €500 extra per year in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory tests.

“The bold statements that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are obviously way off the mark,” commented a automotive analyst. “Buyers are being duped into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving money. Actually, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ production, and operating expenses.”

Political Discussion and Industry Pressure

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been brought back into political discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to weaken CO₂ standards. A proposed prohibition on new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced intense pressure from the automotive sector and resistance from member states with large automotive industries.

Some high-level officials have suggested PHEVs as a possible “compromise” solution to introduce in the legislation.

An external energy policy specialist, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the analysis a “very useful addition” after a long period in which parts of the automotive sector argued there was too little data to properly evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“These findings show, without question, that the gap in official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is significantly greater than for petrol or diesel cars,” the expert said. “Any regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and in the light of this data.”