🔗 Share this article

Plug-in hybrid cars emit nearly 5x greater planet-heating pollution than official data indicate, as per a recent report.

Growing Gap In Official and Actual CO2 Output

Data reveals that PHEVs release only one-fifth lower CO₂ than traditional gas and diesel vehicles, according to research conducted by a non-profit organization. This contrasts significantly with lab estimates, which suggested a three-quarters reduction in pollution.

Analysts studied information from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars registered in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual emissions are increasing, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a lead analyst involved in the report. “This gap is widening and poses a significant problem. Consequently, PHEVs pollute almost as much as gasoline cars.”

Primary Factors Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts linked most of the gap to inflated estimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of miles travelled in electric mode compared to total distance. They determined that just a quarter of travel was completed in electric mode, whereas official estimates suggested 84%.

Additionally, when operating in EV mode, emission levels were significantly higher than lab projections. This occurred because EV motors were not strong enough to operate independently, resulting to engines burning gasoline for almost a third of the distance completed in electric mode.

Policy and Economic Implications

According to calculations, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled several major automaker groups to escape more than €5bn in penalties between 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing adherence with European Union average fleet CO₂ targets.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs could spend about €500 more per year in operating expenses than would be estimated under lab conditions.

“The bold statements that manufacturers often promote about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously far from the mark,” commented a automotive analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and cutting costs. Actually, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO₂ emissions, and operating costs.”

Political Discussion and Automotive Pressure

Hybrid vehicles have lately been brought again into policy discussions as automakers have lobbied the European Union to relax CO₂ standards. A planned ban on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the car sector and resistance from EU countries with significant automotive manufacturing.

Some high-level politicians have proposed PHEVs as a possible “compromise” option to include in the regulation.

One external energy economics specialist, who was not involved with the study, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after years in which segments of the automotive sector argued there was too little data to accurately evaluate actual emissions.

“The results demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference in official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ output is much, much greater than for gasoline or conventional cars,” they stated. “Any regulatory changes concerning PHEVs should be made with utmost caution and considering this data.”