Plug in Hybrid electric Vehicles Emit Almost as Heavily as Petrol Cars, Report Finds
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce almost 5x more planet-heating emissions than official data show, according to a recent report.
Growing Discrepancy In Lab and Real-World Emissions
Statistics reveals that PHEVs emit just 19% less CO2 than conventional gas and diesel cars, according to research carried out by a advocacy group. This contrasts significantly with laboratory tests, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in pollution.
Analysts examined information from onboard energy use meters of eight hundred thousand cars registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They found that real-world CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times higher than official estimates, increased from three and a half times in 2021.
“Actual emissions are rising, while official figures are decreasing,” stated a lead analyst participating in the report. “That gap is widening and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”
Primary Factors Behind the Discrepancy
Researchers linked the majority of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the percentage of kilometers travelled in battery mode compared to overall mileage. The team found that only 27% of travel was done in electric mode, while lab assumptions suggested 84%.
Even, when operating in EV mode, emission amounts were significantly higher than lab estimates. This occurred because EV motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to function alone, resulting to engines burning gasoline for nearly one-third of the travel covered in electric mode.
Policy and Economic Consequences
According to calculations, the lowballing of PHEV emissions allowed several major automaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in fines from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with European Union fleet-average CO2 targets.
Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 extra per year in operating costs than would be estimated under laboratory tests.
“The bold claims that automakers often promote about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously far from the mark,” stated a transport analyst. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the environment and saving costs. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy use, CO2 production, and running costs.”
Political Discussion and Industry Lobbying
Plug-in hybrid vehicles have recently been drawn again into policy discussions as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO2 standards. A proposed ban on sales of new internal combustion cars in 2035 has faced heavy lobbying from the automotive industry and resistance from member states with large automotive manufacturing.
Several high-level politicians have suggested plug-in hybrids as a possible “compromise” solution to introduce in the legislation.
An external energy policy expert, who was unaffiliated with the research, described the report a “highly valuable addition” after a long period in which parts of the car industry claimed there was insufficient data to accurately assess real-world emissions.
“These findings show, without question, that the difference in official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is significantly larger than for gasoline or conventional cars,” the expert said. “Any policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and in the light of this evidence.”
