Plug in Hybrid electric Vehicles Emit Almost as Much as Gasoline Cars, Report Reveals

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles release nearly five times more planet-heating emissions than lab-reported figures show, as per a recent report.

Growing Gap Between Lab and Real-World CO2 Output

Data reveals that PHEVs emit just one-fifth less CO₂ than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to analysis carried out by a advocacy group. That contrasts significantly with lab tests, which suggested a 75% reduction in pollution.

Analysts studied information from in-vehicle fuel consumption monitors of 800,000 vehicles registered in Europe from 2021 and 2023. The team found that real-world CO₂ output from PHEVs in 2023 were 4.9 times greater than official figures, increased from 3.5 times in 2021.

“Actual CO2 output are increasing, while official figures are falling,” said a senior analyst participating in the report. “That discrepancy is widening and poses a significant problem. Consequently, PHEVs pollute nearly as heavily as gasoline vehicles.”

Primary Factors Behind the Discrepancy

Analysts linked most of the difference to inflated estimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles travelled in battery mode relative to total mileage. The team found that only a quarter of travel was done in electric mode, while official assumptions suggested 84%.

Additionally, when operating in EV mode, emission amounts were significantly higher than lab estimates. This occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function independently, leading to combustion motors using fossil fuels for almost one-third of the distance completed in EV mode.

Policy and Financial Consequences

According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV CO2 output enabled four large carmaker companies to avoid over €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying compliance with European Union fleet-average CO₂ standards.

Additionally, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 more per year in operating expenses than is estimated under laboratory conditions.

“The strong statements that manufacturers like to make about their PHEV vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” commented a automotive expert. “Consumers are being duped into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are helping the environment and cutting money. Actually, PHEVs are only slightly better than regular petrol and diesel cars in terms of energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and running expenses.”

Policy Discussion and Industry Lobbying

Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn again into political debates as carmakers have pressed the EU to relax CO₂ standards. A proposed prohibition on new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive sector and resistance from member states with large car industries.

Several senior politicians have suggested plug-in hybrids as a potential “compromise” solution to introduce in the legislation.

An independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the report a “very useful contribution” after years in which parts of the car industry claimed there was too little information to accurately evaluate real-world CO2 output.

“These findings demonstrate, without question, that the gap between official and real-world PHEV fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions is significantly larger than for gasoline or conventional cars,” they stated. “Any policy changes regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost caution and considering this data.”