Plug in Hybrid Vehicles Emit Almost as Heavily as Gasoline Cars, Report Reveals
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles produce almost five times more global warming emissions than official data show, according to a new analysis.
Widening Gap Between Official and Real-World Emissions
Data reveals that PHEVs release only one-fifth lower CO2 than conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, according to research conducted by a advocacy organization. This differs sharply with lab estimates, which assumed a three-quarters reduction in emissions.
Analysts studied information from in-vehicle energy use meters of 800,000 cars sold in the EU from 2021 and 2023. The team discovered that actual CO2 output from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than official estimates, up from three and a half times in 2021.
“Real-world CO2 output are rising, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a lead analyst involved in the report. “That gap is growing and creates a serious problem. As a result, PHEVs emit almost as heavily as petrol cars.”
Key Reasons Driving the Emissions Gap
Analysts attributed most of the gap to overestimates of the “electric driving share” – the ratio of kilometers travelled in battery mode relative to overall distance. The team found that just 27% of travel was completed in electric mode, while official assumptions suggested 84%.
Even, when operating in electric mode, pollution levels were significantly higher than official projections. That occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful sufficient to operate independently, resulting to combustion motors burning gasoline for nearly a third of the distance covered in electric mode.
Regulatory and Economic Implications
Based on estimates, the lowballing of PHEV CO2 output allowed four large automaker groups to avoid more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially simplifying adherence with EU fleet-average CO2 targets.
Furthermore, owners of PHEVs would pay about €500 extra per year in running expenses than is assumed under lab tests.
“The strong statements that automakers like to make about their plug-in hybrid cars are obviously far from the mark,” stated a transport expert. “Buyers are being misled into believing that by buying a PHEV, they are benefiting the environment and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are little better than standard petrol and diesel cars in terms of fuel use, CO2 emissions, and operating costs.”
Political Discussion and Industry Lobbying
Plug-in hybrid cars have lately been drawn again into political discussions as automakers have lobbied the EU to relax CO2 standards. A planned ban on sales of new internal combustion vehicles in 2035 has faced heavy pressure from the car sector and resistance from member states with large car manufacturing.
Some senior officials have suggested PHEVs as a potential “compromise” solution to introduce in the regulation.
An independent energy policy specialist, who was not involved with the study, called the report a “very useful contribution” after years in which segments of the automotive industry claimed there was insufficient data to properly assess real-world emissions.
“The results demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that the difference in official and real-world PHEV energy use and CO2 emissions is significantly larger than for petrol or conventional cars,” the expert stated. “All policy adjustments regarding PHEVs should be implemented with extreme caution and in the light of this evidence.”
