Plug in Hybrid electric Cars Emit Almost as Heavily as Petrol Vehicles, Report Finds
Plug-in hybrid cars emit nearly five times more global warming emissions than official data show, according to a recent analysis.
Widening Gap In Lab and Real-World Emissions
Data shows that PHEVs emit only 19% less CO2 than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles, based on analysis carried out by a advocacy organization. This differs significantly with lab tests, which assumed a 75% decrease in pollution.
Analysts examined information from in-vehicle fuel consumption meters of eight hundred thousand vehicles registered in Europe between 2021 and 2023. They discovered that actual CO2 emissions from PHEVs in 2023 were nearly five times higher than lab figures, up from 3.5 times in 2021.
“Actual emissions are increasing, while lab-reported figures are falling,” stated a lead researcher participating in the study. “That discrepancy is growing and poses a significant issue. As a result, PHEVs pollute almost as heavily as gasoline cars.”
Primary Factors Behind the Discrepancy
Researchers attributed most of the gap to overestimates of the “utility factor” – the ratio of miles travelled in battery mode relative to overall distance. The team determined that only a quarter of travel was completed in electric mode, while lab assumptions assumed 84%.
Additionally, when operating in EV mode, pollution amounts were well above official estimates. That occurred because electric motors were insufficiently powerful enough to function alone, leading to engines using gasoline for almost one-third of the distance completed in electric mode.
Policy and Economic Consequences
According to estimates, the underestimation of PHEV emissions enabled several large automaker groups to escape more than €5bn in penalties from 2021 and 2023, by artificially easing adherence with European Union fleet-average CO2 standards.
Furthermore, drivers of PHEVs would pay approximately €500 more per year in operating expenses than is assumed under lab conditions.
“The bold claims that manufacturers like to make about their plug-in hybrid vehicles are obviously far from the truth,” stated a transport expert. “Consumers are being misled into believing that by purchasing a PHEV, they are helping the planet and saving costs. In reality, PHEVs are only slightly better than standard gas and diesel vehicles in terms of fuel use, CO2 emissions, and operating costs.”
Policy Debate and Industry Lobbying
Plug-in hybrid vehicles have lately been drawn again into policy discussions as automakers have pressed the European Union to weaken CO2 targets. A planned prohibition on sales of new combustion engine vehicles in 2035 has faced intense lobbying from the automotive industry and resistance from member states with significant automotive manufacturing.
Several senior politicians have proposed PHEVs as a potential “compromise” option to include in the regulation.
One independent energy economics expert, who was unaffiliated with the study, described the report a “very useful addition” after a long period in which segments of the car industry argued there was insufficient information to properly assess real-world CO2 output.
“These findings show, beyond any doubt, that the difference between official and actual PHEV fuel consumption and CO2 output is significantly larger than for gasoline or conventional vehicles,” they stated. “All regulatory adjustments regarding PHEVs should be made with utmost care and considering this data.”
